The Hurricane Frances tornado outbreak was a widespread

tornado outbreak A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same Synoptic scale meteorology, synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least ...

associated with

Hurricane Frances Hurricane Frances was the second most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic during 2004 and proved to be very destructive in Florida. It was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic h ...

that came ashore on eastern Florida on September 4–5, 2004. Outer bands from the

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

and its remnants, when it moved across the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, produced one of the largest tornado outbreaks ever spawned by a tropical cyclone in the United States in terms of number of tornadoes confirmed since records were kept in 1950. In addition, it was the largest tornado outbreak in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

history, with nearly half of the tornadoes in that state. At least 103 tornadoes were confirmed from September 4 to September 8 across the Southeast and

Middle Atlantic The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the nation's Northeastern and Southeastern states. Traditional definitions include seven U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virg ...

States. However,

Hurricane Beulah Hurricane Beulah was an intense Category 5 hurricane which impacted the Greater Antilles, Mexico, and Texas in September 1967. The second tropical storm, second hurricane, only major hurricane, and strongest storm in the 1967 Atlantic hurricane ...

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

and

Hurricane Ivan Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic h ...

, which affected western Florida less than two weeks after Frances, produced more tornadoes. Other tornadoes from a separate system were spawned in

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

on September 5. Most of the tornadoes were weak F0's and F1's but a few strong tornadoes were produced across the

Carolinas The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...

. In particular, an F3 affected areas near

Camden, South Carolina Camden is the largest city in and the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,764 in the 2020 census, and the 2022 population estimate is 8,213. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina, Metropolita ...

producing extensive damage. While the hurricane itself killed 49 including seven attributed directly to the storm, the tornadoes associated with Frances did not produce any direct fatalities. However, 13 people were injured in

by the storm including five from an F2 in Chesterfield County three others in Sumter County, three in the Gadsden area in Richland County, one near Camden in

Kershaw County Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest community is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fa ...

and one in Jasper County.

Background

Frances began as a tropical depression west-southwest of Cabo Verde on August 25 from a vigorous tropical wave that departed the coastline of Africa several days prior. As the system moved generally west-northwest, it grew steadily in strength, first to tropical storm strength later on August 25, and then hurricane intensity the next afternoon. After attaining its peak strength as a Category 4 hurricane while north of Puerto Rico, Frances made two landfalls as a major hurricane on San Salvador Island and subsequently Cat Island, in addition to two additional landfalls at Category 2 intensity on Eleuthera Island and Grand Bahama Island. High pressure built north of the cyclone by September 4, causing Frances to turn west and make landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida, with winds of early on September 5. The system weakened over the state, briefly emerging into the northeastern Gulf of Mexico before making a final landfall at the mouth of the Aucilla River in Florida on the afternoon of September 6, with winds of . Frances continued inland, ultimately dissipating over the Gulf of St. Lawrence late on September 10. Along its path, the storm accrued over $9 billion (2004 USD) in damage and resulted in 50 deaths. The brunt of tornadic activity associated with Frances occurred on September 5 through September 8 as the system progressed northward across the East Coast of the United States. An attendant

frontal boundary A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For ins ...

, originally positioned offshore on September 5, lifted northward across the region over subsequent days. Along the east-to-west-oriented boundary, low to moderate convective available potential energy, plentiful moisture, and strong low-level

wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...

culminated in the development of several long-lived

supercell A supercell is a thunderstorm characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone, a deep, persistently rotating updraft. Due to this, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (su ...

thunderstorms within the outer rainbands of Frances. Like in most hurricanes, the concentration of rotating storms was focused well northeast of the storm's center. These supercells resulted in numerous tornadoes, including 45 in South Carolina on September 7 alone, setting a new daily record in the state previously held by 1994's Tropical Storm Beryl. Frances also spawned 14 tornadoes in Virginia, tying

Hurricane Gaston A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its loca ...

from the same year as the fifth-most-prolific producer in the state. Overall, 106 tornadoes were confirmed in association with Frances, surpassed only by 127 with

and 115 associated with

Tornado table

Confirmed tornadoes

September 4 event

September 5 event

September 6 event

September 7 event

September 8 event

References

External links

NWS Wilmington page of the Hurricane Frances Tornado Outbreak in southern South Carolina
{{DEFAULTSORT:2004-09 Hurricane Frances Tornado Outbreak Hurricane Frances, 09 F3, EF3 and IF3 tornadoes Hurricane Frances, 09 Hurricane Frances, 09 Hurricane Frances, 09 Hurricane Frances, 09 Hurricane Frances Tornado Outbreak Tornado outbreaks spawned by tropical cyclones