Tornadoes · United States

Tornadoes in South Carolina

1,217 tornadoes since 1950, an average of 16.0 a year, 24th of the 53 states and territories in the record. They have killed 71 people and injured 1,758. 11 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The deadliest in South Carolina

  1. F4, Marlboro and Scotland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 28, 19847 killed, 100 injured
  2. F4, Abbeville and Greenwood counties, South CarolinaMarch 31, 19737 killed, 30 injured
  3. F1, Georgetown County, South CarolinaMay 26, 19746 killed, 1 injured
  4. EF4 Hampton County tornado, South CarolinaApril 13, 20205 killed, 60 injured
  5. F4, Fairfield County, South CarolinaMarch 28, 19845 killed, 49 injured
  6. F4, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 28, 19844 killed, 395 injured
  7. F4, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaApril 8, 19574 killed, 70 injured
  8. EF2, York County, South CarolinaNovember 16, 20113 killed, 5 injured
  9. F2, Dillon, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaSeptember 29, 19633 killed, 12 injured
  10. EF3, Barnwell, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties, South CarolinaApril 13, 20202 killed, 7 injured
  11. F4, Spartanburg, Cherokee and Rutherford counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMay 5, 19892 killed, 35 injured
  12. F4, Greenwood County, South CarolinaDecember 13, 19732 killed

The strongest

  1. F4, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaApril 8, 1957F4, 121.4 mi (195 km)
  2. F4, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 28, 1984F4, 40.0 mi (64 km)
  3. EF4 Hampton County tornado, South CarolinaApril 13, 2020EF4, 23.7 mi (38 km)
  4. F4, Abbeville and Greenwood counties, South CarolinaMarch 31, 1973F4, 22.6 mi (36 km)
  5. F4, Fairfield County, South CarolinaMarch 28, 1984F4, 21.0 mi (34 km)
  6. F4, Marlboro and Scotland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 28, 1984F4, 17.0 mi (27 km)
  7. F4, Spartanburg, Cherokee and Rutherford counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMay 5, 1989F4, 15.0 mi (24 km)
  8. F4, Chesterfield County, South CarolinaMarch 28, 1984F4, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  9. F4, Lancaster and Kershaw counties, South CarolinaMarch 28, 1984F4, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  10. F4, Greenwood County, South CarolinaDecember 13, 1973F4, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  11. F4, Marion County, South CarolinaNovember 7, 1995F4, 0.7 mi (1 km)
  12. F3, Darlington, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaApril 18, 1969F3, 77.3 mi (124 km)

The longest paths

  1. F4, Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaApril 8, 1957121.4 mi (195 km)
  2. F2, Dillon, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaSeptember 29, 196385.8 mi (138 km)
  3. F3, Darlington, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaApril 18, 196977.3 mi (124 km)
  4. F3, Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee and Cleveland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMay 27, 197360.2 mi (97 km)
  5. F2, Spartanburg, Cherokee, Cleveland and Gaston counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 27, 199445.4 mi (73 km)
  6. F2, Clarendon and Williamsburg counties, South CarolinaMay 4, 197841.2 mi (66 km)
  7. F4, Marlboro, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland counties, South Carolina and North CarolinaMarch 28, 198440.0 mi (64 km)
  8. EF3, Barnwell, Aiken and Orangeburg counties, South CarolinaApril 13, 202037.9 mi (61 km)
  9. EF3, Barnwell, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties, South CarolinaApril 13, 202035.7 mi (57 km)
  10. EF3, Allendale, Bamberg and Orangeburg counties, South CarolinaApril 5, 202234.5 mi (55 km)
  11. F1, Greenwood and Laurens counties, South CarolinaApril 15, 199334.0 mi (55 km)
  12. EF1, Orangeburg and Calhoun counties, South CarolinaSeptember 26, 202433.4 mi (54 km)

The costliest

  1. EF3 Seneca tornado, South CarolinaApril 13, 2020$100 million
  2. EF1, Spartanburg County, South CarolinaFebruary 6, 2020$10 million
  3. F2, Horry County, South CarolinaJuly 6, 2001$8.0 million
  4. EF2, Darlington County, South CarolinaApril 25, 2010$6.3 million
  5. EF2, Greenville County, South CarolinaApril 25, 2020$5.0 million
  6. EF3, Aiken County, South CarolinaApril 10, 2009$5.0 million
  7. F2, Dorchester and Berkeley counties, South CarolinaMay 10, 1998$5.0 million
  8. F2, Pickens County, South CarolinaJanuary 7, 1998$3.0 million
  9. F2, Anderson County, South CarolinaSeptember 16, 1996$3.0 million
  10. F2, Berkeley County, South CarolinaSeptember 3, 1998$2.8 million
  11. EF2, Allendale County, South CarolinaMarch 15, 2008$2.3 million
  12. F2, Laurens County, South CarolinaJanuary 13, 2005$2.0 million

The biggest days in South Carolina

  1. September 7, 200442tornadoes
  2. March 15, 200832tornadoes
  3. November 7, 199528tornadoes
  4. April 13, 202027tornadoes
  5. August 16, 199423tornadoes
  6. September 27, 200417tornadoes
  7. April 5, 202213tornadoes
  8. April 10, 200913tornadoes
  9. September 27, 202412tornadoes
  10. August 17, 202112tornadoes
  11. September 17, 202012tornadoes
  12. May 7, 199811tornadoes

Every year

Every year of the published record, and above it the 6 tornado tracks surveyed in South Carolina so far in 2026. This year's figures are preliminary and are not in the totals above, which are SPC's published database.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesF4 and above
2026 preliminary6
20258
2024483
2023172
2022252
2021241
2020618881
2019257
201818
20174314
20164
201582
20147
2013109
201210
20112038
2010234
20091916
20085615
200719129
20063621
2005141
200485133
2003184
20021210
20011439
20002016
1999176
199842335
199717111
1996242
199554231
199439178
1993134
19928
1991106
19901219
1989172501
1988211
198722
198613
1985939
198418177275
1983119
1982816
1981116
1980945
197982
197851
19771213
197614111
19751132
19741166
197323101142
197253
19714
19701
1969113
196881
1967115
1966108
19651946
1964213
196311313
1962104
19611319
1960410
19594
1958412
195774731
195662
19557215
19541
195342
1952224
19511
19501

Every county in South Carolina

A tornado is counted once for every county its path crossed, so these add up to more than 1,217. Each county has a page of its own: every tornado that crossed it, year by year.

CountyTornadoesDeaths
Orangeburg County762
Charleston County60
Horry County60
Lexington County481
Aiken County43
Richland County431
Berkeley County401
Greenville County392
Clarendon County382
Newberry County382
Spartanburg County384
Anderson County37
Florence County35
Pickens County351
Colleton County341
Fairfield County346
Beaufort County331
Oconee County291
Darlington County281
Sumter County281
Calhoun County274
Bamberg County25
Barnwell County253
Laurens County25
York County253
Chesterfield County244
Georgetown County246
Kershaw County24
Cherokee County232
Abbeville County227
Dorchester County221
Union County221
Allendale County191
Dillon County193
Edgefield County191
Greenwood County199
Chester County171
Hampton County165
McCormick County15
Marlboro County1515
Saluda County152
Williamsburg County14
Lancaster County134
Marion County12
Lee County10
Jasper County9
Cleveland County4
Cumberland County411
Robeson County411
Scotland County415
Mecklenburg County3
Columbus County2
Gaston County2
Rutherford County22
Sampson County27
Union County1

Nearby

Warnings in force in South CarolinaForecast for your townThe live radar over South Carolina

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.