USA.com / South Carolina / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
South Carolina Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot South Carolina Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in South Carolina is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in South Carolina is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #21
| South Carolina | 0.49 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #14
| South Carolina | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #20
| South Carolina | 136.91 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 14,428 other weather extremes events from 1950 to 2010 were recorded in South Carolina. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 33 | Dense Fog: | 6 | Drought: | 67 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 856 | Hail: | 4,347 | Heat: | 38 | Heavy Snow: | 76 |
| High Surf: | 12 | Hurricane: | 16 | Ice Storm: | 41 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 147 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,907 | Tropical Storm: | 26 | Wildfire: | 5 | Winter Storm: | 54 | Winter Weather: | 55 |
| Other: | 741 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near South Carolina.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 7 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in South Carolina.
| Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 1945-07-26 | 5.6 | N/A | 34.5 | -81.5 |
| 1974-08-02 | 4.9 | 1 | 33.87 | -82.49 |
| 1974-11-22 | 4.7 | 18 | 32.9 | -80.15 |
| 1972-02-03 | 4.5 | 5 | 33.5 | -80.4 |
| 1967-10-23 | 3.8 | N/A | 33.4 | -80.7 |
| 1968-09-22 | 3.7 | N/A | 34 | -81.5 |
| 1979-08-26 | 3.7 | 2 | 34.93 | -82.97 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 173 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in South Carolina.
| Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County | |
| 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°38'N / 80°35'W | 34°39'N / 80°28'W | 6.80 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lancaster | |
| 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°39'N / 80°28'W | 34°44'N / 79°52'W | 34.50 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 16 | 250K | 0 | Chesterfield | |
| 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°44'N / 79°52'W | 34°44'N / 79°37'W | 14.20 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marlboro | |
| 1973-03-31 | 4 | 34°05'N / 82°34'W | 34°15'N / 82°17'W | 19.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 7 | 30 | 2.5M | 0 | Abbeville | |
| 1973-03-31 | 4 | 34°15'N / 82°17'W | 34°16'N / 82°15'W | 2.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 1973-12-13 | 4 | 34°11'N / 82°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 2 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | ||
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°22'N / 81°19'W | 34°25'N / 80°55'W | 21.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 5 | 49 | 25.0M | 0 | Fairfield | |
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°32'N / 80°38'W | 34°33'N / 80°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 530 Yards | 0 | 31 | 25.0M | 0 | Kershaw | |
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°33'N / 80°37'W | 34°36'N / 80°35'W | 2.00 Miles | 530 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Lancaster | |
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°35'N / 79°55'W | 34°37'N / 79°49'W | 7.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 24 | 25.0M | 0 | Chesterfield | |
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°39'N / 79°45'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 14.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 7 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Marlboro | |
| 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°38'N / 79°36'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 5.00 Miles | 2600 Yards | 2 | 115 | 25.0M | 0 | Marlboro | |
| 1989-05-05 | 4 | 35°05'N / 81°56'W | 35°10'N / 81°50'W | 6.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 2 | 35 | 2.5M | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1989-05-05 | 4 | 35°10'N / 81°50'W | 35°11'N / 81°48'W | 3.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee | |
| 1952-05-10 | 3 | 34°48'N / 82°15'W | 34°48'N / 82°08'W | 6.60 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Greenville | |
| 1952-05-10 | 3 | 34°48'N / 82°08'W | 34°48'N / 81°51'W | 16.10 Miles | 83 Yards | 2 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1960-09-11 | 3 | 32°47'N / 79°50'W | 32°48'N / 79°59'W | 8.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Charleston | |
| 1965-08-17 | 3 | 33°50'N / 78°40'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 46 | 250K | 0 | Horry | ||
| 1967-11-24 | 3 | 33°56'N / 79°13'W | 33°57'N / 79°10'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1969-04-18 | 3 | 34°25'N / 80°08'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 39.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Darlington | |
| 1973-05-27 | 3 | 34°46'N / 82°26'W | 34°55'N / 82°13'W | 16.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenville | |
| 1973-05-27 | 3 | 34°55'N / 82°13'W | 35°00'N / 82°03'W | 11.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1973-05-27 | 3 | 35°00'N / 82°03'W | 35°10'N / 81°46'W | 19.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee | |
| 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°16'N / 82°03'W | 34°17'N / 81°59'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Laurens | |
| 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°16'N / 82°10'W | 34°16'N / 82°03'W | 6.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°08'N / 82°10'W | 34°10'N / 81°54'W | 15.40 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 26 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenwood | |
| 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°10'N / 81°54'W | 34°11'N / 81°52'W | 2.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°12'N / 81°43'W | 34°14'N / 81°25'W | 17.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1974-04-08 | 3 | 34°25'N / 82°45'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Anderson | ||
| 1980-05-20 | 3 | 34°22'N / 79°33'W | 34°24'N / 79°22'W | 10.70 Miles | 517 Yards | 0 | 26 | 2.5M | 0 | Dillon | |
| 1983-04-23 | 3 | 33°10'N / 81°27'W | 33°14'N / 81°13'W | 13.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Barnwell | |
| 1983-04-23 | 3 | 33°14'N / 81°13'W | 33°19'N / 80°56'W | 16.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Bamberg | |
| 1983-04-23 | 3 | 33°19'N / 80°56'W | 33°20'N / 80°52'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Orangeburg | |
| 1984-03-28 | 3 | 34°19'N / 81°25'W | 34°20'N / 81°22'W | 4.00 Miles | 870 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1984-03-28 | 3 | 34°20'N / 81°22'W | 34°21'N / 81°05'W | 15.00 Miles | 870 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Fairfield | |
| 1992-11-22 | 3 | 33°49'N / 82°17'W | 33°52'N / 82°08'W | 8.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mccormick | |
| 1992-11-22 | 3 | 33°52'N / 82°08'W | 33°58'N / 81°53'W | 15.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Edgefield | |
| 1992-11-22 | 3 | 33°58'N / 81°53'W | 34°07'N / 81°34'W | 21.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Saluda | |
