South Carolina Extreme Events Timeline

The first recorded hurricane in the United States made landfall near Charleston, SC on September 5, 1686. While the category of this storm is unknown, it is interesting for a reason past its severity. This hurricane is nicknamed the Spanish Repulse Hurricane because it stopped an attack from the Spanish on to the settlers of Charleston near the Ashley River.

Two devastating hurricanes struck the South Carolina coast in 1752. The first storm struck on September 15, 1752, and caused at least 95 deaths. Ships were reported to have sailed straight through Meeting Street on an estimated five foot storm surge. The aftermath of the storm resulted in conflict between the colonies and Britain. The Lowcountry experienced a significant reduction in rice production after the storm.

The second storm occurred on September 30, and caused severe destruction to the northeastern portion of South Carolina.

From February 8 - 9, 1835, an intense cold was recorded. Richland County Historical Newspapers documented reports of nearly every shallow liquid substance being frozen in the Midlands. Fish were reportedly "caught" by being frozen in the ice, and British vessels took the frozen fish into their ships.

The most remarkable part of this event was that it was virtually the end of citrus growth in South Carolina. Before 1935, oranges were grown in coastal South Carolina. This freeze devastated citrus and ended the industry in the state.

On April 16, 1879, a severe rain storm moved through the Lowcountry, ravaging through Colleton and Charleston county. Homes, churches, and a turpentine plantation were destroyed in and near Walterboro, in Colleton County. An estimated 60 were injured.

"In the village of Walterford (boro) more than one hundred dwellings and all the churches were swept away. Three-fourths of the inhabitants are homeless. Fifteen persons were killed and many more wounded." - reporter from Charleston, SC

On August 31, 1886, a 6.9 – 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in Charleston, causing extreme level damage according to the Mercalli scale. At least 60 people died, and the damage in Charleston alone was so intense that it equates to approximately $150 million in today’s currency. This largely unexpected earthquake is still one of the most intense, damaging earthquakes to occur on the East Coast of the United States. The shocks of the earthquake were felt as far away as New Orleans, Louisiana, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Seismic activity in Charleston, with the exception of this event, is incredibly rare. This is because most tectonic plate activity of this magnitude typically occurs along tectonic plate boundaries, and Charleston is far off from any large tectonic boundaries. 

On August 27th, 1893, South Carolina experienced the  deadliest hurricane in its recorded history . This storm, called the Sea Islands hurricane, is the fourth deadliest recorded in US history. The hurricane made landfall on the Georgia/ South Carolina state line and brought extensive flooding to the lower South Carolina coast. While categorized as a 3 at the time, hurricane re-analysis experts believe that this storm was a Category 4. Winds of 120 miles per hour were measured in Charleston and Beaufort, SC. More than 2,000 people drowned in this disaster. Damage estimates exceed $10 million (in 1893 dollars). 

The first half of February 1899 brought record breaking cold temperatures felt throughout the entire contiguous United States. In the beginning of the month, warm states along the west coast reported temperatures in the 30s. By mid-February, the Arctic Outbreak came to the United States in full force. South Carolina recorded its coldest February temperatures since the Arctic outbreak of 1835. Every region in South Carolina was impacted by this outbreak on February 13th and 14th:

• Charleston, SC experienced a Valentine's Day high of 32°F and a low of 7°F. The high was 27.4°F lower than the climatological normal for the day, and the low was 38.3°F less than the normal.
• Greenville recorded a maximum of 20°F (32.7°F below normal) and a minimum of -5°F (41.2°F below normal). This is the station's lowest recorded temperature to date (2019).
• Santuck recorded a maximum of 28°F (-29.8°F below normal) and a minimum of -11°F (46.3°F below normal). This is the station's lowest recorded temperature to date (2019).
• Cheraw experienced a maximum of 14°F (43°F below normal) and a minimum of -9°F (33°F below normal). This is the station's lowest recorded temperature to date (2019).
• Columbia had a high of 32°F (30.8°F below normal) and a low of -2°F (42.7°F below normal). This is the station's lowest recorded temperature to date (2019). 

Many portions of the United States experienced blizzard conditions with extreme snow and ice. The Columbia and Florence regions of SC recorded 6 – 8 inches. Other portions of the state reported significantly smaller amounts of snow. The Arctic Outbreak caused an estimated 100 deaths nationwide and caused the destruction of crops, orchards, and livestock.

On June 5, 1903, low pressure tracked northeast from Alabama into western South Carolina. By June 6, the pressure cell had intensified, resting over western North Carolina. Rainfall amounts between 2 and 5 inches were reported in the 24-hour period prior to the flood. These amounts, while being high, wouldn’t typically cause such severe flash flooding. However, the soils in the Santee River Basin were already heavily saturated due to extensive rainfall in the region prior to the event.

