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Rowesville, South Carolina

17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1920 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the Orangeburg census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29133. The Survey maps it on the Branchville North quadrangle. 253 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 167 feet above sea level.

Rowesville within Orangeburg County

On record in Rowesville

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

Population over time

3 figures

Rowesville fell from 378 to 253 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.

YearPeople Change
2000378
2010304-74 (-20%)
2020253-51 (-17%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

12 surveys from 17 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

237 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 237 fires within 5 miles of Rowesville between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,867 acres in total. 5 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 burning121
Missing data/not specified/undetermined68
Equipment and vehicle use13
Smoking12
Arson/incendiarism10
Natural5
Misuse of fire by a minor5
Railroad operations and maintenance1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Other causes1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
5 September 2020Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
5 September 2016Power generation/transmission/distribution3.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
30 September 2006Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
3 September 1999Missing data/not specified/undetermined24 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
25 September 1996Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
22 September 1996Missing data/not specified/undetermined3.0 acresSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
21 September 1997Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named
19 September 2005Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Carolina Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Orangeburg County

Storms near this place

37 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rowesville in 37 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 19 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 3 tornado, 2 flash flood. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2011Thunderstorm WindRowesville$12,000Pbulic reported a large Oak limb down on a home along Bethel Forest Road. The limb was 8 in diameter. Other smaller limbs were down around the yard as well.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindRowesville$2,000Public reported a couple of trees down on Hwy 21 between Rowesville and Orangeburg.
April 2017Flash FloodRowesville$100Flash flooding reported at intersection of River Dr and Calhoun St near Rowesville. 2 feet of water covered the roadway.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Orangeburg County EM Reported trees down in the town of Rowesville. Time estimated based on radar.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRowesville-SC Department of Public Safety reported a tree down in roadway on Cannon Bridge Road.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Firefighter and trained spotter with Orangeburg County reported a tree down at the intersection of Cannon Bridge Road and Dry Swamp Road.
September 2024Tornado (EF1)Rowesville-A long-track, EF1 tornado touched down east of Canaan, SC on|9/26/24. It produced widespread tree damage along its path|northwestward, producing EF1 damage to trees in multiple spots|west of Cordova, SC. The tornado initially moved north before crossing |Blewer Road and Elder Branch Road, causing EF1 tree damage in the |area. The tornado then turned northwest near Cordova and caused |additional EF1 tree damage along Leraleigh Road. It finally lifted near |Gravel Hill, SC after producing mostly minor tree damage near the town.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Multiple trees down along Farr Rd, including a tree that fell on a home near Banning St. Time estimated by radar.
August 2024Flash FloodRowesville-SCDOT reports that Carver School Road is closed from Cordova Road to Dry Swamp Road due to flooding.
January 2023Thunderstorm WindRowesville-SCHP reported trees in roadway at McMillan Rd and Cannon Bridge Rd. Time estimated.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Trees and power lines down at Cannon Bridge Rd and River Dr. Time estimated.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Trees and power lines down at Cannon Bridge Rd and Carver School Rd. Time estimated.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Orangeburg Co EM reported around 20 trees were knocked down around Rowesville and vicinity. A residence near Bay Rd and Bethel Forest Rd, just NE of town, sustained|damage to some structures on the property. Portions of metal roofing from a large|wooden-framed shed were blown into nearby trees. Several large trees around the|property were uprooted or snapped at the trunk. A carport was also damaged. No|injuries were reported.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindRowesville-SC Highway Patrol reported trees in the roadway at Hudson Road and Banning Street.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindRowesville-SC Highway Patrol reported trees down near the intersection of Hwy. 21 and Fox Paw Court between Rowesville and Branchville.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Tree down on Fox Paw Ct. Time estimated.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindRowesville-SCHP reported trees down at Carver School Rd and Dry Swamp Rd. Time estimated.
April 2020Tornado (EF2)Rowesville-A tornado touched down in Orangeburg Co SC about 4 miles northeast of Rowesville and tracked northeastward across Interstate 26 and Highway 301. EF0 damage occurred from the intersection of Garland and Bethel Forest Road, where the tornado started, to just prior to crossing I-26. The tornado strengthened producing EF-1 damage across agricultural fields and in the Orangeburg Industrial Park. As the tornado crossed I-26 it further strengthened to EF-2 then crossed Highway 301. The tornado rapidly weakened to EF-1 then just north of Highway 301 and further to EF-0 as it moved into the Middle Pen Swamp. Through the remainder of the tornado path it cycled between EF-1 and EF-0 then crossed into Calhoun Co SC where it finally lifted just north of the intersection of Houcks Gin Road and Old State Road. ||The tornado caused numerous hardwood and softwood trees to be snapped along the path and overturned multiple pivot irrigation systems. Damage was done to a tractor dealership with the front windows being shattered and the overhead doors being blown in by the wind. Several of the snapped and uprooted trees were blown onto structures causing roof damage to residential and industrial structures. Damage to grain silos and outbuildings on the north side of Highway 301 was estimated by the owner to be $1 million.
October 2018Tornado (EF0)Rowesville-A second tornado touchdown occurred along the path of the storm, touching down near Hollyhock Rd near Rowesville at about 2228 EST (2328 EDT). The tornado produced non-continuous damage to trees as it moved north through Rowesville, SC. The tornado continued northward and lifted near Methodist Oaks Dr around 2237 EST (2337 EDT).
April 2017HailRowesville-Orangeburg Co EM reported dime size hail in Rowesville.
April 2017Heavy RainRowesville-A rain gage on Calhoun St at Rowesville city limit measured 5.9 inches of rain in approximately 2 hours.
August 2016HailRowesville-Trained spotter reported dime-to-nickel size hail covering the ground, along with 1.5 inches of rain within a 30-minute period.
July 2016HailRowesville-Public reported penny size hail the nearly covered the ground along Cannon Bridge Road.
July 2016HailRowesville-Public reported nickel to quarter size hail that covered the ground just off Cannon Bridge Road. Strong limbs also downed small to medium size limbs.
May 2015HailRowesville-Dispatch reported quarter size hail near River Drive in Rowesville.
March 2012HailRowesville-Public reported quarter size hail on Cattle Creek Road.
March 2012HailRowesville-Public reported quarter size hail just north of Branchville on Middle road. Hail fell for approximately 20 minutes.
May 2012HailRowesville-Public reported quarter size hail east of Rowesville.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Public reported a tree down on Highway 21 between Rowesville and Orangeburg.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Public reported a large oak tree branch down on the roof of a house along Bethel Forest Road. The limb was 8 inches in diameter. Other small limbs were down around the yard.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindRowesville-Sheriff dispatch reported several trees down in the Rowesville community.
June 2008HailRowesville-DOT reported nickel size hail.
May 2002HailRowesville-Shiriff reported quarter size hail.
May 1998HailRowesville-Sheriff reported baseball size hail at Rowesville.
September 1998Thunderstorm WindRowesville-EPD reported trees down.
May 1996HailRowesville-no account filed
October 1996Thunderstorm WindRowesville-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Orangeburg County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Felder4.4 miles18
Sixty Six4.5 miles17
Highland Park4.5 miles18
Canaan6.2 miles18
Cordova6.3 miles18
Lambrick7.0 miles18
Northwood7.1 miles18
Sandy Run7.2 miles18

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 RowesvilleAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2253168The 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 1250479. 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.