Charleston County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 1,351 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #52 nationally and #2 in South Carolina.
1,351
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
34
Direct injuries
$28.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Charleston County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Charleston County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 19.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 487 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 105 events fall before 1990 and 1,246 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Charleston County, South Carolina record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $20.2M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Charleston County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 619 | 0 | $1.0M | 83 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 300 | 0 | $41K | 2.75 | 1957–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 296 | 1 | $20.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 61 | 0 | $6.0M | F3 | 1957–2024 |
| Lightning | 47 | 2 | $1.3M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2009 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $11K | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $23K | 0 | 2013–2025 |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2001 |
Decade by decade
Charleston County, South Carolina severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
58 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 53 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960-09-11 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-10 | EF2 | 1 | 7 | 10.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-09-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-08-29 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-08-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-09-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-08-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-07-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Charleston County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17, 2023 | Flash Flood | SNOWDEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2005 | Lightning | JOHNS IS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 2, 2001 | Lightning | SULLIVANS IS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 11, 1960 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 16, 2017 | Lightning | ISLE OF PALMS ARPT | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2018 | Lightning | ISLE OF PALMS ARPT | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2006 | Flash Flood | NORTH CHARLESTON | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Law enforcement reported several road closures near Ladson and Hanahan. The intersection of Highway 78, Interstate 26 and Ingleside Boulevard was closed with standing water estimated around 6 feet deep. Yeamans Hall Boulevard near Murray Avenue was also blocked off due to standing water around 2 feet deep. The 3400 block of Mountainbrook Avenue crossing Pepperdam Creek was blocked off due to standing water that was 2 feet deep and approximately 50 yards wide. Swift water rescues also started at the 7700 block of Palmetto Commerce Parkway around 1154 pm on the 3rd, then occurred throughout the Ladson area into the early overnight hours on the 4th.
A NWS employee, an emergency manager, law enforcement and broadcast media reported widespread flooding and roads closed due to flooding in West Ashley. Roads closed included Batten Drive, Highway 17 near the Ponderosa neighborhood, Carolina Bay Drive near the Element at Carolina Bay Apartments and the entrance to Grand Oaks subdivision where 2 cars were also found to be stalled. Ashley Grove Apartments were also reported flooded and many homes were surrounded by water along roads that were impassable. Swift water rescues and evacuations were also reported in the Shadowmoss area.
A Charleston County emergency manager and law enforcement reported numerous roads closed due to flooding in downtown Charleston. Roads closed included Hasell Street between Meeting Street and Washington Street. Interstate 26 exits to Meeting Street and East Bay Street were also closed due to flooding. Water was also reported entering homes and businesses at the intersection of Tradd Street and Council Street. Swift water rescues were also being reported by broadcast media in downtown Charleston.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
420,264
Population (ACS)
$489K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | EM |
| Nov 21, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | DR |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Charleston 321
- Citadel 304
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Charleston County, South Carolina?
1,351 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $28.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Charleston County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 619 recorded events — 45.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Charleston County?
58 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 53 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Charleston County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Charleston County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Charleston County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Charleston County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 99 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Charleston County, South Carolina severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Calhoun County 327
- Cherokee County 417
- Berkeley County 959
- Chester County 321
- Beaufort County 856
- Chesterfield County 454
Cite this page
“Charleston County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/charleston-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.