South Carolina tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 46 counties with a record
South Carolina has recorded 1,225 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 25 a year since 2000, with 48 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the March 28, 1984 Bennettsville tornado (7 deaths in South Carolina). South Carolina ranks 24th of 52 states and territories by count and 13th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in South Carolina, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- 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
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 1,2251950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 25average
- Deaths
- 661,428 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 484% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 200486 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in South Carolina?
South Carolina averages about 25 tornadoes a year since 2000, 24th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (86). Per 10,000 square miles of land, South Carolina records 407 tornadoes since 1950, 13th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?
Per square mile, Calhoun County leads South Carolina: 23 days with a tornado record since 1950, 60.3 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Orangeburg County has the most tornado records (75 since 1950); 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 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in South Carolina?
South Carolina's tornadoes by month. The busiest month is April (215 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 55 · Mar 136 · Apr 215 · May 170 · Jun 100 · Jul 71 · Aug 106 · Sep 173 · Oct 47 · Nov 72 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in South Carolina?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 | Bennettsville · MarlboroWhole track: NC, SC; 7 deaths | F4 | 14 mi | 7 | 100 |
| 1973-03-31 | Calhoun Falls to Abbeville · Abbeville, Greenwood | F4 | 22.6 mi | 7 | 30 |
| 1974-05-26 | Georgetown | F1 | 3 mi | 6 | 1 |
| 2020-04-13 | Estill · Hampton | EF4 | 23.73 mi | 5 | 60 |
| 1984-03-28 | Winnsboro · Fairfield | F4 | 21 mi | 5 | 49 |
| 1963-09-29 | Newton Grove · DillonWhole track: NC, SC; 3 deaths | F2 | 15.5 mi | 3 | 12 |
| 2011-11-16 | Lowrys · York | EF2 | 5.8 mi | 3 | 5 |
| 1984-03-28 | Red Springs · MarlboroWhole track: NC, SC; 4 deaths | F4 | 5 mi | 2 | 115 |
| 1989-05-05 | Chesnee · Spartanburg, CherokeeWhole track: NC, SC; 2 deaths | F4 | 9 mi | 2 | 35 |
| 1955-03-13 | Batesburg-Leesville · Saluda | F2 | 9.9 mi | 2 | 10 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside South Carolina), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in South Carolina?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in South Carolina
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-03-31 | Calhoun Falls to Abbeville · Abbeville, Greenwood | F4 | 22.6 mi | 200 yd | 7 |
| 1984-03-28 | Bennettsville · Marlboro | F4 | 14 mi | 700 yd | 7 |
| 2020-04-13 | Estill · Hampton | EF4 | 23.73 mi | 1,300 yd | 5 |
| 1984-03-28 | Winnsboro · Fairfield | F4 | 21 mi | 1,000 yd | 5 |
| 1989-05-05 | Chesnee · Spartanburg, Cherokee | F4 | 9 mi | 700 yd | 2 |
| 1984-03-28 | Red Springs · Marlboro | F4 | 5 mi | 2,600 yd | 2 |
| 1973-12-13 | Ninety Six · Greenwood | F4 | 1 mi | 50 yd | 2 |
| 1957-04-08 | Laurinburg · Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro | F4 | 55.5 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1984-03-28 | Cash · Chesterfield | F4 | 7 mi | 700 yd | 0 |
| 1984-03-28 | Kershaw · Kershaw, Lancaster | F4 | 4 mi | 530 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in South Carolina
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-22 | Peak · McCormick, Edgefield, Saluda, Newberry | F3 | 62 mi | 400 yd | 1 |
| 1957-04-08 | Laurinburg · Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro | F4 | 55.5 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1973-05-27 | Greenville · Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee | F3 | 47 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1978-05-04 | Vance · Clarendon, Williamsburg | F2 | 41.2 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1969-04-18 | Bennettsville · Darlington | F3 | 39.9 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 2020-04-13 | Williston · Aiken, Barnwell, Orangeburg | EF3 | 37.88 mi | 800 yd | 0 |
| 2020-04-13 | Blackville · Barnwell, Orangeburg, Calhoun | EF3 | 35.68 mi | 770 yd | 2 |
| 2022-04-05 | Ulmer · Allendale, Bamberg, Orangeburg | EF3 | 34.49 mi | 500 yd | 0 |
| 1993-04-15 | Greenwood, Laurens | F1 | 34 mi | 300 yd | 0 |
| 1980-04-13 | Anderson · Anderson, Greenville | F2 | 33.4 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every South Carolina county
All 46 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in South Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-13 | TornadoOakway, Oconee County NWS Storm Survey found the path of a strong EF3 tornado that began across southern Oconee County, just south of Westminster along Retreat Rd and W Oak Highway. As the tornado moved northeast, damage was largely confined to uprooted and snapped trees as it crossed Highway 11, Brown Farm Rd, and the Coneross Creek ... | EF3 14.7 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 5 | $114M |
