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Warnings by state

South Carolina tornado warnings

The National Weather Service issued 567 tornado warnings, 4,052 severe thunderstorm warnings and 447 flash flood warnings for South Carolina from 2016 to 2025, about 57, 405 and 45 a year. That ranks 22nd of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Horry County had the most of any county: 73 tornado warnings.

South Carolina warnings and radar right now

Checking the National Weather Service for South Carolina…

South Carolina counties ranked by tornado warnings

Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.

CountyTornado warningsSevere thunderstormFlash floodTornadoes since 1950
Horry County732125660
Orangeburg County532823476
Charleston County481673860
Colleton County392401734
Spartanburg County344072338
Lexington County333276549
Calhoun County332672727
Laurens County33248925
Clarendon County312052238
Greenville County304063839
Sumter County302702528
Berkeley County291872640
Marion County291642712
Georgetown County281233124
Richland County273759144
Beaufort County271751533
Pickens County252772135
Cherokee County252621023
Jasper County252442010
Union County25217622
York County242812125
Dorchester County231651722
Bamberg County231191926
Aiken County223072544
Williamsburg County221431414
Dillon County211482419
Anderson County192961138
Edgefield County192231421
Florence County191721735
Abbeville County19167922
Barnwell County191421525
Chester County17167917
Greenwood County171351019
Fairfield County16247934
Newberry County16212740
Saluda County162071217
Oconee County152551931
Hampton County151861217
McCormick County131631217
Allendale County13116820
Lee County111721210
Kershaw County72852424
Lancaster County71861213
Chesterfield County61591424
Marlboro County51261715
Darlington County31141228

South Carolina warnings by year

Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.

Tornadoes since 1950

1,231 tornadoes have been recorded in South Carolina since 1950, 11 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 66 people and injured 1,428. April had the most (215).

Warnings for South Carolina by year
YearTornadoSevere thunderstormFlash flood
2026 to Oct 192645050
20252234954
202497399116
20233539935
20225947647
20216723121
202010242044
20195442218
20183443837
20177044838
20162747037
20151247691
2014836561
20132737881
20123175228
20115093425
20104465239
20094962738
200811477827

What stands out in South Carolina

2008 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in South Carolina since 2008, with 114 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2024, with 116.

Since 2008, 2 tornado warnings and 16 flash flood warnings for South Carolina were raised to a tornado emergency or a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.

3 severe thunderstorm warnings for South Carolina carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.

11 tornadoes in South Carolina since 1950 were rated F4 or EF4, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on April 13, 2020.

National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.

States next to South Carolina

Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.

Get alerts for a home anywhere in South Carolina.

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South Carolina tornado warnings: questions people ask

How many tornado warnings does South Carolina get a year?

About 57 a year: the National Weather Service issued 567 tornado warnings for South Carolina from 2016 to 2025, 22nd of 52 states and territories.

Which South Carolina county gets the most tornado warnings?

Horry County has the most: 73 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Orangeburg County with 53. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.

Which South Carolina city gets the most tornado warnings?

Red Hill has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 18 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.

When is tornado season in South Carolina?

April and September: 32% of the 1,231 tornadoes recorded in South Carolina since 1950 came in those two months. Tornadoes have struck South Carolina in every month of the year.

About these numbers

Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a South Carolina county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · South Carolina data (CSV)

Cite: Kinwarn. “South Carolina tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/south-carolina. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.

Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts