South Carolina State Climate Office

Mark MalsickSevere Weather Liaison

( malsickm@dnr.sc.gov)

South Carolina’s Tornado Climatology 1950-2009

South Carolina’s Tornado Climatology: 1950-2009

• GOAL: CONSOLIDATED SC TORNADO LIST

• NOAA-NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER US SEVERE WEATHER DATABASE. (WCM Page)

• 871 SOUTH CAROLINA TORNADOES

• CROSS-CHECKED WITH NCDC DATABASE.

• SIMPLIFIED MULTI-COUNTY TORNADOES

• CONVERTED TIME FROM CST TO EST

TX KS AL IA MO IL FL NE MS OK CO AR MN LA GA ND SD NC SC TN WI KY VA IN OH0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

140.0

160.0

145.2

110.8

62.6 60.4 58.8 57.8 57.5 55.3 55.1

47.644.6 44.5 43.2 42.7

38.534.5 32.4 31.2 29.4 28.9

25.5 24.2 23.7 22.515.9

2000-2009 US Annual Tornado Average: Top 25

1950

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

SOUTH CAROLINA TORNADOES 1950-2009AVERAGES:

1950-2009: 14.5/year

1950-1993: 8.7/year

1994-2009: 30.5/year

2000-2009: 29.4/year

1950

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1

0 0

1

0

3

1

3

1

0

2

1

2

3

4

3

2

6

2

3

0 0 0

16

1

4

2

0

2

3

4

1 1 1

10

2

0

1 1

8

1

4

2

1

13

7

2

3

9

1 1 1 1

0

7

1 1 1

8

3

EF2, 3, 4 TORNADOES

AVERAGES:

1950-2009: 2.7/year

1950-1993: 2.3/year

1994-2009: 3.7/year

2000-2009: 2.4/year

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

47

38 38

3433

31 3130

29 29

26

1413 13

1210

9 98 8 8

20

12 12

1719

24

14

1719

1211

67

8 87

2

57

4 4

1950-20091994-2009

TORNADOES BY COUNTY – 10 Most, 10 Least

(E)F4 (E)F3 (E)F2 (E)F1 (E)F00

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1028

124

355 354

114

44

164

265

SC TORNADOES BY INTENSITY

1950-20091994-2009

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

26

43

116119

130

81

57

75

120

18

64

2221

11

62 62 61

46

32

41

95

8

43

6

Monthly Tornado Distribution

1950-20091994-2009

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 100011001200130014001500160017001800190020002100220023000

20

40

60

80

100

120

18

9

1611 10

16 1418

22

10

23 25

33

58 58

85

105

98

87

62

30

1923

1211

4 5 6 913

712 13

7

13 1420

34 31

48

5761

4037

129 11

7

TORNADO OCCURENCE TIME

1950-20091994-2009

010

020

030

040

050

060

070

080

090

010

0011

0012

0013

0014

0015

0016

0017

0018

0019

0020

0021

0022

0023

000

20

40

60

80

100

120

INTENSITY - TIME (1950-2009)

(E)F4(E)F3(E)F2(E)F1(E)F0

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

40

54

24

17

42

1720

14 1218

86

14

36

18

57

1923

0 17 6

04

10

14

76

25

0

8

0

Tornado TotalTropical Related

2004 - Charley, Francis (47), Gaston, Ivan, Jeanne (17)1994 – Beryl (23)

“TROPICAL” TORNADOES*

*Tornadoes triggered by decaying tropical storms over land.

South Carolina’s Tornado Climatology: 1950-2009

SOUTH CAROLINA TORNADO CLIMATE BASICS:

• Annual climate feature, Spring preferred, any month fair game.

• Afternoons preferred, any hour fair game.

• EF0 and EF1 tornadoes: 81% (65-110 mph, EF4: 166-200 mph) .

• Short, narrow tracks, short lived (AVG: 3.5 miles, 110 yds.). But…

• Longest: 62 miles, (400yds wide, F3, McCrmck-Edgfld-Slda, 11 NOV 1992)

• Widest: 2600yds, (5 miles, F4, Marlboro, 28 MAR 1984)

• “Tropical” tornadoes a significant inland threat.

• Midlands and Piedmont preferred, any County fair game.