South Carolina rip currents and high surf
Every recorded rip current or surf record since 1996 · 7 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 123 rip current and surf records in South Carolina from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 6.0 a year since 2000. The deadliest was Tropical Storm Debby (August 16, 2024): 3 deaths across 3 records. South Carolina ranks 11th of 34 states and territories by count and 9th of 34 per square mile.
Rip currents and high surf in South Carolina, 1996 to 2026
Surf records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 1231996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 6.0average
- Deaths
- 5416 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $516Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 200715 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are rip current and surf records common in South Carolina?
South Carolina averages about 6.0 rip current and surf records a year since 2000, 11th of 34 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2007 (15). Per 10,000 square miles of land, South Carolina records 41 rip current and surf records since 1996, 9th of 34 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in South Carolina have the most rip current and surf records?
Per square mile, Charleston County leads South Carolina: 39 days with a rip current or surf record since 1996, 42.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Charleston County has the most surf records (49 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the surf season in South Carolina?
41% of its rip current and surf records since 1996 fell in June and July. The busiest month is July (28 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 6 · Mar 0 · Apr 5 · May 18 · Jun 22 · Jul 28 · Aug 15 · Sep 16 · Oct 6 · Nov 0 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest rip current and surf records in South Carolina?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-16 | Tropical Storm Debby · Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort One named storm filed by several offices: 3 records in 2 episodes, 2024-08-16 to 2024-08-24; the totals are the storm's. Long period swell energy, high surf and modest east to northeast winds led to conditions favorable for strong rip currents along the Southeast South Carolina beaches. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-07-14 | Rip CurrentJasper County · forecast zone Beaufort Four people were caught in the rip current at Fripp Island, and a 14 year old girl became separated from the others and swam back to shore and called for help. A 16 year male was found drowned later on July 14; a 38 year old male was later found drowned on July 15; the third body of a 17 year old male was found July ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-06-19 | Rip CurrentHorry County · forecast zone Coastal Horry There were two consecutive days of strong rip currents. On the 19th, there was a rip related death at 7th Ave N in Myrtle Beach. A father and son were caught in a rip current and the mother managed to save the son but could not rescue the father. The next day there were two rip related deaths, a 53 yr old male at 16th ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-07-08 | Rip CurrentHorry County · forecast zone Coastal Horry Strong rip currents pulled two people out to sea. A teen got caught in a rip current near 48th Ave N, and another man who tried to rescue the boy was also pulled out from the rip current. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-07-04 | Rip CurrentHorry County · forecast zone Coastal Horry One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A persistent southeast wind and swell produced strong rip currents at North Myrtle Beach. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-07-07 | Rip CurrentHorry County · forecast zone Coastal Horry Two men, 41 year old Jeffrey Dinkins, and 42 year old Johnny Ward, died in a rip current while attempting to rescue a six year girl. Two other people were involved and were rescued by an Horry County officer. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-07-23 | Rip CurrentMyrtle Beach, Horry County Two people drowned from rip currents at Myrtle Beach. One drowned near 11th Ave. , and the other near 17th Ave. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-06-26 | Rip CurrentMyrtle Beach, Horry County Strong rip currents took the lives of two people at Myrtle Beach State Park. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-06-24 | Rip CurrentMyrtle Beach, Horry County A long shore current evolved into a rip current and was responsible for two deaths. The first occurred around 615 pm near 24th Avenue North, and the other occurred later that evening (8 pm) around 18th Avenue North. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-08-19 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort One storm episode: 2 records, 2017-08-19 to 2017-08-20; the totals are the episode's. A southerly wind developed between a weak cold front inland and high pressure over the Atlantic. The wind along with enhanced astronomical influences produced rip currents along South Carolina beaches. | 1 | 3 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
Are rip current and surf records becoming more frequent in South Carolina?
South Carolina's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | South Carolina | United States | South Carolina's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 1 | 1,021 | 0.1% |
| 2000s | 37 | 4,386 | 0.8% |
| 2010s | 49 | 5,810 | 0.8% |
| 2020-26 | 36 | 2,346 | 1.5% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent rip current and surf records in South Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-04 | Rip CurrentCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-24 | Rip CurrentCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-18 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-13 | Rip CurrentCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-13 | Rip CurrentGeorgetown County · forecast zone Coastal Georgetown | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-06 | Rip CurrentColleton County · forecast zone Southern Colleton | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-07-04 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | Rip CurrentCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-25 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-08-24 | Rip CurrentHorry County · forecast zone Coastal Horry | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-08-16 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-08-16 | Rip CurrentBeaufort County · forecast zone Beaufort | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
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