* ... F0 tornado in North Carolina July 29, 1958; F1 tornado in North Carolina July 24, 1958 ... (SPC) historical tornado data file. mountains cause a leeside rain shadow, an area of decreased, precipitation
of circulation over New England. The state's position on the eastern coast of a continent is important because
The 47 tornadoes caused widespread damage in the Low Country, Midlands and Pee Dee. Hazel ended an extreme drought in eastern South Carolina, although drought
This rain, which freezes on contact with the ground and
in 24 hours, at Conway on the 26th, 2.83 inches in 14 hours, at
Hence, the proximity of the mountains to the state results
August 1908: The most extensive flooding in South Carolina history occurred on this date. Damage to coastal and
During December 1989 Charleston experienced
South Carolina ranks twenty-sixth in the United States in the number of tornado strikes, and eighteenth in the number of tornadoes per square mile. in three ways. winter in all areas except the Lowcountry, where snowfall occurs on average once
Southeast Regional Climate Center, Columbia, South Carolina, 1990. This category contains articles about tornadoes or tornado outbreaks affecting the state of South Carolina. and Virginia. Precipitation is ample and distributed with two maxima and two minima throughout the year
Jacobson, and D.J. in a more temperate climate than otherwise would be experienced. but the prevailing directions by season are: Average surface wind speeds for all months range between 6 and 10 miles per hour. Prior to 2011, the largest tornado … Monthly Climatic Data for South Carolina - 1971-2000 (pdf), South Carolina Maximum and Minimum Temperature Extremes, South Carolina Freeze/Frost Occurrence Dates (pdf), Table of South Carolina Monthly and Annual Precipitation Extremes 1890-2018, Table of South Carolina Maximum 24-Hour Precipitation 1890-2018. The Horrell Hill Tornado, April 30, 1924. Aneja, Viney P. and G. Yoder. COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA) - The National Weather Service has confirmed at least three tornadoes hit South Carolina, Sunday. hours; at Winnsboro on the 24th-25th, 7.85 inches in 48
The Appalachian Mountains also exert a major influence on the state's climate
stagnation days per year in the Coastal Plain and more than 28 stagnation days per
The highest frequency by
and central pressure usually lass than 980 millibars (mb) (28.94 inches of mercury). Storm damage caused by a tornado in Aiken County, South Carolina on February 7, 2020. 24 inches at Rimini in February 1973. and soybeans are greatly stressed when drought conditions extend over several
Accumulations seldom remain very long on the ground except
Lastly, the
Characterization of Ozone Climatology in the Southeastern United States and Climate Change. An Introduction to Climate, Fifth Edition. Tornado Information for South Carolina. April 30, 1924: The highest tornado death toll in South Carolina's history occurred on this date when two tornadoes struck. Purvis, John C. South Carolina Pan Evaporation. Bureau of the Census, Washington D.C., 1993. received in the extreme eastern counties and in all of the northern and
United States Department of War. Important note: Each path represents the approximate center of the damage path. The most damaging
About 66,000 were without service in North Carolina and another 12,000 were powerless in South Carolina. 12 in the Midlands. in 48 hours. In the Coastal Plain, rainfall averages 50 to 52 inches. occurrence of downslope winds, which warm the air by compression, cause the areas
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 as been named "The Horrell Hill Tornado", was the more destructive of the two. October 10-13, and October 22, 1990: . See maps and stats for every tornado since 1950. Over 1700 homes were damaged in Horry County. of the pre-dominant continental high pressure pattern known as a "wedge". However, the state has a
64 knots: greater than 980 mb central pressure) and tropical depressions
Events and Floods and Droughts, 1991). along or just off the coast. August 27, 1893 Hurricane: This unnamed storm was the most deadly hurricane in South Carolina's history. in the northern mid-latitudes, its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and
Lost in the Sand from Clifton A River of Memories, by Michael Hembree and David Moore, Jacobs Press 1988, pp.168-173. to the state. A history of twisters: Tornadoes in North Carolina 1950 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. Tornado maps and statistics for all tornadoes in South Carolina. Tornado frequency reaches a minimum in October and January. storm resulted in two deaths, one on the 13th, and one on the 15th. Climate Report G-5: General Characteristics of South Carolina's Climate. Fortunately, Figure 9 shows that the strongest tornadoes, EF2-4, only occur in the afternoon and early evening when television and radio warnings are most effective. Storm Data, October 1990, 32:10. Its path was 135 miles from Aiken County to Florence County. were left homeless and 26 people were killed. 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. March 28, 1984: The second highest loss of life from tornadoes occurred when 11 tornadoes touched down along a narrow band that extended from Anderson County through Marlboro County. Second, the
Carolina. Weather Service at Charleston recorded a minimum barometric pressure of 27.85 inches. Droughts are sometimes alleviated by a tropical cyclone. 1761 Charleston, South Carolina tornado: May 4, 1761: Charleston, South Carolina >2: 8 fatalities: Earliest recorded U.S. tornado with multiple fatalities. 6.52 inches in 62 hours, at Clemson College on the 25th, 2.81 inches
More on the tropical tornadoes spawned by Francis and other notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks below: September 6-7, 2004:Tropical Storm Frances triggered a record 47 tornadoes as it tracked up the spine of the Appalachians. or equal to 0.1 inch varies from 95 in the Upstate to less than 70 in a portion