| 1992-11-22 | 3 | 34°07'N / 81°34'W | 34°16'N / 81°21'W | 18.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1994-08-16 | 3 | 33°55'N / 81°15'W | 0.30 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Lexington | ||
| Brief Description: Tornado completely destroyed a square stick frame home. | |||||||||||
| 1994-08-16 | 3 | 34°38'N / 81°31'W | 34°59'N / 81°49'W | 30.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Union And Spartanburg | |
| Brief Description: Tornado began near Santuc as a large multi-vortex F3 tornado. Spotters engaged the storm almost immediately and followed it as it curved north to northwest through the County. The storm had intermittent ground contact of about 30 to 40 percent but there was not a great deal of separation between areas of damage. The path width gradually diminished to about 50 yards from 0.75 mile initially, and the storm intensity gradually weakened to F2 and then to F1 at Pauline. The tornado crossed into Spartanburg County near Pacolet Mills at 1545EST. A well constructed home near Santuc was destroyed, a stationary vehicle was thrown aout 150 yds, and other homes and structures received severe damage along its path. | |||||||||||
| 1998-05-07 | 3 | 33°53'N / 82°02'W | 33°52'N / 81°57'W | 5.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0 | Edgefield | |
| Brief Description: An F3 tornado touched down near SC highway 61 and moved east to SC highway 36 taking down numerous trees and causing major and minor damage to several homes. | |||||||||||
| 1998-05-07 | 3 | 33°40'N / 82°04'W | 33°39'N / 81°51'W | 12.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 9 | 1.0M | 0 | Edgefield | |
| Brief Description: An F3 tornado either destroyed or severely damaged around 60 homes and mobile homes and a church. One person was killed when her mobile home took a direct hit and was completely destroyed. Widespread trees were taken down. F38MH | |||||||||||
| 2004-09-07 | 3 | 34°16'N / 80°35'W | 34°21'N / 80°36'W | 7.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Kershaw | |
| Brief Description: An F3 tornado demolished several mobile homes and severely damaged cinder block horse stables at a horse farm. A large horse trailer was lifted up and placed on top of the stable. Several outbuildings were destroyed and numerous trees and powerlines were down. | |||||||||||
| 2004-12-10 | 3 | 33°34'N / 80°50'W | 33°36'N / 80°49'W | 1.50 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Orangeburg | |
| Brief Description: Damage survey found an F3 tornado demolished a brick church, completely destroyed 2 mobile homes and several outbuildings. The main damage occurred on Coulter road. | |||||||||||
| 2007-04-15 | 3 | 33°47'N / 80°30'W | 33°58'N / 80°15'W | 19.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 5 | 0K | 0K | Sumter | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF3 tornado traveled from southwest to northeast of Sumter destroying a seven mobile homes, severely damaging nine framed homes, and doing light to moderate damage to an additional 62 mobile and framed homes. There was 1 fatality and 3 injuries. The tornado touched down as an EF1 and ended as an EF3 where the fatality occurred at a mobile home on hwy 76. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front with strong dynamics and windshear pushed into the area late Saturday and early Sunday. Hail and microbursts accompanied the first wave of storms while the second wave of storms produced a half dozen tornadoes. The largest was an EF3 that killed on person and injured 3 others. | |||||||||||
| 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°13'N / 81°45'W | 34°12'N / 81°20'W | 24.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 2 | 2 | 0K | 0K | Newberry | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: NWS Storm Survey found an EF3 tornado touched down near Silverstreet and continued east through Prosperity then crossed into Richald county where it dissipated. Many homes in Prosperity were heavily damaged. Numerous trees and powerlines were down. There were 2 injuries. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Seven supercells tracked across our South Carolina County Warning Area and produced many long-lived tornadoes that did significant damage. Over 85 homes were destroyed, around 400 had moderate damage, and estimates for the total devastation were around 40 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 2008-03-15 | 3 | 33°14'N / 80°51'W | 33°14'N / 80°41'W | 10.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Orangeburg | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Extensive damage in Branchville. One home was destroyed and 16 had other moderate to major damage. One mobile home was destroyed and a half dozen had moderate to major damage. Seven buildings in downtown were destroyed, including a couple of 3 layer deep brick buildings. Thirteen others had major damage and 5 had minor damage. Amazingly there were no injuries or deaths. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Seven supercells tracked across our South Carolina County Warning Area and produced many long-lived tornadoes that did significant damage. Over 85 homes were destroyed, around 400 had moderate damage, and estimates for the total devastation were around 40 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 2009-04-10 | 3 | 33°24'N / 81°51'W | 33°23'N / 81°36'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 14 | 5.0M | 0K | Aiken | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The supercell coming out of Richmond county GA spawned another tornado in Aiken county that did widespread damage. Many homes and business were severely damaged. Numerous trees and powerlines were down and there were around a dozen minor injuries. The tornado tracked along hwy 278. There was also one indirect death of a man who crashed trying to avoid trees on the highway and was killed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Supercell thunderstorms moved across the lower midlands and produced large tornadoes. Other storms in the central midlands produced large hail and microburst wind damage. The largest tornado tracked across Aiken county along highway 278. There was one indirect fatality and around a dozen people were sent to the hospital. Several homes were destroyed and many had moderate to severe damage. Widespread trees and powerlines were also down in Aiken county. Total damage estimate was 6 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 1953-01-08 | 2 | 34°01'N / 79°46'W | 34°07'N / 79°39'W | 9.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Florence | |
| 1955-03-13 | 2 | 33°51'N / 81°40'W | 33°53'N / 81°30'W | 9.90 Miles | 133 Yards | 2 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Saluda | |
| 1955-08-10 | 2 | 34°22'N / 79°26'W | 34°20'N / 79°17'W | 8.80 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Dillon | |
| 1955-12-04 | 2 | 34°23'N / 79°36'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marlboro | ||
| 1956-04-06 | 2 | 34°08'N / 82°23'W | 34°12'N / 82°20'W | 5.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Abbeville | |
| 1957-04-05 | 2 | 33°50'N / 81°32'W | 34°02'N / 81°15'W | 21.30 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Lexington | |
| 1957-04-08 | 2 | 34°38'N / 81°47'W | 34°38'N / 81°31'W | 15.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Union | |