The Pacolet Flood of June 6, 1903, caused approximately $146 million (2019 dollars) worth of damage in Pacolet Mills, which is in Spartanburg County. The homes, churches, industrial plants, and corn and flour mills along the river were completely wiped out by the flood. 65 people perished in the flood, 70 homes were swept away, 4,000 were without jobs due to the large infrastructure sources being along the river (ex. Mills). 600 survivors of the flood became homeless. The textile mills along the river were particularly hard hit by the flash flood—Clifton Mill No. 1 and Pacolet Mill No. 1 and 2 were destroyed. The entire Santee River Basin was the most affected area in the state. The rate of this flood was incredibly fast— waters were reported to have risen by 40 feet within an hour. 

A National Weather Service report of the event stated that “The mills at Pacolet were on the west bank of the Pacolet river at a point where the normal depth is less than six feet, but the crest on the morning of June 6th reach about fifty feet. While the enormity of the disaster focused attention to the Pacolet area, heavy flood damage also occurred along other streams in northwest South Carolina.”

This memorial, created by artist Ron Longsdorf, commemorates the 1903 flood that devastated the textile industry in South Carolina. The Pacolet Flood destroyed 5 mills and left thousands of workers temporarily unemployed until the mills were repaired or rebuilt. The memorial was created to symbolize both a smokestack and the high water mark during the flood.

On August 25, rainfall occurred in the Piedmont region for 48 hours, but the heaviest rainfall was seen in about 16 hours. Amounts from 10 – 13 inches were recorded from this event. Anderson, SC received 12.75 inches over the 2 day period. This heavy rainfall in the upstate led to statewide flooding of South Carolina’s rivers, all major rivers in the state rose above the flood stage between 9 and 22 feet.

On April 30, the highest tornado death toll in South Carolina's history occurred on this date when two tornadoes struck. The paths of both were unusually long; each over 100 miles long. Together they killed 77 persons, injured 778 more, destroyed 465 homes and many other buildings resulting in many millions of dollars of damage. One tornado remained on the ground from Anderson County to York County; the other, which has been named "The Horrell Hill Tornado", was the more destructive of the two. Its path was 135 miles from Aiken County to Florence County. Modern day examination places the tornado in a class F4.

The most intense drought on record lasted from February - November of 1925. The statewide rainfall deficit reached 18.23 inches during that time. Calhoun Falls received no rain in June and only 3.63 inches from July to September. On top of this dryness in the state, the same Calhoun Falls station experienced extreme heat, recording a shade temperature of 111°F on September 7. In the years following 1925, drought conditions persisted, although less severe.

During this drought, the cotton boll weevil arrived to the state, bringing even more harm on the agriculture industry. An estimated 250,000 people migrated out of the state to pursue healthier agricultural opportunities elsewhere. This equates to nearly 16% of the farms in South Carolina. For more detailed information, visit the following pages:

On September 18, 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane made landfall in Beaufort, SC. In SC, five people died, 10 - 12 inches of rain occurred throughout the state, and $4 - 6 million dollars of damage (1928 dollars) occurred. Overall, the hurricane killed at least 4,000 people and caused an estimated $100 million (1928 dollars) in damages. 

On September 29, 1938, two F2 and three F1 tornadoes struck the Lowcountry on the morning of September 29, 1938, killing 32 and injuring at least 100 people. Property loss was estimated to be at least $2,000,000 (1938 dollars), which is roughly $35,000,000 today. 196 buildings were destroyed, and roughly 100 buildings were damaged. 3 tornadoes moved through downtown Charleston, James Island, and Sullivan’s Island. The other two tornadoes of the day struck less populated areas of the Lowcountry.

The tornadoes were spawned as a result of a tropical depression traveling up the coast. Several old historic Charleston buildings were damaged, such as the collapse of part of Charleston City Market. Among the areas affected were the famous Broad and Market streets. 

Rainfall deficiencies were experienced in South Carolina from 1950 - 1957. A couple of months reported moderately wet conditions, but dry conditions persisted overall. 1954 is the driest year in South Carolina recorded history, with an average annual precipitation of 31.72 inches. 1954 holds records for both dryness and heat, which combined to cause significant impacts on agriculture during the period. 

Forest fires ravaged the state, burning tens of thousands of acres. Small streams became completely dry, and more major rivers such as the Black and Coosawhatchie stopped flowing for extended periods. Several locations in the state decreased their water and power use. 

Before October 2019, no 100-degree days had been recorded so late in the season since October 1954. On October 4, Walterboro recorded 100°F, Lake City and Marion recorded 101°F, and Little Mountain recorded 103°F. On October 5, Columbia, Saluda, and Parr recorded 101°F. On October 6, Florence and Cheraw recorded 102°F.

For more information, visit the new  South Carolina Drought Portal. 

