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Dillon County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 267 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,989 nationally and #43 in South Carolina.
267
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
48
Direct injuries
$11.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Dillon County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dillon County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 87 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 236 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dillon County, South Carolina record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.5M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dillon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 165 | 0 | $774K | 70 | 1963–2025 |
| Hail | 70 | 0 | $23K | 2 | 1960–2023 |
| Tornado | 19 | 3 | $8.5M | F3 | 1955–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1999–2024 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2014 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Dillon 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
20 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-05-20 | EF3 | 0 | 26 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-09-29 | EF2 | 3 | 12 | 85.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-11-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-08-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-10-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-16 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-02-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-02-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-06-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dillon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 1963 | Tornado | 3 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| May 20, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 26 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 16, 2011 | Tornado | LITTLE ROCK | 0 | 3 | $180K |
| Jul 6, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Apr 22, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | DILLON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 5, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | LATTA | 0 | 1 | $45K |
| Jul 23, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | LATTA | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Feb 21, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF1 tornado touched down in Little Rock, South Carolina. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 105 mph. The path length was one and a half miles and the maximum path width was 440 yards. Several pine trees and a few hardwood trees were snapped. A few large hardwood trees were uprooted. As several of these trees fell, they caused significant damage to many homes near the intersection of Highway 9 and Harllees Bridge Road. There people were admitted to the hospital and later released.
A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded an EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 75 mph developed near the intersection of U.S. Highway 301 and 501 around 548 pm EDT. The tornado moved east, passing just south of downtown Latta before lifting near Johnson Road around 550 pm EDT. The most extreme damage observed occurred near Willis Street where a large tree fell on a home. Numerous other trees were also down or damaged. Six homes sustained minor damage. Damage to one trailer was classifed as major. The maximum damage width was 75 yards. The path length was 1.36 miles. Dillon County officials estimated the damage totaled $50,000 dollars.
A large oak tree fell onto a house on Bethea St. and crashed through the roof. The family was in the home at the time. A 4 year old child suffered head injuries and was hospitalized. The fallen tree resulted in significant structural damage. A nearby vehicle was severely damaged and a power line was also reported down. Hail of unknown size was also reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
27,862
Population (ACS)
$85K
Median home value
29
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 29, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dillon County, South Carolina?
267 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $11.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dillon County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 165 recorded events — 61.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dillon County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dillon County?
29 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dillon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dillon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dillon County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dillon 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
- Darlington County 535
- Dorchester County 801
- Colleton County 1,159
- Edgefield County 321
- Clarendon County 474
- Fairfield County 425
Cite this page
“Dillon County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/dillon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.