| 1958-04-22 | 2 | 33°35'N / 80°39'W | 33°36'N / 80°34'W | 5.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 1958-04-22 | 2 | 33°36'N / 80°34'W | 33°37'N / 80°21'W | 12.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Clarendon | |
| 1960-03-30 | 2 | 34°25'N / 82°00'W | 34°27'N / 81°50'W | 9.80 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Laurens | |
| 1960-03-30 | 2 | 34°15'N / 81°27'W | 34°16'N / 81°21'W | 5.90 Miles | 57 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1961-06-21 | 2 | 34°11'N / 79°24'W | 34°14'N / 79°18'W | 6.80 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Marion | |
| 1962-02-22 | 2 | 34°11'N / 79°24'W | 34°12'N / 79°15'W | 8.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Marion | |
| 1963-09-28 | 2 | 33°30'N / 81°17'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Orangeburg | ||
| 1963-09-29 | 2 | 33°53'N / 80°13'W | 33°55'N / 80°08'W | 5.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumter | |
| 1963-09-29 | 2 | 34°25'N / 79°22'W | 34°28'N / 79°06'W | 15.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 3 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Dillon | |
| 1964-07-03 | 2 | 34°03'N / 79°46'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1964-08-29 | 2 | 32°48'N / 79°54'W | 1.00 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 2 | 3K | 0 | Charleston | ||
| 1964-08-29 | 2 | 34°08'N / 81°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1964-08-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 79°52'W | 0.10 Mile | 13 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Darlington | ||
| 1965-05-12 | 2 | 33°50'N / 79°03'W | 33°54'N / 78°48'W | 15.00 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1965-10-07 | 2 | 34°00'N / 79°12'W | 34°01'N / 79°09'W | 3.30 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1966-04-13 | 2 | 33°52'N / 79°45'W | 0.20 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Florence | ||
| 1966-10-01 | 2 | 34°13'N / 80°20'W | 34°15'N / 80°12'W | 8.20 Miles | 117 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Lee | |
| 1967-03-12 | 2 | 34°01'N / 79°45'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Florence | ||
| 1967-03-12 | 2 | 34°02'N / 79°56'W | 34°08'N / 79°46'W | 11.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Florence | |
| 1967-05-02 | 2 | 34°50'N / 82°25'W | 1.00 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Greenville | ||
| 1967-05-29 | 2 | 33°55'N / 80°50'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1967-12-01 | 2 | 34°09'N / 79°02'W | 34°08'N / 78°51'W | 10.50 Miles | 93 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1968-05-17 | 2 | 34°12'N / 80°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Darlington | ||
| 1968-12-07 | 2 | 34°05'N / 78°56'W | 0.30 Mile | 13 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Horry | ||
| 1969-04-18 | 2 | 35°01'N / 81°42'W | 0.50 Mile | 83 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cherokee | ||
| 1969-04-18 | 2 | 34°28'N / 80°48'W | 0.80 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Kershaw | ||
| 1973-03-31 | 2 | 34°46'N / 82°37'W | 34°52'N / 82°26'W | 12.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pickens | |
| 1973-05-24 | 2 | 34°58'N / 81°16'W | 2.00 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | York | ||
| 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°48'N / 83°17'W | 34°57'N / 82°56'W | 22.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Oconee | |
| 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°18'N / 82°31'W | 34°24'N / 82°21'W | 11.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Abbeville | |
| 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°53'N / 82°47'W | 34°59'N / 82°23'W | 23.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pickens | |
| 1973-05-27 | 2 | 34°52'N / 82°59'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oconee | ||
| 1973-05-28 | 2 | 35°06'N / 81°06'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | York | ||
| 1973-11-21 | 2 | 34°29'N / 82°39'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Anderson | ||
| 1973-12-13 | 2 | 34°12'N / 81°32'W | 34°12'N / 81°00'W | 30.50 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1973-12-13 | 2 | 34°10'N / 81°24'W | 34°10'N / 81°20'W | 3.80 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1975-02-18 | 2 | 33°22'N / 81°25'W | 33°22'N / 81°22'W | 3.30 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Barnwell | |
| 1975-09-17 | 2 | 33°17'N / 81°49'W | 1.00 Mile | 37 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Aiken | ||
| 1975-11-12 | 2 | 34°40'N / 81°52'W | 0.70 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Edgefield | ||
| 1975-11-12 | 2 | 34°00'N / 81°01'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1976-05-15 | 2 | 33°28'N / 81°02'W | 33°31'N / 81°03'W | 3.80 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Orangeburg | |
| 1976-05-15 | 2 | 34°02'N / 81°00'W | 34°05'N / 80°59'W | 3.80 Miles | 40 Yards | 1 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Richland | |
| 1978-05-04 | 2 | 33°26'N / 80°29'W | 33°40'N / 80°02'W | 30.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Clarendon | |
| 1978-05-04 | 2 | 33°40'N / 80°02'W | 33°44'N / 79°52'W | 10.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Williamsburg | |
| 1978-07-25 | 2 | 33°34'N / 81°08'W | 0.10 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Orangeburg | ||
| 1979-03-23 | 2 | 34°51'N / 82°24'W | 0.10 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenville | ||
| 1979-09-04 | 2 | 33°22'N / 79°18'W | 1.00 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Georgetown | ||
| 1979-09-04 | 2 | 33°49'N / 78°40'W | 1.00 Mile | 97 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Horry | ||
| 1980-04-13 | 2 | 34°23'N / 82°45'W | 34°34'N / 82°25'W | 22.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Anderson | |
| 1980-04-13 | 2 | 34°34'N / 82°25'W | 34°43'N / 82°22'W | 10.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenville | |
| 1980-05-20 | 2 | 34°14'N / 80°06'W | 34°12'N / 79°57'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Darlington | |
| 1980-05-23 | 2 | 34°39'N / 81°52'W | 2.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Spartanburg | ||
| 1981-05-27 | 2 | 34°01'N / 79°37'W | 34°04'N / 79°34'W | 4.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Florence | |
| 1982-06-10 | 2 | 34°11'N / 79°14'W | 34°11'N / 79°10'W | 3.00 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Marion | |
| 1982-06-10 | 2 | 34°11'N / 79°10'W | 34°12'N / 79°05'W | 3.00 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Horry | |
| 1984-03-28 | 2 | 34°33'N / 82°05'W | 34°37'N / 81°55'W | 10.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 43 | 25.0M | 0 | Laurens | |
| 1984-03-28 | 2 | 34°14'N / 81°45'W | 34°27'N / 81°28'W | 23.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 1 | 38 | 25.0M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1984-03-28 | 2 | 34°34'N / 80°10'W | 2.00 Miles | 530 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chesterfield | ||
| 1984-03-28 | 2 | 34°03'N / 78°59'W | 34°09'N / 78°53'W | 7.00 Miles | 353 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1985-06-02 | 2 | 33°56'N / 79°02'W | 33°55'N / 78°57'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Horry | |
| 1985-08-17 | 2 | 34°58'N / 82°00'W | 35°06'N / 81°55'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 39 | 2.5M | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1987-08-31 | 2 | 33°56'N / 80°51'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Richland | ||
| 1988-08-28 | 2 | 33°40'N / 80°16'W | 0.80 Mile | 200 Yards | 1 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Clarendon | ||
| 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°40'N / 83°06'W | 34°40'N / 82°58'W | 6.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Oconee | |
| 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°45'N / 82°32'W | 34°46'N / 82°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Anderson | |
| 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°46'N / 82°30'W | 34°49'N / 82°27'W | 3.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenville | |
| 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°54'N / 82°03'W | 2.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Spartanburg | ||
| 1989-05-01 | 2 | 33°24'N / 81°26'W | 33°30'N / 81°22'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Barnwell | |
| 1989-05-05 | 2 | 34°38'N / 83°14'W | 34°42'N / 83°12'W | 4.50 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oconee | |
| 1989-10-01 | 2 | 33°09'N / 81°42'W | 33°15'N / 81°25'W | 16.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Barnwell | |
| 1989-11-15 | 2 | 34°13'N / 82°07'W | 0.70 Mile | 267 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Greenwood | ||
| 1990-10-22 | 2 | 33°35'N / 80°47'W | 0.10 Mile | 20 Yards | 1 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun | ||
| 1991-03-01 | 2 | 33°22'N / 81°42'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Aiken | ||
| 1991-03-03 | 2 | 33°19'N / 81°38'W | 33°21'N / 81°38'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Aiken | |
| 1991-03-03 | 2 | 33°19'N / 81°37'W | 33°25'N / 81°35'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Aiken | |
| 1991-03-29 | 2 | 33°13'N / 81°41'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Aiken | ||
| 1992-11-22 | 2 | 33°53'N / 81°50'W | 34°06'N / 81°32'W | 29.00 Miles | 550 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Saluda | |
| 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°06'N / 81°32'W | 34°07'N / 81°32'W | 1.00 Mile | 550 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Newberry | |
| 1993-04-15 | 2 | 34°42'N / 81°35'W | 34°46'N / 81°30'W | 6.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 2 | 5.0M | 0 | Union | |
| Brief Description: Exactly an hour after producing the first severe weather in the upstate, the supercell produced its strongest tornado in South Carolina. A high F1/low F2 tornado struck Union. Property damage resulting from the tornado's winds was estimated about $500,000. More hail damage is likely as the hail accumulated to great depths very quickly and near the tornado track was quite large. Winds were estimated from 60 to 90 mph in downtown sections where plate glass windows were blown out. There was also considerable damage to trees and power lines along with damage from the wind-driven hail. Nearer the tornado track damage was more severe with large trees crushing some homes. Mobile homes were damaged or destroyed, and a couple of houses lost roofs from the wind. The large hail quickly clogged storm drains and an estimated 2 to 3 inches of rain fell causing $50,000 in water damage to equipment in the hospital. Highest winds from south of Union to near Monarch were estimated at 115 mph in a small area. Two people were slighlty injured when a falling tree crushed their car. | |||||||||||
| 1994-03-27 | 2 | 35°03'N / 82°03'W | 35°24'N / 81°14'W | 25.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1994-04-16 | 2 | 34°45'N / 81°17'W | 34°47'N / 81°15'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 1 | 4 | 5.0M | 0 | Chester | |
| Brief Description: A short-lived, but intense, mesocyclone developed along a squall line ahead of a cold front at about 0045 EST and moved into western Chester County. The mesocyclone intensified within a matter of 10 to 20 minutes into a F2 tornado that touched down four miles southwest of Lowrys and moved four miles to near Lowrys before dissipating. Three mobile homes completely disintegrated, three barns crushed, a new pickup truck was completely destoyed, four mobile homes were damaged, four people were injured (one seriously) and another killed. More than 2000 residents lost electrical power due to the tornado. F64M. | |||||||||||
| 1994-06-26 | 2 | 34°51'N / 83°02'W | 34°58'N / 82°56'W | 12.00 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 1 | 500K | 0 | Oconee | |
| 1994-08-16 | 2 | 33°54'N / 81°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 25 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Lexington | ||
| Brief Description: Tornado demolished the north portion of a mini-warehouse complex near the SC602 and SC6 intersection. It moved northward and overturned three cars in Redbank, blew down trees and power lines. | |||||||||||
| 1996-09-16 | 2 | 34°37'N / 82°48'W | 34°35'N / 82°42'W | 6.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 3.0M | 0 | Anderson | |
| 1996-09-16 | 2 | 33°55'N / 79°55'W | 33°55'N / 79°53'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0K | Sumter | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado produced estimated winds of 120 mph when it touched down in extreme eastern Sumter county. The twister was about 150 yds wide and had a damage path 1.5 miles long. Three out-buildings were completely destroyed with the contents severely damaged. One ttree fell on a Ford Mustang and totalled it. Another tree fell on a home. The roof of a two story house was ripped off and the upstairs ceiling caved in. A farm combine was also turned over and damaged. Initial damage estimates were set at around $75K. | |||||||||||
| 1997-02-21 | 2 | 34°55'N / 81°58'W | 34°55'N / 81°58'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 330K | 0 | Spartanburg | |
| 1997-07-23 | 2 | 33°51'N / 81°03'W | 33°53'N / 81°01'W | 3.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 6 | 917K | 25K | Lexington | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado producing winds to 150 mph killed a 32 year old female and injured 6 others. Two homes were destroyed and 9 others had major damage. Two apartements were destroyed (duplex). Seven mobile homes were destroyed and 94 had minor damage. Numerous trees were down and two crop fields had areas of destroyed crops. F32PH | |||||||||||
| 1997-07-23 | 2 | 34°13'N / 80°34'W | 34°18'N / 80°33'W | 6.00 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 1 | 225K | 0 | Kershaw | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado produced winds to 135 mph. Numerous trees were down. Two homes had major damage and three had minor damage. One mobile home was destroyed and three others had minor damage. One person was injured. | |||||||||||
| 1998-01-07 | 2 | 34°48'N / 82°36'W | 34°50'N / 82°36'W | 1.50 Miles | 35 Yards | 0 | 4 | 3.0M | 0 | Pickens | |
