Tornado History

Charleston Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Charleston, South Carolina. The records below identify 60 tornadoes from 1957 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $6.0M, with 0 deaths and 17 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes60
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries17
Property Damage$6.0M
Avg Length1.6 mi
Avg Width136 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Charleston, South Carolina

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.9 tornadoes per year (2.0/yr in last decade)
September is the peak tornado month with 15 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F0 in Charleston, South Carolina with 0 deaths
2024 was the most active year with 9 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (18 events)
Longest tornado: 12 miles in Charleston, South Carolina
Widest tornado: 1,760.0 yards in Charleston, South Carolina
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on Sep 11, 2017

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Charleston, South Carolina, September is the most active month with 15 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

9630

Summary: 2024 was the most active year with 9 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
Unknown

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 16 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1960 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 September 11, 19601960EF2 September 24, 20152015EF2 May 11, 20082008F2 August 29, 19641964F1 April 12, 19611961F1 March 14, 19971997F1 March 14, 19971997F1 August 7, 19661966F1 March 12, 19741974F1 March 8, 19761976F1 July 5, 19651965F1 September 19, 19661966F1 September 19, 19661966F1 May 25, 19701970F1 June 27, 1982F1 August 12, 2004F1 May 30, 2005F1 April 8, 2006F1 May 14, 2006F1 April 26, 2006EF1 September 11, 2017EF1 April 13, 2020EF1 April 13, 2020EF1 May 20, 2020EF1 July 8, 2021EF1 July 8, 2021EF1 August 5, 2024EF1 August 5, 2024EF1 August 6, 2024EF1 September 27, 2024F0 July 23, 2000EF0 June 29, 2008F0 July 26, 1986F0 June 13, 2006F0 June 13, 2006F0 February 27, 1984F0 June 13, 2006F0 September 4, 1979F0 May 22, 1957F0 April 13, 1966F0 August 3, 2000F0 June 12, 2001F0 July 15, 2002F0 September 28, 2002F0 August 14, 2004F0 April 8, 2006F0 April 8, 2006EF0 August 1, 2012EF0 May 31, 2014EF0 September 11, 2017EF0 September 11, 2017EF0 September 11, 2017EF0 September 10, 2022EF0 August 30, 2023EF0 August 5, 2024EF0 August 5, 2024EF0 September 27, 2024EF0 September 27, 2024EF0 September 27, 2024Unknown June 7, 1968© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Charleston, South Carolina.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
September 11, 1960F3Charleston, South Carolina8.8 mi100 yd010$2.5M
September 24, 2015EF2Charleston, South Carolina6.85 mi880 yd00$1.5M
May 11, 2008EF2Charleston, South Carolina12 mi1760 yd00$1.2M
August 29, 1964F2Charleston, South Carolina1 mi67 yd02$2K
April 12, 1961F1Charleston, South Carolina2.5 mi67 yd00$250K
March 14, 1997F1Charleston, South Carolina0.2 mi30 yd00$75K
March 14, 1997F1Charleston, South Carolina0.1 mi30 yd00$30K
August 7, 1966F1Charleston, South Carolina2 mi13 yd00$25K
March 12, 1974F1Charleston, South Carolina0.3 mi30 yd00$25K
March 8, 1976F1Charleston, South Carolina0.5 mi10 yd01$25K
July 5, 1965F1Charleston, South Carolina0.4 mi20 yd00$2K
September 19, 1966F1Charleston, South Carolina0.1 mi13 yd00$2K
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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