Hazel struck the NC/SC state line as a Category 4 hurricane on October 15, 1954. The storm killed an estimated 1,000 people in Haiti as it moved towards the United States. Wind gusts up to 110 mph were reported in the state.

Hazel was a very fast moving storm, heading North at almost 50 miles per hour. After moving through the Carolinas, Hazel moved all the way North into Toronto, Ontario, killing 81 people. While many hurricanes have occurred farther north along the East coast of the United States, Hazel remains the strongest, farthest north hurricane landfall on record.

For more detailed information on this storm's impacts on South Carolina, view the State Climatology Office's PDF report:

On September 29, 1959, Hurricane Gracie made landfall at low tide near Beaufort, SC as a Category 4. This low tide landfall helped to mitigate disastrous flooding from storm surge. Gracie quickly weakened to a Category 1 as it moved through the Midlands and into NC west of Charlotte. 

Sustained winds were reported to be 100 mph from the coast inland to Bamberg, where the storm downgraded. Rainfall totals in SC were greater than 6 inches along the path of the storm. Heavier rainfall was recorded in Virginia as the storm slowed. This rain along the Appalachian Mountains was beneficial to the drought-stricken southeast. 10 storm-related fatalities were reported in South Carolina and Georgia. Cotton damage was extensive throughout the state. 

For more detailed information on South Carolina hurricane climatology, visit the new SC State Climate Office Hurricanes page and the SC Hurricane Comprehensive Summary.

In 1973, from February 9-11, a mid-latitude cyclone traveled across the southeast, bringing snowfall totaling up to 24". The record for this southeast storm was placed in South Carolina in Rimini. Other locations around the state experienced amounts ranging from a trace of snowfall to 22 inches.

Six northwestern counties were nearly free of snowfall because the cyclone that brought the winter weather passed far offshore, not sweeping far enough for snow to cover the Upstate counties. The coastal beaches were covered with 3 to 7 inches of snowfall. 

About 30,000 travelers were stranded on South Carolina's highways. Many had to be rescued, some by helicopters. There were at least 9 deaths attributed to the weather in the state, 8 of which were killed due to exposure to the winter weather. Approximately 200 buildings collapsed, and the cost of snow removal and rescue operations alone was estimated at $30 million.

On April 10, 1976, the largest wildfire on record in the state of South Carolina began when a campfire was left unattended. This fire, called the Clear Pond wildfire, occurred in Horry County and burned 30,000 acres in 5 days before being completely contained. This fire occurred in a notorious volatile region of South Carolina, where several wildfires had taken place before. To read more about this wildfire and other historic fires in the state, refer to the  SC Forestry Commission’s timeline. 

Late in the day on March 28, 1984, a strong line of thunderstorms cause 22 tornadoes in the Carolinas. The tornado paths suggested that they all came from the same system, forming and re-forming tornadoes as it moved. 5 F4 tornadoes were recorded, along with 1 F3, 4 F2s, and 1 F1. 

Between January 19 and January 24, 1985, record low temperatures swept over the eastern United State. Temperatures as low as -19°F occur in the Upstate of SC at Caesars Head. 15 deaths were estimated in South Carolina, and more deaths occurred outside of the state.

The photos seen below are from NOAA's Digital Collections library.

Hurricane Hugo made landfall in Sullivan's Island, in the middle of the night on the 21st. It quickly downgraded to a Category 2 as it moved inland on a north-northwest track through the Midlands and exiting the state in York county.

At landfall, the recorded pressure was 934 millibars. Sustained winds of 140 mph were recorded with gusts up to 160 mph. The highest recorded storm surge during Hurricane Hugo was 20.2, measured at the USGS Moore's Landing near Seewee Bay site. This record remains the highest storm surge on record for the United States East Coast. This storm was the costliest in South Carolina history; damage to coastal and inland properties, utilities, agriculture, timber and commerce exceed $6 billion. 50-70,000 people were left homeless and 26 people were killed.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Hugo's impact on South Carolina, SC Department of Natural Resources created an informational story map outlining the event.

On August 16, Tropical Storm Beryl merged with a cold front, bringing 4 to 5 inches of rain to the Piedmont area and 12 inches in the Blue Ridge portion of the state. This caused extensive flooding in the Upstate, mostly through Greenville and Spartanburg counties. The Saluda River had its worst flooding in the last 60 years.

In addition to flooding, Tropical Storm Beryl spawned 22 tornadoes occurring in Bamberg, Lancaster, and York counties. At least 40 people were injured from these tornadoes, which caused over $50 million in damage. Although this storm was a tropical storm as it moved through SC, it was able to cause so many tornadoes due to the path of the storm. The top right quadrant of any storm is the most likely to spawn tornadoes, and this portion of Beryl moved straight through South Carolina's Upstate. 

