Tornadoes in South Carolina
The Storm Prediction Center records 1,228 tornadoes that touched South Carolina between 1950 and 2025, and 1,217 of them began there. A tornado that crossed a state line counts in every state it touched. They killed 72 people and injured 1,823. The busiest month is April, with 216 tornadoes.
- 1,228tornadoes
- 72deaths
- 1,823injuries
- 408per 10,000 sq mi of land
- 46counties touched
Tornadoes per 10,000 square miles lets you compare states of different sizes. It counts every tornado that touched the state.
How strong were South Carolina's tornadoes?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 521 | 42% |
| F1 / EF1 | 491 | 40% |
| F2 / EF2 | 163 | 13% |
| F3 / EF3 | 37 | 3% |
| F4 / EF4 | 11 | <1% |
| F5 / EF5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown rating | 5 | <1% |
South Carolina tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1950.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 37 |
| 1960s | 118 |
| 1970s | 96 |
| 1980s | 90 |
| 1990s | 240 |
| 2000s | 294 |
| 2010s | 168 |
| 2020s | 185 |
The record has changed over the decades as detection and reporting improved, so more weak tornadoes show up in recent years than in the 1950s. The year with the most in South Carolina was 2004, with 85.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 47 |
| Feb | 55 |
| Mar | 136 |
| Apr | 216 |
| May | 171 |
| Jun | 102 |
| Jul | 71 |
| Aug | 106 |
| Sep | 172 |
| Oct | 47 |
| Nov | 72 |
| Dec | 33 |
Deadliest tornadoes that touched South Carolina
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Calhoun Falls, South Carolina tornado31 March 1973, F4, 7 deaths, 30 injuries, 22.6 miles long
- Pawleys Island, South Carolina tornado26 May 1974, F1, 6 deaths, 1 injury, 3 miles long
- Scotia, South Carolina tornado13 April 2020, EF4, 5 deaths, 60 injuries, 23.7 miles long
- Jenkinsville, South Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 5 deaths, 49 injuries, 21 miles long
- Hope Mills, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 4 deaths, 395 injuries, 40 miles long
Strongest tornadoes that touched South Carolina
- Calhoun Falls, South Carolina tornado31 March 1973, F4, 7 deaths, 30 injuries, 22.6 miles long
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Scotia, South Carolina tornado13 April 2020, EF4, 5 deaths, 60 injuries, 23.7 miles long
- Jenkinsville, South Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 5 deaths, 49 injuries, 21 miles long
- Kershaw, South Carolina tornado8 April 1957, F4, 4 deaths, 70 injuries, 121.4 miles long
- Hope Mills, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 4 deaths, 395 injuries, 40 miles long
Most recent tornadoes in South Carolina
- South Carolina tornado10 July 2025, EF0, 0.6 miles long
- South Carolina tornado9 June 2025, EF1, 6.2 miles long
- Georgia tornado9 June 2025, EF1, 1.5 miles long
- South Carolina tornado30 May 2025, EF1, 10 miles long
- South Carolina tornado12 May 2025, EF0, 1.7 miles long
Notable South Carolina tornadoes with their own pages
- Calhoun Falls, South Carolina tornado31 March 1973, F4, 7 deaths, 30 injuries, 22.6 miles long
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Pawleys Island, South Carolina tornado26 May 1974, F1, 6 deaths, 1 injury, 3 miles long
- Scotia, South Carolina tornado13 April 2020, EF4, 5 deaths, 60 injuries, 23.7 miles long
- Jenkinsville, South Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 5 deaths, 49 injuries, 21 miles long
- Kershaw, South Carolina tornado8 April 1957, F4, 4 deaths, 70 injuries, 121.4 miles long
- Hope Mills, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 4 deaths, 395 injuries, 40 miles long
- Dillon, South Carolina tornado29 September 1963, F2, 3 deaths, 12 injuries, 85.8 miles long
- Lowrys, South Carolina tornado16 November 2011, EF2, 3 deaths, 5 injuries, 5.8 miles long
- Chesnee, South Carolina tornado5 May 1989, F4, 2 deaths, 35 injuries, 15 miles long
- Ninety Six, South Carolina tornado13 December 1973, F4, 2 deaths, 1 mile long
- Elko, South Carolina tornado13 April 2020, EF3, 2 deaths, 7 injuries, 35.7 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.
South Carolina counties
Every county that a tornado has touched is listed, most tornadoes first. 46 of them have at least 3 tornadoes and their own page.