Cope, South Carolina
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1919 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the Cope census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29038. The Survey maps it on the Norway East quadrangle. 37 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 194 feet above sea level.
On record in Cope
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Cope Depotlisted 2001
Population over time
3 figuresCope fell from 107 to 37 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 | 107 | |
| 2010 | 77 | -30 (-28%) |
| 2020 | 37 | -40 (-52%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 15 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.
- 1919 USGS Bamberg quadrangle1:48000
- 1920 USGS Bamberg quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1943 USGS Bamberg quadrangle1:62500
- 1954 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS Augusta quadrangle1:250000
- 1979 USGS Norway East quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1982 USGS Barnwell quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
200 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 200 fires within 5 miles of Cope between 1992 and 2020, burning about 713 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 10 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 | 87 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 70 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 15 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 10 |
| Smoking | 7 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 6 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 8 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2014 | Smoking | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 21 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | 8.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 August 2001 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 23 August 2004 | Debris and open burning | 3.1 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 23 August 2002 | Natural | 25 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 August 2014 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
35 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cope in 35 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 25 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 tornado, 1 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1997 | Lightning | Cope | $300,000 | A lightning strike at the Cope Baptist Church caused the educational building to catch fire and burn down. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | $20,000 | Public reported numerous trees and powerlines down in and around Cope. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | $12,000 | Sheriff dispatch reported trees down in western Orangeburg county. |
| March 1996 | Tornado (F0) | Cope | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | $4,000 | Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down at Binncker Bridtg road and Cope road. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | $3,000 | Highway Patrol reported trees down on Hwy 70 at the Edisto River. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | $500 | Highway Patrol reported a tree in the roadway at Snake Swamp road and Hwy 301. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | SC DPS website reported a tree down on Binnicker Bridge Road near the intersection of Good Hope Road. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Orangeburg Dispatch reported a tree down near the intersection of Bamberg Rd and Slab Landing Rd. Time estimated by radar. |
| November 2024 | Flash Flood | Cope | - | Orangeburg County and SC state officials confirmed a breach of Eugene and Michele Miller dam. Binnicker Bridge Road washed out and closed as a result of the dam failure. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Edisto Electric Coop reported several trees down due to strong winds in an area from near the Canaan community, east to Rowesville and vicinity to Bowman and vicinity. Specific locations not given. Time estimated. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | SCHP reported tree in roadway US Hwy 301 at SC 322. Time estimated. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | NWS Damage Assessment Team determined that a downburst produced straight-line wind damage just south of the intersection of Binnicker Bridge Rd and Early Morning Rd, east of Roberts Swamp. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted with a damage path length over 0.6 miles and path width of approximately 500 yards. In addition, panels were lifted off the corner of a metal roof and a small fiberglass boat was tossed over 30 yards before crashing into a wood post. Wind speeds were estimated at 85 to 95 MPH. |
| January 2017 | Tornado (EF1) | Cope | - | The National Weather Service in Columbia has confirmed a tornado|near Cope in Orangeburg County South Carolina on January 21 2017|based on information provided by the Orangeburg County Emergency|Manager. The tornado touched down near Highway 70 near the |Orangeburg-Bamberg County line, then continued northeast across |Cope Road before dissipating near the intersection of Deer Trail |Road and Whisenhunt Road. Most of the damage observed along the |path was rated EF0, but the tornado did briefly strengthen into an|EF1 near the intersection of Highway 70 and Cope Road/Highway 332.|In this vicinity, three mobile homes were heavily damaged and a |metal farm building collapsed. Numerous trees were either snapped |or uprooted. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Dispatch reported trees down on Ember Road. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Public reported large limbs down and wind gusts estimated to be from 50 to 60 mph. They also reported pea size hail. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Public reported several limbs down and two large limbs down in Cope. They also reported dime size hail. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Public reported several limbs down, some large, along Binnicker Bridge Road. They also reported penny size hail. |
| March 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Sheriff dispatch reported a tree down in the Canaan Community. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Cope | - | Public reported nickel size hail near Cope along with windy conditions. |
| May 2011 | Hail | Cope | - | Spotter reported nickel size hail in Cope. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Post Office reported trees down near Cope on secondary roads. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Cope | - | Public reported half dollar size hail. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Highway dept. reported several trees down on hwy 301 between Cope and Orangeburg. |
| September 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Cope | - | An F0 took down some trees along Cannon Bridge road. |
| September 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Post Office reported trees down on powerlines south of Cope. |
| September 2001 | Hail | Cope | - | Post Office reported 3/4 inch hail west southwest of Cope. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | EPD reported trees and powerlines down in the Cope and Cannan area. |
| May 1999 | Hail | Cope | - | Post Office reported nickel size hail. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Edisto Electric reported more trees and powerlines down with second storm. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Edisto Electric reported trees down in Canna Community area. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | Sheriff reported trees down. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cope | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan | 4.9 miles | 18 | |
| Cordova | 6.0 miles | 18 | |
| Bolen Town | 6.7 miles | 15 | |
| Waynor (historical) | 7.0 miles | 14 | |
| Creco (historical) | 7.2 miles | 14 | |
| Gravel Hill | 7.3 miles | 18 | |
| Highland Park | 7.5 miles | 18 | |
| Norway | 8.1 miles | 14 |
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 Cope | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2667528 | 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 1247382. 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.
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.









