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Tornadoes in South Carolina

South Carolina has recorded 1,217 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 24.8 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 71 people and injured 1,758. April is the most active month.

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Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 24962497: 17971798: 42984299: 17991700: 20002001: 14011402: 12021203: 18031804: 85048505: 14051406: 36063607: 19071908: 56085609: 19091910: 23102311: 20112012: 10121013: 10131014: 714715: 815816: 416417: 43174318: 18181819: 25192520: 61206121: 24212422: 25222523: 17231724: 48244825: 8258
South Carolina tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 3750s3760s: 11860s11870s: 9470s9480s: 8880s8890s: 23690s23600s: 29300s29310s: 16810s16820s: 18320s183
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in South Carolina

Jan: 47Jan47Feb: 55Feb55Mar: 135Mar135Apr: 214Apr214May: 168May168Jun: 99Jun99Jul: 71Jul71Aug: 105Aug105Sep: 172Sep172Oct: 47Oct47Nov: 71Nov71Dec: 33Dec33
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 521EF0521EF1: 484EF1484EF2: 161EF2161EF3: 35EF335EF4: 11EF411EF5: 0EF5
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in South Carolina

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
March 31, 1973F4Abbeville County22.6 mi200 yd730
March 28, 1984F4—17 mi2,113 yd7100
May 26, 1974F1Georgetown County3 mi300 yd61
March 28, 1984F4Fairfield County21 mi1,000 yd549
April 13, 2020EF4Hampton County23.7 mi1,300 yd560
April 8, 1957F4—121.4 mi150 yd470
March 28, 1984F4—40 mi2,600 yd4395
September 29, 1963F2—85.8 mi100 yd312
November 16, 2011EF2York County5.8 mi200 yd35
December 13, 1973F4Greenwood County1 mi50 yd20

Strongest tornadoes in South Carolina

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
March 31, 1973F4Abbeville County22.6 mi200 yd730
March 28, 1984F4—17 mi2,113 yd7100
April 13, 2020EF4Hampton County23.7 mi1,300 yd560
March 28, 1984F4Fairfield County21 mi1,000 yd549
April 8, 1957F4—121.4 mi150 yd470
March 28, 1984F4—40 mi2,600 yd4395
May 5, 1989F4—15 mi700 yd235
December 13, 1973F4Greenwood County1 mi50 yd20
March 28, 1984F4Chesterfield County7 mi700 yd024
March 28, 1984F4Kershaw County4 mi530 yd036

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
July 10, 2025EF0Jasper County0.6 mi60 yd00
June 9, 2025EF1Lexington County6.2 mi200 yd00
May 30, 2025EF1Clarendon County10 mi200 yd00
May 12, 2025EF0Abbeville County1.7 mi20 yd00
May 12, 2025EF1Aiken County1.3 mi250 yd00
May 3, 2025EF0Pickens County2.7 mi25 yd00
March 16, 2025EF1Lexington County5.8 mi125 yd00
March 16, 2025EF0Barnwell County0.3 mi50 yd00
December 29, 2024EF0York County3 mi50 yd00
December 29, 2024EF1Fairfield County4.7 mi250 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
Orangeburg County76177974683.5
Charleston County61172102396.5
Horry County58132586054.7
Lexington County49181559370.5
Aiken County43103986928.1
Richland County43147120211.4
Berkeley County4093840579.7
Greenville County38125216285
Clarendon County38162141680.4
Newberry County38156222222.2
Anderson County37134215686.3
Florence County35113171036.2
Pickens County35182394366.2
Colleton County3585842803
Spartanburg County35112190594.1
Fairfield County34128367346.9
Beaufort County33148385416.7
Oconee County29119792663.5
Sumter County28109052631.6
Calhoun County28190341207.3

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.