During autumn, winds are northeast because the mountains form the southern edge
Severe weather occurs in South Carolina occasionally in the form of violent thunderstorms and tornadoes. of the Bermuda High. Smith, David J. These tornadoes also caused several other storm related fatalities. disaster areas. 77-81. Coffey, James R. South Carolina Crop-Hail Risk Patterns: A Geographic Analysis. During spring, tornadoes result from active cold fronts and pre-frontal squall lines. its first white Christmas on record, and other coastal locations had more than
Reprinted from The Great Freshet of 1903: A Morning of Terror Along the Pacolet River, by William M. Branham, Sandlapper Feb. 1980, pp. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Water Resources Division (Formerly South Carolina Water Resources Commission), Columbia, South Carolina, 1986. the fifteen stations that recorded thunderstorms reported their occurrence. Together they killed 77 persons, injured 778 more, destroyed 465 homes and many other buildings resulting in many millions of dollars of damage. There is
Click a tornado icon to see information about an event. One tornado hit Lexington's central business district. Tornadoes in the United States are observed in every state. F2: W of Loris SC to Tabor City NC: Horry SC, Columbus NC 09:35 16 miles (26 km) Tornado touched down NW of Conway, and was isolated from other tornado families in this outbreak. Although less frequent than surrounding states, thunderstorms are common in the summer months. Tropical tornadoes tend to be weak, and short-lived; however, Tropical Storm Francis did produce three EF-2 tornadoes and a damaging EF-3 tornado during the record outbreak in September 2004. it influences the way pressure and wind systems affect the state. of the Midlands. The heavy rains caused record flooding of the Waccamaw River. In
This provides for cooling sea
The incidence of hail varies from 1 to 1.5 hail days per year in the Midlands, Piedmont, and Foothills to 0.5 days per year in the Lowcountry (Coffey, 1988). weeks during the growing season because only 9% of all farms in the state have
telephone services were seriously disrupted over a large area (Landers, 1970). Carolina occurred on the Pacolet River, a tributary of the Broad
Thirty tornadoes were reported in that day in the state leading to 24 deaths and around 300 injuries. Figure 5 shows the distribution of all tornado touchdowns across the State and the tracks of longer-lived tornadoes. An F2 destroyed 9 Sumter County homes, damaged 55 homes, injured 3 people and caused over $1.7 million dollars worth of damage. This dramatic increase is primarily attributable to the implementation of the National Weather Service's advanced NEXRAD Doppler radar system which is able to pinpoint tornadic vortex signatures State-wide, unlike previous NWS radar systems. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, North Carolina, 1990. experience riverine flooding any month of the year. Tornadoes in South Carolina can also touch down at any time during the day or night. The tornadoes damaged homes and buildings in a very narrow band running north from Bamberg County through Lancaster and York Counties. 43 tornadoes touched down on September 7, setting a new one day record. Another death occurred in Spartanburg
west in autumn. Purvis, John C.,S.F. The annual number of days of precipitation greater than
Also,
An EF-1 tornado with winds of 110 mph traveled nearly 17 miles across south Mecklenburg, through neighbors in Pineville, south Charlotte, and Matthews. Figures 5a-e map separate EF0, EF1, EF2, EF3, and EF4 touchdowns and tracks. Lee, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Sumter, and Union counties were declared federal
A history of twisters: Tornadoes in South Dakota 2020 The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been tracking tornadoes for decades. pan evaporation. breezes during the summer and warms the immediate coast during the winter. Typically, it occurs during the late afternoon and early evening between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Knupp, 1992). records being available for comparison since 1840. type of weather system moves southward along the eastern seaboard, with a center
The Tornado History Project can not guarantee the accuracy of the underlying data within the SPC historical tornado archive. Winds from all directions occur throughout the state during the year,
As the cyclone moves over the Atlantic Ocean, the winds shift to the
and proximity to the coast, tropical systems can be disastrous. localized thunderstorms, resulting in a precipitation maxima (Trewarhta,1981). As the air comes inland, it rises and forms
Sidlow, D.J. These tornadoes are particularly more dangerous because most people are likely asleep and not able to hear television or radio warnings; and, even if awake, you would not be able to see the tornadoes in the darkness. Liberty on the 24-25th, 11.12 inches in 24 hours, at Mt Holly in N.C
(Note: if you cannot see the full pop-up window, just click/drag the map to center the pop-up.) April 30, 1924: The highest tornado death toll in South Carolina's history occurred on this date when two tornadoes struck. Turner, Ian, J.C. Purvis, W. Tyler, S.F. The cold weather that accompanied this
Moving northwest across the state, pan
Two separate tornadoes were confirmed to have hit Lexington County, both EF-1 strength. Landers, H. The Climate of South Carolina, in Climates of the States, Volume 1, Water Information Center, Inc., Port Washington, New York, 1974. year occurred in the Central Savannah River area. Measurable snowfall may occur from one to three times in a
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