| Brief Description: A tornado developed from a fast moving severe thunderstorm that raced north out of eastern Georgia. The F2 tornado destroyed several houses and mobile homes and severely damaged many other homes and businesses. Damage was sustained to the south of the track of the tornado due to strong inflow into the storm. Damage from severe thunderstorm winds in the rear flank downdraft occurred north into Easley. A powerful winter storm brought flooding rain, high winds, and a tornado to the Upstate from the evening of the 7th into the early morning of the 8th. Rainfall between 4 and 7 inches during a 2-day period across the mountains and foothills resulted in significant flooding. Many roads and bridges were covered or washed out. A wash out in Pickens county resulted in one fatality. Thunderstorms raced north through the area adding to the deluge as well as creating or enhancing strong to damaging winds. An F2 tornado touched down near Easley. Meso-scale high winds behind the complex of thunderstorms moved across the northern half of Greenville county and blew down trees and power lines. Severe thunderstorm winds combined with strong gradient winds to down trees and power lines in York county as well. | |||||||||||
| 1998-03-08 | 2 | 33°32'N / 81°05'W | 33°32'N / 81°04'W | 1.30 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0 | Orangeburg | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado tracked along highway 4 near Pine Hill. It picked up 2 mobile homes, took them 35 ft into the air, and brought them down on top of a 35 ft by 75 ft cinder block building 30 yards away completely destroying the mobile homes and the building. Other damage was done to a couple other mobile and permanent homes, and also to a church roof. A second 12 ft by 24 ft cinder block building was also demolished. | |||||||||||
| 1998-03-08 | 2 | 33°23'N / 80°27'W | 33°27'N / 80°24'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 220K | 0 | Orangeburg | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado did major damage to a horse farm and race track. Several of the horses were injured. Debris from the horse farm was found as far as 3 miles away. Major damage was also done to a home and a couple of mobile homes. Minor damage was also done to a couple of mobile and permanent homes. | |||||||||||
| 1998-05-07 | 2 | 33°50'N / 81°53'W | 33°50'N / 81°47'W | 6.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 500K | 0 | Edgefield | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down west of Johnston and moved into the community just after 8 pm EDT causing major damage to several homes and businesses. | |||||||||||
| 1998-05-10 | 2 | 33°01'N / 80°07'W | 32°59'N / 80°02'W | 10.00 Miles | 666 Yards | 1 | 7 | 5.0M | 0 | Berkeley | |
| Brief Description: After two brief earler touchdowns in Dorchester County, the supercell crossed Interstate 26 into Berkeley County where the most extensive damage occurred. There were 442 homes damaged (17 destroyed, 113 major damage, and the remainder had minor damage. Areas hardest hit were Frankie Lane and Royale Road, where numerous mobile homes were located. There was a 90 year old female who was injured severely when her mobile home was flipped and throuwn more than 40 feet. She died several hours later. Several eye witnesses reported seeing vortices rotating around the main funnel. This fact was born out by the damage pattern in several areas. F90MH | |||||||||||
| 1998-09-03 | 2 | 32°21'N / 80°26'W | 32°26'N / 80°28'W | 15.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 1 | 4 | 360K | 0 | Beaufort | |
| Brief Description: Thirteen homes were destroyed and another thirteen were heavily damaged, most of them were mobile homes. One mobile home was flipped in the air and smashed to the ground where a 66 -year old female was crushed to death. Numerous trees were snapped off 5 to 15 feet above the ground with others uprooted. The worse of the damage was concentrated in an area approximately 2.5 to 3 miles long across Fripp Island to near Morgan Island. The tornado then crossed the St Helena Sound and moved into Colleton County. F66MH | |||||||||||
| 1998-09-03 | 2 | 33°11'N / 80°00'W | 33°15'N / 79°57'W | 7.00 Miles | 430 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.8M | 0 | Berkeley | |
| Brief Description: Seventy-three (73) homes were damaged, fourteen mobile homes destroyed and seven (7) homes destroyed. The Fairlawn sobdivision, just southeast of Moncks corner was hardest hit. | |||||||||||
| 1999-04-15 | 2 | 33°07'N / 81°13'W | 33°07'N / 81°11'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2K | 20K | Allendale | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado destroyed 20 acres of watermelons and rolled over a large tractor several times. Numerous trees and powerlines were down along the track. | |||||||||||
| 2000-09-22 | 2 | 33°05'N / 81°29'W | 33°05'N / 81°24'W | 4.50 Miles | 750 Yards | 1 | 5 | 290K | 0 | Allendale | |
| Brief Description: Fatality occurred in a camper that was one of 10 other campers at a hunt club. The camper was the second one in the line and it appeared to have disintegrated. One of the other campers was turned on its side while the others remained upright, for the most part. Also, there were three mobile homes destroyed, major damage to two mobile homes, minor damage to six mobile homes and major damage to a frame home along with numerous trees down or snapped 10 to 15 feet above the ground. This tornado continued into Barnwell County in WFO Columbia's CWA. M68VE The two tornadoes that occurred in Allendale County were associated with the remnants of T.S. Helene as it moved across Georgia and South Carolina. Heavy rain developed across Berkeley County during the early morning hours of 9/22/00 and caused flooding over the northern half of the county, especially in and around Moncks Corner. The 42 year-old female was killed when she hit a puddle of water and hydroplaned. She hit a pine tree head on and was killed on impact. | |||||||||||
| 2001-07-06 | 2 | 33°42'N / 78°53'W | 33°42'N / 78°53'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 39 | 8.0M | 0 | Horry | |
| Brief Description: 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 N pier and then moved over the beach as it developed more strongly, causing F2 damage - overturned buses and extensive damage to vehicles and hotels along the beach to about 4nd Ave S. Moving off the beach again, the waterspout continued south about 100 yards from the shore until it came ashore between 28th Ave S and Springmaid Pier...causing a 66 knot gust over water at the Springmaid Pier anemometer. As it moved through the Seagate RV park, it did F1 damage - destroyed 10 RVs and damaged 40 more. Weakening further, the tornado crossed US Hwy Business 17 onto Myrtle Beach International Airport, doing F0 damage to trees and structures. | |||||||||||
| 2002-10-11 | 2 | 33°22'N / 79°18'W | 33°22'N / 79°18'W | 1.20 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 8 | 750K | 0 | Georgetown | |
| Brief Description: Tornado touched down with strong F2 damage near the corner of Merriman and Emanuel Roads, destroying 5 manufactured homes, a car and 2 houses before continuing NE with scattered F1 damage...described as major to a total of 28 structures and minor to 78 more...including homes, businesses, churches and also trees as it traveled a mile through residential streets. The tornado continued another 0.25 mile with F0 damage to trees before moving out over marshland. Eight people were hospitalized for minor injuries, where they were treated and released. | |||||||||||
| 2004-09-07 | 2 | 33°50'N / 80°45'W | 33°52'N / 80°47'W | 2.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 3 | 100K | 0 | Richland | |
