South Carolina, 1979

Tornado and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, March 23, 1979

March 23, 1979 · NWS ATA · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$2.5 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Abbeville

When
March 23, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Abbeville County
Coordinates
34.220, -82.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
March 23, 3:15 PM CST
Where
Anderson County
Coordinates
34.500, -82.650

Tornado, Greenville

When
March 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Greenville County
Rating
F2
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
77 yd
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$2.5 million
Coordinates
34.850, -82.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
March 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Anderson County
Coordinates
34.620, -82.480

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 1979Every state in 1979This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Carolina, 1979

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10113821, 10113822, 10113823, 10113824.