Dorchester County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Dorchester 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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 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. Oct 3, 2015Flash Flood$3.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Law enforcement, media and social media posts indicated widespread flooding around Summerville and Wescott Plantation. Roads closed included Orangeburg Road at the intersection of Greenwave Boulevard, Ashley River Road at the intersection of Bacons Bridge Road and Wescott Boulevard between Ballantine Drive and Patriot Boulevard. The Dorchester SPCA building was also flooded with dogs standing in water inside their kennels. Dogs and other animals were being moved to safe locations. An off duty NWS employee also reported a tree down along South Main Street with damage to a structure and a vehicle.

2. Oct 3, 2015Flash Flood$3.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An emergency manager for Dorchester County reported widespread flooding around Summerville, Ladson and Wescott Plantation. Widespread road closures, damage to homes and water rescues were made. Roads closed due to flooding included the 100 and 300 block of Dorchester Manor Boulevard, the 400 block of Trade Street, Hodge Road between Deming Way and Short Street, Azalea Drive near the intersection with OT Wallace Drive, Parson Road, Dorchester Road at the intersection with Sawmill Branch Creek, Mallard Road between Hill Street and the Habitat for Humanity, West Butternut Road, the 200 block of Lawrence Drive, Aberdeen Circle, Arbors Oak Drive, Renau Boulevard near the intersection…

3. Mar 24, 2011Wildfire, Dorchester$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The South Carolina Forestry Commission reported that the Sand Ridge Wildfire located 6 miles west-southwest of Dorchester, South Carolina, started on March 24, burning 1247 acres before being contained on March 25. Evacuations were ordered for 60 to 70 homes due to the wildfire. No structures were lost due to the wildfire and 67 structures were saved, including 52 homes, 13 barns, and 2 churches.

4. Sep 11, 2017Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Dorchester County Emergency Management reported that water entered at least 31 homes due to flash flooding along Eagle Creek. This included homes on Tranquil Lane and Harrison Road in the Tranquil Acres/Estates neighborhood, as well as homes in the Summerwood subdivision off of Ladson Road. Of the 31 impacted structures, 18 had 12 inches or less of water, 10 had between 13 and 23 inches of water, and 3 had between 24 and 35 inches of water inside.

5. Sep 26, 2024Tropical Storm, Dorchester$303,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Dorchester County Emergency Management reported that strong winds associated with Helene produced widespread tree damage and power lines across the entire county. The peak wind gust measured in the county was 51 mph at the Summerville Airport (KDYB).

6. Mar 15, 2008Tornado$218,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF1 Tornado was confirmed by a storm survey conducted by the Charleston, South Carolina National Weather Service Office. The Tornado touched down north of Ridgeville, South Carolina at the Carters fast stop gas station, and traveled 2.2 miles before lifting. The maximum width of the tornado was determined to be 40 yards. Roof panels were stripped from the Canopy at the Carters fast stop gas station, two mobile homes were damaged with one shifted 5 feet off its foundation and another having its windows and doors blown out. Additionally, a car was moved approximately 50 feet. The estimated maximum sustained winds in this EF1 Tornado were estimated to be between 100 and 110 mph.

7. Jul 13, 2019Lightning$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lightning struck a building at Key West Boats in the 500 block of Ridgeville Road. The building was deemed a complete loss following the fire. Highway 27 and Ridgeville Road near the fire were both closed to all traffic.

8. Aug 9, 2024Flash Flood$60,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A Dorchester County emergency manager reported paved roadway damage on Summers Drive between Highway 17A and Victoria Point Lane. A small bridge in between these locations was also starting to crumble at this time.

9. Mar 15, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$60,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Straight line wind damage was observed near the Jedburg, South Carolina exit off of I-26. Interviews revealed that large pine trees were down across the roadway. In addition over one hundred pine trees were snapped off along the trunk or completely uprooted. Wind speeds were estimated to be between 95 and 105 mph.

10. Apr 5, 2022Lightning$60,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Dorchester County Warning Point reported a mobile home at the 300 Block of Spring Branch Road destroyed by a fire likely caused by a lightning strike.

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

105°FAug 1, 1999

All-time low

6°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

83°FAug 4, 2011

Coldest day

20°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

11.50 inOct 3, 2015

Snowiest day

6.0 inDec 23, 1989

Hottest year

1990mean 69.3°F

Coldest year

1940mean 62.6°F

Wettest year

201574.89 in

Driest year

195430.31 in

Snowiest season

8.0 in1989-90

Station Charleston International Airport (USW00013880), 39 ft elevation, 12.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1937 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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 USW00013880.
• 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.