| Brief Description: NWS survey found 3 mobile destroyed, several others damaged along with a couple of businesses. Three people were injured. Numerous trees and powerlines down. | |||||||||||
| 2004-09-07 | 2 | 33°53'N / 80°23'W | 33°55'N / 80°23'W | 4.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 3 | 1.7M | 0 | Sumter | |
| Brief Description: Emergency manager reported 55 homes damaged, 9 destroyed, and 3 injuries. | |||||||||||
| 2004-09-07 | 2 | 34°28'N / 80°07'W | 34°34'N / 80°08'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Chesterfield | |
| Brief Description: An F2 destroyed 2 mobile homes and did moderate to severe damage to several others. Numerous trees and powerlines were down. | |||||||||||
| 2004-09-27 | 2 | 34°20'N / 80°58'W | 34°22'N / 80°59'W | 2.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | Fairfield | |
| Brief Description: An F2 tornado destroyed 5 mobile homes, did moderate to severe damage to 2 framed homes and injurred 13 people. One 57 year old male died. Two vehicles were moved 20 to 30 yards. M51MH | |||||||||||
| 2004-12-10 | 2 | 33°39'N / 80°47'W | 33°39'N / 80°47'W | 0.50 Mile | 60 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Calhoun | |
| Brief Description: Damage survey found an F2 tornado tore most of the concrete roof off a warehouse and damaged several vehicles and other outbuildings. | |||||||||||
| 2005-01-13 | 2 | 34°24'N / 82°08'W | 34°33'N / 82°01'W | 12.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.0M | 0 | Laurens | |
| Brief Description: This tornado touched down in the Ekom Community southwest of the city of Laurens, where it damaged a couple of mobile homes. The tornado then tracked northeast to the area around Laurens High School, where some small sheds were destroyed and a portion of the roof removed from a house. At the high school, the roof of a brick concession facility was blown off. Just east of the school, a mobile home was destroyed and a building received significant roof damage. The tornado continued northeast toward the Whelon Rd area, uprooting and snapping off several large trees. A small, frame guest house was damaged and a tractor overturned in this area. The tornado continued to snap and uproot large trees as it moved toward Welcome Church Rd, where 4 mobile homes were damaged and a frame home received minor roof damage. The damage path continued northeast, but ended about 200 yards north of highway 14. After briefly lifting, the tornado struck a tire distribution center just north of the highway 221 I-385 exchange. The roof of a building at the plant was damaged, which sparked a large fire in the building, burning it to the ground. An employee at the plant received minor injuries when debris fell on him. The tornado dissipated near highway 221 north of Laurens. | |||||||||||
| 2006-05-14 | 2 | 34°12'N / 79°45'W | 34°13'N / 79°45'W | 0.60 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.3M | 0 | Florence | |
| Brief Description: A Storm Survey concluded a tornado moved through the Glendale community of Florence. The majority of damage was F1 with a path 1000 yards long and up to 150 yards wide. There was a small area (150 yards long 20 yards wide) of heavier F2 damage, with winds estimated at 120 mph. Sixty homes were damaged, six of which had major structural damage, largely due to snapped and uprooted trees. The Quinby area had penny to golfball size hail, with trees and power lines down. The Florence county tax assessor estimated the damage at 1.3 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 2008-03-15 | 2 | 34°10'N / 80°49'W | 34°10'N / 80°42'W | 7.00 Miles | 1230 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0K | Kershaw | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado went through the Elgin community doing heavy damage to many homes including partial to total roofs gone and destroying 4 mobile homes. None of the mobiles were tied down and crumbled from rolling. Numerous trees and powerlines were down and there were 2 injuries. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Seven supercells tracked across our South Carolina County Warning Area and produced many long-lived tornadoes that did significant damage. Over 85 homes were destroyed, around 400 had moderate damage, and estimates for the total devastation were around 40 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 2008-03-15 | 2 | 33°29'N / 81°54'W | 33°24'N / 81°28'W | 25.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Aiken | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Extensive damage in the Clearwater area. Numerous trees and powerlines down along the entire track, especially in the Clearwater area. Many homes had severe damage to roofs and stuctures. Some roofs were gone. The water tower had its top taken off and deposited several hundred yards away. Damage path was a mile wide a some points. It was amazing there were no injuries or deaths. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Seven supercells tracked across our South Carolina County Warning Area and produced many long-lived tornadoes that did significant damage. Over 85 homes were destroyed, around 400 had moderate damage, and estimates for the total devastation were around 40 million dollars. | |||||||||||
| 2008-05-11 | 2 | 32°41'N / 80°12'W | 32°40'N / 80°00'W | 12.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.2M | 0K | Charleston | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A confirmed EF-2 Tornado initially touched down along Bears Bluff Road on Wadmalaw Island, where minor damage was observed. The damage at the initial touchdown location was confined to several trees getting sheared off near the base or twisted to the ground. The Tornado then traveled east and crossed the Maybank Highway on Wadmalaw Island where major damage was observed. The majority of the damage occurred on the 4800 block of Maybank Highway, where nearly all the trees in the path of the Tornado were twisted to the ground or sheared off near the base. Numerous homes were damaged as the Tornado ripped through, with many sustaining roof and shingle damage. In fact, two homes had a section of there roofs detached and hurled approximately 50 to 100 feet away from the residences. A detached garage also sustained damage, when the suction from the Tornado caused the garage door to get buckled inward into the garage itself, and portions of the tin roof was ripped away and displaced 50 to 75 feet from the garage. A cinder block wall on another home sustained severe damage when a large section of cinder blocks was torn from the wall and hurled into the home. Additionally, a chain link fence around the residence was ripped off and displaced 20 to 30 feet from the supporting poles which held the fence in place. Another home sustained severe damage, as the front porch of the residence was detached and tossed 100 to 150 feet. The same home had the roof lifted 2 to 3 inches from the supporting walls, and a large window curtain was actually pulled upward and into the attic as the Tornado moved through. Quite a bit of damage was also observed in the Long Creek Plantation subdivision, where significant tree damage was observed along with several homes sustaining some minor roof damage. The Tornado then moved onto Johns Island and crossed Bohicket Road. Moderate damage was observed as it moved through this area of Johns Island. The majority of the damage was confined to trees being sheared off near the base or twisted to the ground. Several homes did sustain some minor roof damage as shingles were lifted and displaced from the residences. Minor damage was observed on River Road when the Tornado weakened before lifting just south of the Charleston Executive Airport. The damage along River Road was confined primarily to several downed trees. A tin roof of a shed sustained minor damage as well, as it lifted slightly but remained intact. The Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 120 mph with this Tornado. The total path length was 12 miles, with a path width of 1 mile when it crossed Maybank Highway and six tenths of a mile when it crossed Bohicket Road. Although significant damage occurred, no injuries were reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A warm front lifted northward through southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia during the morning, with a strong cold front then sweeping through the area during the evening. This resulted in several rounds of severe weather across the region. | |||||||||||
