Tornado in South Carolina
Every tornado event the National Weather Service has filed in South Carolina, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant tornado episodes in South Carolina.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 1,319
- Deaths
- 67
- Injuries
- 1,434
- Damage
- $669 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 28, 1984
- Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in South Carolina, September 26 to 27, 2024Tropical Storm Helene formed in the NW Caribbean Sea on September 24. Helene moved northward into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a hurricane on September 25.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 13, 2020A severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through southeast South Carolina during the early morning hours of April 13, 2020 ahead of an approaching cold front.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, March 31, 1973
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, December 13, 1973
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, May 5, 1989
- Hurricane and Tornadoes in South Carolina, September 14 to 16, 2018Hurricane Florence began its long Atlantic trek from the Cape Verde Islands in early September. It made landfall near Wrightsville Beach during the morning of September 14th.
- Hurricane and Tornado in South Carolina, October 8 to 25, 2016Major Hurricane Matthew moved up the southeast coast and slowly weakened to a category 1 storm as it moved up along the South Carolina coast and then eastward near the North Carolina coast.
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in South Carolina, May 26, 1974
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, August 16, 1994Tornado touched down near intersection of Highways 64 and 301, moved north northwest to slightly north of Govan. The tornado was up and down many times topping trees. One mobile home was overturned and heavily damaged.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, September 29, 1963
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, November 7, 1995A weak tornado touched down in the northeast edge of the town of Troy and moved east northeast at 60 mph. The tornado moved into a small area of McCormick County and then back into Greenwood County.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, November 16, 2011An environment of strong wind shear and weak to moderate instability supported the development of a mini-supercell thunderstorm over the eastern Upstate of South Carolina. The storm produced an EF2 tornado in Chester County, along with a couple of weaker tornadoes.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, May 27, 1973
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 13, 2020A strong storm system impacted the Southeast, resulting in a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across upstate South Carolina during the early morning hours of the 13th.
- Tornado in South Carolina, August 17, 1965
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, April 10 to 11, 2009Supercell 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.
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, April 8, 1957
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 13, 2020A squall line rolled through the region during the early morning hours of April 13, 2020. Strong instability and shear led to numerous severe thunderstorm wind gusts along with several tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, May 7 to 8, 1998Sheriff reported golf ball size hail.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, May 20, 1980
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, November 22, 1992
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, May 10, 1952
- Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, March 13, 1955
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, July 6, 2001A F1 tornado crossed US Hwy 17 just south of SC Hwy 22 (Conway Bypass) doing damage to signs and power poles near the Chesapeake House Restaurant.
More
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.