Barnwell County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Barnwell County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 27, 2024Tropical Storm, Barnwell$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread trees and power lines down. Many roads closed, some for an extended period of time. Large sections of the county without power. Falling trees caused damage to structures across the county. At least 21 homes sustained some level of damage including 1 destroyed and 17 with major damage. South Carolina Forestry estimated 1.5 million dollars in timber loss. Maximum winds measured at Barnwell Regional Airport (KBNL) were 28 knots sustained (32 mph) with a max gust of 46 knots (53 mph). A 200 foot tower in Savannah River Site measured a maximum wind gust of 93.7 mph. NWS analysis estimated maximum gusts were between 80-90 mph. Areas of flooding with maximum 2 day rainfall…

2. Aug 11, 2023Lightning$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hagood Avenue Baptist Church in the town of Barnwell was struck by lightning and caught fire. The fire caused extensive damage to the church.

3. Apr 5, 2011Lightning$80,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The People-Sentinel reported a home was destroyed by fire that was started by a lightning strike.

4. Oct 8, 2016High Wind, Barnwell$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Law Enorcement Dispatch reported multiple trees down throughout the county, especially along Highway 278, and in Barnwell and Kline. Broadcast Media reported power outages affecting at least 700 customers. Highway 64 and Patterson Mill Road were closed due to downed trees and power lines.

5. Apr 5, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$46,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Sheriff reported numerous trees down in the towns of Blackville and Barnwell. Some trees fell through an outbuilding and into a garage apartment on Hagood Ave. in Barnwell.

6. Jan 7, 2009Strong Wind, Barnwell$35,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   EOC reported several trees and powerlines down around the county. A mobile home that was being transported was tipped over by the winds and badly damaged.

7. Feb 22, 2003Lightning$30,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A mobile home was destroyed by a fire started by a lightning strike.

8. Jun 18, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency Manager reported an intense microburst destroyed a 40'X 60' building, took down many trees (one split a home), took siding off a few homes, and twisted metal fences.

9. Jan 15, 2016Strong Wind, Barnwell$20,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Barnwell County EM reported numerous trees and power lines down near the town of Blackville. Bricks from an abandoned building collapsed and fell onto a car.

10. Jun 25, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$18,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Edisto Electric reported powerlines down across much of northern Barnwell county.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

109°FJul 24, 1952

All-time low

2°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

81°FAug 8, 1963

Coldest day

24°FDec 25, 1983

Wettest day

8.90 inNov 7, 2024

Snowiest day

19.0 inFeb 10, 1973

Hottest year

1990mean 66.8°F

Coldest year

1960mean 62.9°F

Wettest year

202384.11 in

Driest year

195427.89 in

Snowiest season

22.0 in1972-73

Station Bamberg (USC00380448), 150 ft elevation, 17.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1951 to October 20, 2026; 92.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00380448.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.