| 2008-08-26 | 2 | 34°39'N / 82°48'W | 34°39'N / 82°48'W | 1.00 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Pickens | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado damage path extended from northwest Anderson County, into extreme southern Pickens County, affecting the research area on the south side of the Clemson University campus. Damage was limited to downed trees and power lines. Numerous large trees were snapped off on a ridge very close to the Pickens, Anderson County line, where wind speeds were estimated at close to 120 mph, earning the tornado an EF2 rating. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay stalled just west of the Appalachians and slowly dissipated. A line of mini-supercells developed southeast of the low, resulting in several tornadoes over the Upstate and Northwest Piedmont of South Carolina during the afternoon hours of the 26th. A small amount of flash flooding also occurred, though the flooding was much worse in North Carolina. | |||||||||||
| 2008-11-15 | 2 | 34°24'N / 79°19'W | 34°24'N / 79°18'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 325K | 0K | Dillon | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded a tornado first touched down approximately 200 yards south of Dogwood Lakes Road at 1250 AM EST. Large pine trees were snapped and a mobile home rolled about 20 yards before completely disintegrating. It is unknown how well the mobile home was attached to its foundation. A truck was flipped in a church parking lot on Goings Drive. No injuries were reported. The damage was indicative of winds of 110 to 120 mph, EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The path width was approximately 40 yards. The tornado touched down for a second time resulting in near total roof failure and some damage to the exterior walls of a brick home on Pee Dee Church Road near Andre Drive. No injuries were reported. Lesser tree damage and minor structural damage was noted from this point to the north-northeast for one half to three quarters of a mile as the tornado weakened and/or slightly lifted from the ground. Damage then became more significant as the tornado struck another brick home on the corner of Cornelius Place and Dillon Highway. Total roof failure and minor failure of exterior walls was evident. No injuries were reported. The damage was indicative of winds of 110 to 120 mph, EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado then continued north-northeast through a large wooded area. Given the extent of tree damage, winds were estimated to 100 mph. The tornado then intensified as it hit a brick home on Appleton Court. Total roof damage and more significant failure of the external walls was evident. The three occupants were not injured. The damage was indicative of winds of 120 to 135 mph, the high end of EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The path width was about 30 yards. The tornado completely dissipated about 200 yards north of Appleton Court at 1253 AM EST. The Emergency Manager from Dillon County reported ten homes were damaged and two others were destroyed. Seven mobile homes were damaged and three others were destroyed. Three churches were damaged. Five barns were damaged and two others were destroyed. Three cars were damaged and three others were destroyed. The total damage was estimated at $325,000 dollars. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A mid-level short wave lifted to the northeast and slowly weakened with time. A warm front, lifting to the northwest, moved across the area during the evening. High wind shear and deep moisture was in place as upstream supercell thunderstorms reached the Interstate-95 corridor around midnight. | |||||||||||
| 2009-04-10 | 2 | 33°06'N / 81°25'W | 6.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0K | Allendale | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Survey Team determined a tornado touched down along Roberts Road 3.5 miles northeast of Martin, South Carolina at 1230 AM local time Saturday morning and traveled 5.6 miles before lifting. Initially the tornado uprooted or snapped numerous trees with one tree falling on a mobile home and damaging the roof of the structure. The under-skirting of the mobile home was peeled back by the winds and a couple windows were blown out. Additionally, several cars sustained damage by falling trees outside of the mobile home. Another couple homes along Roberts Road received minor rood damage and a couple carports were slightly damaged as well. The tornado continued to nearly parallel Miller Creek Road downing numerous trees and power lines. The maximum width of the tornado was approximately 500 yards near the intersection of Camp Jackson Road and Miller Creek Road. The tornado lifted 2.3 miles south southeast of Kline, South Carolina just past the intersection of Appleton Road and Barnwell Highway /US Highway 278/ at 1239 AM local time, but not before damaging the roof and cinder-block walls of a home, downing numerous trees and completely destroying the historic Cave Methodist Church. The church was wiped completely off its foundation. Several grave stones surrounding the church were overturned or knocked down. An 18 wheel truck was overturned a couple hundred feet from the Cave Methodist Church with a tree falling on it and causing further damage. In total, 4 homes, 1 mobile home, 1 church and 5 vehicles received damage as a result of the tornado. In addition, hundreds of acres of timber was damaged or destroyed. The tornado did not result in any injuries or fatalities. The National Weather Service Damage Survey Team determined the strength of the tornado to be an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with winds estimated between 120 and 130 miles per hour. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An area of low pressure and associated cold front pushed through the southeast where kinematic profiles and anomalously cold air aloft existed. This lead to the development of strong storms over Allendale county overnight on April 10, 2009. | |||||||||||