This four-year drought drastically impacted the state, with forestry and agriculture feeling incredible impacts. In these years, precipitation deficits were among the largest ever recorded.

For the 5 growing seasons during this meteorological drought, only one growing season didn't feel the incredible loss: 2001. 2001's summer season was saved by properly timed rainfall, but the drought conditions persisted for stream flow and groundwater levels.

SC Forestry Commission estimated the total forestry impacts of the drought to be at least $1.3 billion. A burn ban was placed in the state out of the effort of preventing forest fires. In addition to fighting wildfires due to lightning strike, the dry forests were struck by the southern pine beetle. This pine beetle killed patches of trees throughout the South. 2002 reported a $220 million loss in pines, when the average is $50 million.

For a more detailed narrative about this prolonged drought, read the timeline published by Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA).

From February 24 - 27, what began as a cold air damming event in the upper atmosphere caused extensive snow and sleet in the state. The storm produced 4 - 18 inches of snow across the Upstate and northern Midlands. The heaviest patch of snow was 10 - 18 inches from Chesterfield and Lancaster extending southwest through Union County and into Laurens and Newberry Counties. Damage estimates were around $1 million.

Some specific recordings of this storm were: Winthrop University - 17.3", McColl (Marlboro County) - 15", Catawba - 14.1", Santuck - 12.2", Spartanburg - 8.3".

On September 6 - 7, Tropical Storm Frances triggered a record 47 tornadoes as it tracked northwest into Appalachians. The National Weather Service, using the F0-F5 Fujita scale, identified 26 F0s, 17 F1s, 3 F2s and 1 F3 during the 2-day period. 43 tornadoes touched down on September 7, setting a new one day record. The 47 tornadoes caused widespread damage in the Low Country, Midlands and Pee Dee. Sumter County experienced the worst damage. An F2 destroyed 9 Sumter County homes, damaged 55 homes, injured 3 people and caused over $1.7 million dollars worth of damage. Kershaw County was struck by the F3 tornado which demolished several cinder block stables and deftly picked up a large horse trailer and placed it on the roof of another stable. This record setting tornado outbreak injured 13 and inflicted $2.77 million in total state-wide damages.

Right after the 2007 - 2009 drought, the Savannah Basin lakes were well below their target guide curves by March 2012. The drought period lasted from 2/3/2011 to 3/24/2013. The inflows into Lake Thurmond for the following three-month period were the lowest recorded since 1954. The deteriorating hydrologic conditions depleted the amount of water stored in shallow and deep aquifers. 

Volunteer weather observers throughout the state noted various severe impacts to their water bill, garden quality, and health due to the dry environment.

The summer of 2012 brought a heat wave to North America. High pressure aloft caused the prolonged scorching heat. Many states in the central US experienced record-breaking temperatures. According to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), June 2012 brought 3,282 daily record highs set or tied across the country. These records were strongly compared to 1936, America’s Dust Bowl.

While South Carolina’s average summer temperatures didn’t beat out 1925, the state’s most famous drought and heat year, the one day maximum was reached on June 29, 2012. Columbia University of South Carolina recorded 113°F during the heat wave from June 29 – July 2. 

The map above shows the maximum temperatures during 2012 for several stations throughout the state. Most of the maximums were recorded during the North American heat wave. 

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Matthew 2016 didn’t reach the Upstate region, so by October 2016, Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens counties had declared a severe drought. These prolonged dry conditions led to the Pinnacle Mountain Fire in November 2016, which burned more than 10,000 acres in the Table Rock State Park area. This was the  longest, largest, and costliest fire in Upstate history. 

Although Hurricane Matthew's impacts weren't felt in the Upstate region of South Carolina, its Charleston, SC landfall brought heavy rainfall and flooding to the state. Just a year after the 2015 floods, some regions in the state were impacted again by Matthew. To read more about Hurricane Matthew, visit SCDNR's story map on the event:

In 2018, South Carolina's Jocassee station in the Upstate recorded 123.45 inches of rain, surpassing the previous record of 119.16 inches set in 1979 at Hogback Mountain. May of 2018's monthly rainfall total was 17.74", which was strongly influenced by Tropical Storm Alberto passing over the region. Hurricane Michael added 5.64" of the October 2018 total. In addition to explicit events offering rainfall to contribute to the record, the station is also affected each year by above average up slope rainfall due to its mountainous elevation of 2,500 feet. The year's extreme precipitation events combined with the traditional heavy rainfall of the state led to a new rainfall record. 

During 2018, Tropical Storm Florence also made a significant impact in the state, causing widespread flooding. However, these impacts didn't affect this annual rainfall record because Florence's rainfall was concentrated in the Pee Dee region of the state.

To read more about Tropical Storm Florence's impacts on South Carolina, visit our page about the event:

If you have any questions about any of these events, or would like more information on an entry, contact the  South Carolina State Climatology Office .