| 1994-08-16 | TornadoLexington County Lake Murray ,Tornado touched down near intersection of SC311 and SC244 3 miles south-southeast of Lexington. Major damage occurred to the Glassmaster factory at the intersection of SC6 and Interstate 20. The tornado from that point was mostly on the ground as it moved through east and north central Lexington. Outside ... | F3 8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 40 | $100M |
| 1994-03-27 | TornadoLong Creek To 1 E Pic, Oconee County | F3 20 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 12 | $20M |
| 1995-01-06 | TornadoNear Ballentine, Richland County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $19M |
| 2001-07-06 | TornadoMyrtle Beach, Horry County As a weak cold front moved south into an afternoon sea breeze boundary, slow-moving thunderstorms developed along the Horry county coast. An F0 tornado briefly touched down at 9th Ave N near the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, and soon after a waterspout formed just off the beach near 3rd Ave N. It slightly damaged the 2nd Ave ... | F2 4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 39 | $13M |
| 2020-02-06 | TornadoClevedale, Spartanburg County NWS storm survey found the path of an EF1 tornado that began in the west Spartanburg/Clevedale area, near the intersection of Willis Rd and Harvest Brook Way. Damage was primarily limited to downed trees in this residential area, although one tree fell on and damaged a home. Structural damage increased as the tornado ... | EF1 10.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1993-04-15 | TornadoGreenwood And Laurens, Greenwood County | F1 34 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 1993-02-22 | TornadoTo 4 Ene, Lexington County A tornado clipped off or uprooted numerous trees along a 0.5-mile-path. Roof of a house was lifted up and set back down, a mobile home destroyed, another overturned, and severely damaged, roof blown off a garage, shed picked up and destroyed, and four chicken houses damaged. | F1 0.45 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 2 | $10M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 28, 1984 (tornado, Marlboro County, 7 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Fairfield County, 5 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Marlboro County, 2 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Newberry County, 1 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Laurens County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in South Carolina?
South Carolina's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | South Carolina | United States | South Carolina's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 37 | 4,837 | 0.8% |
| 1960s | 118 | 6,863 | 1.7% |
| 1970s | 95 | 8,633 | 1.1% |
| 1980s | 89 | 8,250 | 1.1% |
| 1990s | 238 | 12,205 | 2.0% |
| 2000s | 295 | 12,892 | 2.3% |
| 2010s | 168 | 12,232 | 1.4% |
| 2020-25 | 185 | 8,234 | 2.2% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in South Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-23 | TornadoMacedonia, Newberry County | EFU 0.07 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoMillett, Allendale County | EF0 3.72 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoRidge Spg, Saluda County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoMidway, Bamberg County | EF0 0.21 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoProvidence, Lexington County | EFU 0.54 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoBallentine, Richland County | EF0 2.22 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-10 | TornadoLimehouse, Jasper County | EF0 0.63 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-09 | TornadoMt Carmel, McCormick County | EF1 0.89 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-09 | TornadoElla, Lexington County | EF1 6.17 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-30 | TornadoSt Paul, Clarendon County | EF1 9.99 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-12 | TornadoLatimer, Abbeville County | EF0 1.69 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-12 | TornadoGloverville, Aiken County | EF1 1.34 mi x 250 yd | 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.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in South Carolina
FEMA has declared 3 disasters in South Carolina for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 3 were major disasters, the latest on May 1, 2020.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-01 | DR-4542 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 10 |
| 2020-03-17 | DR-4479 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 10 |
| 1984-03-30 | DR-700 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 7 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Calhoun County: the county's whole recordThe South Carolina county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in South CarolinaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in South Carolina16,518 records
- Hail in South Carolina6,692 records
- Floods in South Carolina2,557 records