| 2009-04-10 | 2 | 34°11'N / 82°28'W | 34°10'N / 82°21'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 1.0M | 0K | Abbeville | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: NWS survey found an extensive area of damage in the city of Abbeville consistent with a strong EF2 tornado. The tornado began near the intersection of highway 71 and Rock Hill Rd before moving east/southeast through the city of Abbeville. The main areas affected in the city were Church Street, McGowan, Ave, Main St, and especially Secession Ave. The roofs were blown off about a half dozen frame homes in the city, while numerous mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. A few other office buildings and businesses received major roof damage in this area. Numerous trees were snapped off or uprooted along the path. One tree fell through a home, injuring the man inside. Another man caught outside received head injuries from flying debris. The tornado lifted about a mile east/southeast of the city. The tornado was produced by a supercell embedded in a line of rapidly moving storms. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Supercell thunderstorms moved into the western upstate in the early evening hours. As the evening progressed, the supercells tended to evolve into a series of bow echoes. Tornadoes were spawned by the supercells and the resultant bow echoes. There was also quite a bit of large hail and straight-line wind damage in places as well. The most significant damage occurred in Greenwood and Abbeville Counties, though tornadoes also caused damage in parts of Anderson and Union Counties as well. | |||||||||||
| 2010-03-28 | 2 | 33°37'N / 82°02'W | 33°39'N / 82°00'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 20K | Edgefield | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado touched down on hwy 230 near Stevens Creek and took down numerous trees and powerlines. Two homes had moderate damage and a mobile home had half of its roof torn off. A motor home was also crushed from a tree falling on it. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Several supercell thunderstorms moved through the CSRA and Midlands and spawned several tornadoes. Many homes were damaged in Lexington county with several others in Edgefield county. Numerous trees were also taken down. | |||||||||||
| 2010-03-28 | 2 | 33°59'N / 81°30'W | 34°02'N / 81°25'W | 5.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.0M | 10K | Lexington | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 with max winds of 125mph touched down near Ridge Road and continued northeast to Lake Murray. Around 40 homes had some form of damage with numerous trees and powerlines down. Several vehicles were also damaged and there was one minor injury. One horse was killed when a portion of a barn collapsed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Several supercell thunderstorms moved through the CSRA and Midlands and spawned several tornadoes. Many homes were damaged in Lexington county with several others in Edgefield county. Numerous trees were also taken down. | |||||||||||
| 2010-04-25 | 2 | 34°16'N / 80°01'W | 34°16'N / 80°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 750K | 0K | Darlington | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed an EF2 tornado with winds estimated to 130 mph. The tornado first touched down in a stand of pine trees, snapping approximately 30 of them several feet off the ground. The largest of the snapped trees was 12 inches in diameter. The tornado then moved east into a cluster of homes and mobile homes along East 7 Pines Street. One mobile home was blown 20 yards off its frame and was completely destroyed. The debris was blown into another single wide mobile home which was subsequently destroyed. A large pecan tree was uprooted before the tornado lifted off the ground. The damage was rated EF1 with winds to 100 mph. The second touchdown occurred a few hundred yards to the east. The tornado moved over a stand of trees and descended practically on top of a two story single family residence located on East 7 Pines Street. This dwelling was blown off its foundation and flipped over onto two automobiles and in the process was completely destroyed. Three people were in the home at the time. They took shelter in an interior hallway moments before the tornado struck. They were transported to the hospital, treated for minor injuries and released. A Ford Ranger Pickup was lifted and dropped approximately 50 yards away. A horse trailer was lifted and dropped 100 yards away. A large wood framed workshop and horse barn were also destroyed. The tornado moved east approximately two tenths of a mile and damaged or uprooted several trees as it lifted. The damage was rated EF2 with winds to 130 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A thunderstorm developed along a surface boundary during the evening. The thunderstorm developed supercell characteristics soon after moving into Darlington County and spawned several tornadoes over its lifetime. | |||||||||||
| 2010-04-25 | 2 | 34°16'N / 79°54'W | 34°17'N / 79°51'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 6.3M | 0K | Darlington | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team confirmed an EF2 tornado with winds estimated to 115 mph. The tornado first touched down near Syracuse Street and Rogers Road. An unanchored double-wide mobile home was rolled off its foundation and onto its side. Several trees along Syracuse Street were uprooted or snapped or had large branches broken off. Several homes suffered minor to moderate shingle damage, largely as a result of fallen trees or branches. The damage was rated EF1 with winds to 90 mph. After briefly lifting, the tornado touched down as it approached Highway 401 and caused major damage to a large steel building. Two bay doors were blown in and a large portion of the roof was lifted and blown off. Sheet metal from the roof was strewn for about 200 yards. A small wooden garage and building were destroyed before the tornado lifted near Highway 401. The damage was rated EF1 with winds to 100 mph. The tornado touched down one last time between Lightly Street and Southern Pine Street. Numerous hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped. A few of these trees, with diameters up to 24 inches, were snapped a few feet from the ground. There was significant damage to some residential homes, primarily the result of falling trees or branches. The tornado continued across Highway 52 business where several businesses and structures sustained minor to moderate damage. A set of car wash bays were blown over and a church lost many shingles and a small portion of its roof. The tornado then continued east of Highway 52 business through a residential neighborhood. Several large trees up to 20 inches in diameter were uprooted. A large section of roof was blown off a home. Cain Elementary School suffered significant damage. Many awnings at the school were damaged or destroyed and one building lost half its roof. Shortly after causing the roof damage to Cain Elementary, the tornado caused more tree damage as it lifted through the treetops. As these trees or their branches fell, several residences sustained minor to moderate damage to include some roof shingle damage. The damage was rated EF2 with winds to 115 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A thunderstorm developed along a surface boundary during the evening. The thunderstorm developed supercell characteristics soon after moving into Darlington County and spawned several tornadoes over its lifetime. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.