Weather
South Carolina Weather: Hurricane Opal Brought Flooding, Tornado
Greenville, SC – Thirty one years ago Monday, the remnants of Hurricane Opal swept across parts of the Southeast, bringing excessive rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and a tornado to areas of
By Elliot Vaughn · 2026-10-05T12:56:32.497Z
Greenville, SC – Thirty one years ago Monday, the remnants of Hurricane Opal swept across parts of the Southeast, bringing excessive rainfall, flash flooding, damaging winds and a tornado to areas of South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
According to the National Weather Service in Greenville Spartanburg, Opal's remnants affected northeast Georgia, western South Carolina and the North Carolina mountains on Oct. 5, 1995, after the powerful hurricane moved inland from the Gulf Coast.
Although Opal's center passed west of the mountains, the storm delivered excessive rainfall that contributed to flash flooding across the region.
In South Carolina, a weak tornado associated with one of Opal's spiral bands traveled approximately 3 miles across Greenville County, southwest of Simpsonville. The National Weather Service said the tornado caused only minor damage.
The mountains experienced more serious impacts as high winds knocked down numerous trees. According to the National Weather Service's historical account, two people were killed and 10 others were injured by the effects of the high winds in the mountains.
Opal had made landfall along the Florida Panhandle before racing north through the Southeast. By the time its remnants reached the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia, the system was still capable of producing hazardous weather.
The National Weather Service highlighted the storm Monday as part of an "on this date" look at significant regional weather events.
The anniversary serves as a reminder that tropical systems can bring flooding, tornadoes and damaging winds far inland, including communities hundreds of miles from where a hurricane initially reaches the coast.