South Carolina, 2002

Drought in South Carolina, March 1 to 31, 2002

March 1 to 31, 2002 · NWS CHS · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Drought conditions continued over south coastal South Carolina. Wildfires became more prevalent with numerous small fires throughout the month.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.

Drought conditions continued over south coastal South Carolina. Wildfires became more prevalent with numerous small fires throughout the month.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 28, 9:16 PM EST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 9:16 PM EST, 2 hours 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
916 PM EST THU FEB 28 2002

ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING COLD NIGHT IN STORE FOR MUCH OF THE RGN
UNDER CLR SKIES WI LTL WIND. SEABRZ MADE A RUN ACROSS COASTAL AREAS
LATE THIS AFTN AND ASA A RESULT DEWPOINTS JUMPED UP ALONG THE CST.
THS WL PROBABLY SAVE A FEW SPOTS ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES FROM
GETTING AS LOW AS THEY MIGHT HAVE OTRW. HWVR WELL INLAND AREAS STL
HV DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TEENS. WL LWR NW TIER OF CWA TO 15 TO 20 AND
XPAND RANGES ELSEWHERE. NO OTR CHANGES PLANNED.

CWF...CRNT FCST ON TRACK...SO ONLY CHG WL BE FOR INIT CONDS.

FCSTID = 14
CHS   22  57  47  62 /   0   0  60  90
SAV   20  59  49  66 /   0   0  70  90
CHL   31  57  47  62 /   0   0  60  90
NBC   25  57  47  62 /   0   0  60  90
RBW   19  58  44  61 /   0   0  60  90

.CHS...
GA...NONE.
SC...NONE.

WOODWORTH/MJR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Allendale

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Allendale forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
32.988, -81.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Beaufort

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Beaufort forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought, Berkeley

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Berkeley forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
33.198, -79.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Charleston

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Charleston forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought, Dorchester

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Dorchester forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
33.080, -80.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hampton

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Hampton forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
32.776, -81.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jasper

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Jasper forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL

Drought, Northern Colleton

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northern Colleton forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
32.843, -80.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southern Colleton

When
March 1, 12:00 AM EST to March 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southern Colleton forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, March 2002

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: 5285125, 5285126, 5285127, 5285128, 5285129, 5285130, 5285131, 5285132, 5285133.