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South Carolina high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 46 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,001 high wind and dust records in South Carolina from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 35 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the March 27, 1996 strong wind in Beaufort County and Jasper County: 5 deaths. South Carolina ranks 39th of 52 states and territories by count and 30th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in South Carolina, 1996 to 2026

Wind 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
1,0011996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
35average
Deaths
2231 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$34Mas filed
Busiest year
2024130 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 high wind and dust records common in South Carolina?

South Carolina averages about 35 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 39th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (130). Per 10,000 square miles of land, South Carolina records 333 high wind and dust records since 1996, 30th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900
  11. 30. South Carolina 333

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 high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Pickens County leads South Carolina: 32 days with a high wind record since 1996, 64.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Colleton County has the most wind records (179 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).

  1. Pickens County 64.4 (47)
  2. Charleston County 57.7 (88)
  3. Dorchester County 51.0 (56)
  4. Oconee County 46.3 (43)
  5. Greenville County 43.3 (48)
  6. Colleton County 40.7 (179)
  7. Beaufort County 38.2 (36)
  8. Spartanburg County 34.6 (28)
  9. Cherokee County 33.1 (13)
  10. Greenwood County 32.9 (15)
  11. Jasper County 32.1 (35)
  12. Anderson County 28.0 (20)

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 windy season in South Carolina?

South Carolina's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is January (224 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 224 · Feb 134 · Mar 155 · Apr 123 · May 17 · Jun 9 · Jul 16 · Aug 15 · Sep 80 · Oct 45 · Nov 58 · Dec 125 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in South Carolina?

South Carolina: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1996-03-27 Strong WindBeaufort County and Jasper County · forecast zone Beaufort Gale force winds developed by early afternoon on March 27 and continued through the night. A research vessel doing soil samples off the coast of Beaufort capsized during the night of 3/27 or early morning on 3/28. All five passengers on board drowned. 5 0 –
2008-04-15 Strong WindCharleston County · forecast zone Charleston An oak tree that was 3 feet in diameter was knocked down by the wind, landing on a truck traveling on County Line Road off of Highway 165. The driver and a passenger in the vehicle were killed. 40 kt wind 2 2 $7K
2006-11-12 Strong WindBerkeley County · forecast zone Berkeley Boat overturned on Lake Moultrie. 2 people drowned. They were boating during a Lake Wind Advisory and rough conditions on the boat. 25 kt wind 2 0 $15K
2015-01-04 Strong WindLexington County · forecast zone Lexington Sheriff reported a tree fell on a mobile home near I-20 and Hwy 378 on Meetze road killing one occupant and injuring two others. 40 kt wind 1 2 $30K
1996-09-05 High WindWilliamsburg County · forecast zone Williamsburg Winds from hurricane Fran, estimated around 45 mph, caused a fire of 5000 tires in the White Oak community. Downed trees caused power outages, and caused an auto fatality and injury. Evacuation shelters housed 1,139 people. $200,000 was spent for clean-up. 1 2 $376K
2007-04-16 High WindOconee County · forecast zone Oconee Mountains One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. After an intense, but relatively brief high wind event affected the mountains and foothills on the evening of the 15th, another widespread damaging high wind event developed during the day of the 16th. However, this particular event included much of the piedmont. Thousands of trees fell across the area, resulting in ... 60 kt wind 1 0 $4.3M
2009-11-11 Strong WindAnderson County · forecast zone Anderson A motorist was killed about 6 miles southeast of Anderson when he collided with a tree that had previously fallen. 40 kt wind 1 0 $21K
2023-04-01 Strong WindYork County · forecast zone York Gusty winds developed across the South Carolina Piedmont in the wake of a cold front, causing a tree to fall on a manufactured home on Goins Ln north of the city of York. A 68-year-old occupant was seriously injured and died from the injuries two days later. 40 kt wind 1 0 $48K
2022-01-03 High WindRichland County · forecast zone Richland Media article stated that SCHP reported a motorcyclist drove into a downed tree on the roadway on Old Hopkins Rd near Old Garners Ferry Rd, around 0530 EST, and was killed. Richland Co EM reported victim was male and in his 60's. Exact age unknown. 50 kt wind 1 0 –
2020-01-03 Strong WindRichland County · forecast zone Richland A tree fell onto a home on Beechwood Lane in Irmo, SC, killing a 63-year-old woman who was inside the home. It is suspected that non-severe non-thunderstorm wind gusts, estimated to be around 35 MPH, combined with loose soils saturated from earlier heavy rainfall, contributed to the tree falling. 30 kt wind 1 0 –

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.

The costliest high wind and dust records in South Carolina

South Carolina: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1996-09-05 High WindDillon County · forecast zone Dillon 0 1 $12M
2016-10-08 High WindLee County · forecast zone Lee One storm episode: 8 records in 8 places; the totals are the episode's. 56 kt wind 0 0 $9.3M
2007-04-16 High WindOconee County · forecast zone Oconee Mountains One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. 60 kt wind 1 0 $4.3M
2008-10-24 High WindLancaster County · forecast zone Lancaster One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 60 kt wind 0 0 $1.6M
1996-09-05 High WindMarion County · forecast zone Marion 0 0 $1.3M
1996-09-05 High WindFlorence County · forecast zone Florence 0 0 $621K
1996-09-05 High WindWilliamsburg County · forecast zone Williamsburg 1 2 $376K
2003-02-23 Strong WindGreenville County · forecast zone Greater Greenville 45 kt wind 0 2 $80K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust 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.

High wind and dust storms: South Carolina and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeSouth CarolinaUnited StatesSouth Carolina's share
1996-998114,0260.58%
2000s28337,2540.76%
2010s28041,7480.67%
2020-2635736,3000.98%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in South Carolina

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 35 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 39 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 43 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-22 Strong WindColleton County · forecast zone Northern Colleton 43 kt wind 0 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.

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