Bethune, South Carolina
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1941 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Bethune census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29009. The Survey maps it on the Bethune quadrangle. 315 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 285 feet above sea level.
Population over time
3 figuresBethune fell from 352 to 315 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 352 | |
| 2010 | 334 | -18 (-5%) |
| 2020 | 315 | -19 (-6%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 14 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1941 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1953 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1964 USGS Spartanburg quadrangle1:250000
- 1970 USGS Bethune quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Camden quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1986 USGS Camden South quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
174 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 174 fires within 5 miles of Bethune between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,260 acres in total. 8 started naturally. 16 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 65 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 58 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 16 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 11 |
| Natural | 8 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 27 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 2009 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 2005 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 1 September 1999 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 8 August 2002 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 August 1998 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 August 1999 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Bethune: 1 past producer, 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unidentified Clay Mine | Clay | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Unidentified Clay Mine | Clay | Unknown | Sedimentary |
Storms near this place
49 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bethune in 49 storm reports between 1996 and 2023: 29 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | 1 killed, $18,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | 2 hurt | Sheriff reported trees down...some on cars with two minor injuries. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Bethune | $50,000 | Golfball size hail reported at the Mini Maart in Bethune. Windshield broken on a car. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Bethune | $25,000 | An F1 tornado produced winds to 90 mph and damaged a home north of Bethune before crossing the county and and diminishing to an F0 which took down many trees in the Carolina Sand Hills National Wildlife Refuge just north of Mc Bee. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $24,000 | Sheriff reported a large tree down on two cars totaling them. |
| November 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $18,000 | Storm survey found a microburst tore the roof off a garage and home and collapsed the front porch of the home. At least 3 dozen trees were also taken down. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $6,000 | Black River Electric Coop reported large limbs and powerlines down in Bethune. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $5,000 | Public reported large limbs down at Bethel Hill Church with some siding torn off. |
| August 2008 | Flash Flood | Bethune | $5,000 | DOT and public reported flooding of secondary roads such as sc413 from Neds Creek and SC588 from Buffalo Creek. Street flooding also occurred in Kershaw. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $3,000 | Dispatch reported trees down on Old Stagecoach Road near the Chesterfield County line. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $2,000 | Kershaw Dispatch reported powerlines down in Bethune. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $1,000 | Public reported a couple of trees down along Doc Pate Road. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $1,000 | Public reported a couple of trees down near Hwy 341 and Shirley Creek road. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | $1,000 | Public reported a tree down in a yard on Mill Pond Road. |
| April 2019 | Hail | Bethune | $100 | Quarter inch hail reported by a trained spotter in downtown Bethune. |
| July 2018 | Hail | Bethune | $100 | Captain for Buffalo-Mt. Pisgah volunteer fire station reported pea size hail in NE Kershaw Co around 1800 EDT (1700 EST) via social media. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Tree down on Mt. Pisgah Road. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Kershaw County Dispatch reported multiple trees down along McBee Highway. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Numerous trees downed on Bethune Rd near Bethune. Time estimated. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Kershaw Co. Dispatch reported trees down on Mill Creek Rd. in Bethune, exact location not given. Trees also down at Porter Rd. and Newman Rd. North of Bethune. Time estimated. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Bethune | - | Kershaw Co SC Emergency Manager reported tennis ball size hail near Bethune. |
| May 2020 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported egg size hail via social media, along with a video and a photo. |
| October 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Trees were downed in multiple locations SE of Bethune. |
| September 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | County Sheriff reported trees down blocking the roadway on Mill Creek and Hough Roads. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff dispatch reported a tree down on Pine Dr near Bethune. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Bethune | - | SKYWARN spotter reported quarter size hail near Mill Creek and McCaskill roads. |
| April 2012 | Hail | Bethune | - | MiniMart in Bethune reported quarter size hail in the city. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported nickel size hail along Doc Pate Road. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported nickel size hail. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff's Dispatch reported trees down near the Pisgah Community. |
| March 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | SKYWARN spotter reported trees and powerlines down in Bethune on hwy 341. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported nickel size hail at a restaurant in Bethune. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported penny to nickel size hail in the Bethune area. |
| May 2007 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported penny size hail. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported trees down on hwys 341 and 257 northwest of Bethune. Post Office reported large branches down in Cassatt. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported quarter size hail. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Bethune | - | Public reported 1 inch hail. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported large limbs down in Bethune on Johnson road. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Lynches River Electric reported a few power outages with trees on powerlines around Beaver Dam Creek. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Highway Dept. reported a couple of trees, many large branches, and some powerlines down with power failures. |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported large branches and small trees down on hwy 341. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported several trees and powerlines down in Bethune causing a total power outage. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported some trees down in Bethune. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported golf ball size hail in Bethune. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Bethune | - | Newspaper reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| July 2002 | Hail | Bethune | - | Sheriff reported nickel size hail in the Bethune area. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | Post Office reported a few trees down. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Bethune | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Bethune | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Village | 0.9 miles | 14 | |
| Baxley | 1.1 miles | 14 | |
| Blue Spring (historical) | 1.1 miles | 14 | |
| Tillersville | 4.2 miles | 14 | |
| Cassatt | 5.8 miles | 14 | |
| Minton Mill | 7.1 miles | 13 | |
| Jordan Mill | 8.4 miles | 19 | |
| Lockhart Oil Field | 9.9 miles | 19 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Bethune | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2059796 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1246845. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







