1,317
Recorded events
46
Counties affected
66
Direct deaths
$662.7M
Property damage
South Carolina tornado history: 1,317 recorded events across 46 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
South Carolina tornado history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 314 reported tornado events across South Carolina. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in South Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Orangeburg County | 75 | 2 | $7.5M | 1953–2024 |
| #2 | Charleston County | 61 | 0 | $6.0M | 1957–2024 |
| #3 | Horry County | 60 | 0 | $22.8M | 1955–2023 |
| #4 | Lexington County | 49 | 1 | $58.1M | 1957–2026 |
| #5 | Aiken County | 44 | 0 | $6.6M | 1961–2025 |
| #6 | Richland County | 43 | 1 | $12.5M | 1955–2026 |
| #7 | Newberry County | 39 | 2 | $38.0M | 1957–2024 |
| #8 | Berkeley County | 39 | 1 | $8.5M | 1950–2024 |
| #9 | Clarendon County | 38 | 2 | $3.4M | 1958–2025 |
| #10 | Anderson County | 38 | 0 | $9.2M | 1955–2021 |
| #11 | Greenville County | 37 | 0 | $16.9M | 1952–2024 |
| #12 | Spartanburg County | 35 | 4 | $21.3M | 1952–2024 |
| #13 | Florence County | 35 | 0 | $3.9M | 1953–2020 |
| #14 | Pickens County | 35 | 0 | $7.3M | 1961–2025 |
| #15 | Colleton County | 34 | 0 | $538K | 1953–2024 |
| #16 | Fairfield County | 32 | 6 | $28.0M | 1983–2024 |
| #17 | Beaufort County | 31 | 1 | $2.3M | 1956–2024 |
| #18 | Oconee County | 31 | 1 | $107.0M | 1973–2021 |
| #19 | Sumter County | 28 | 1 | $4.8M | 1962–2024 |
| #20 | Darlington County | 28 | 1 | $11.5M | 1961–2024 |
| #21 | Calhoun County | 28 | 1 | $1.9M | 1958–2024 |
| #22 | Bamberg County | 26 | 0 | $4.4M | 1951–2026 |
| #23 | York County | 25 | 3 | $3.3M | 1961–2024 |
| #24 | Barnwell County | 25 | 0 | $10.5M | 1952–2025 |
| #25 | Kershaw County | 24 | 0 | $25.3M | 1964–2020 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in South Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1973 | Abbeville County | F4 | 7 | 30 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Marlboro County | F4 | 7 | 100 |
| May 27, 1974 | Georgetown County | F1 | 6 | 1 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | Hampton County | EF4 | 5 | 60 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Fairfield County | F4 | 5 | 49 |
| Nov 16, 2011 | York County | EF2 | 3 | 5 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | Dillon County | F2 | 3 | 12 |
| Dec 13, 1973 | Greenwood County | F4 | 2 | 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | Orangeburg County | EF3 | 2 | 7 |
| Mar 14, 1955 | Saluda County | F2 | 2 | 10 |