Smoaks, South Carolina
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1919 and the latest in 1990. It stands in the Smoaks census division. It lies in ZIP code area 29481. It stands on Steedley Branch. The Survey maps it on the Williams quadrangle. 98 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 105 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresSmoaks fell from 126 to 98 between 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 126 | |
| 2020 | 98 | -28 (-22%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
13 surveys from 18 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 Lodge quadrangle1:62500
- 1920 USGS Lodge quadrangle1:48000
- 1921 USGS Lodge quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1943 USGS Lodge quadrangle1:62500
- 1943 USGS Orangeburg quadrangle1:125000
- 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
- 1982 USGS Williams quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Saint George quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Saint George quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
447 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 447 fires within 5 miles of Smoaks between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,808 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 100 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 158 |
| Debris and open burning | 147 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 100 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 21 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 8 |
| Natural | 4 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.1 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 September 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 September 2005 | Arson/incendiarism | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 4 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 30 September 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.7 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 September 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.0 acres | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
| 24 September 2019 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | South Carolina Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
45 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Smoaks in 45 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 36 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 1 tornado, 1 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2024 | Flash Flood | Smoaks | $10,000 | Law enforcement reported a portion of roadway washed out near the intersection of Mill Pond Road and Low Country Highway. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $2,500 | Trees were reported down in Smoaks, SC. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $2,000 | The public reported trees down at the intersection of Berea Road and Buckhead Road. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | A Colleton County emergency manager reported a tree down along Community Lane near Gateway Lane. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | A Colleton County emergency manager reported a tree down due to thunderstorm|outflow near 3000 Clatty Farm Road. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down due to thunderstorm outflow near the intersection of Beulah Road and Lodge Highway. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Buckhead Road near Berea Road. Damage was associated with a thunderstorm outflow. |
| September 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | The Department of Highways reported a tree down near the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 217. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $1,000 | A 911 call center reported a tree down at Smyly road off of Mt Carmel Road. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $500 | One tree blown down on Lowcountry Highway at Community Avenue. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $500 | One tree was reported down near the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 21. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $500 | A tree was reported down on Highway 217 in Smoaks. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | $500 | A tree was reported down in front of Smoaks Baptist Church at 4433 Lodge Highway. |
| July 2025 | Lightning | Smoaks | - | Colleton County Fire and Rescue reported that a home at 1462 Johnsville Road was heavily damaged by a fire due to electrical damage caused by a lightning strike. The home suffered significant damage due to the fire, especially on the back side of the structure. The occupant of the home suffered burns to the arms in attempts to extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of Fire and Rescue. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County dispatch reported a tree down on Beavers Pass Road near Sunrise Road. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County dispatch reported a tree down on Clatty Farm Road. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County Emergency Management reported a tree down near the intersection of Beavers Pass Road and Low Country Highway. |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County Emergency Management reported a road blocked due to a tree near the intersection of Lowcountry Highway and Buckhead Road. |
| April 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County Emergency Management reported a tree and power lines down near the intersection of Lowcountry Highway and Phoenix Circle. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Smoaks | - | Penny sized hail was reported by the public near Smoaks. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | A Colleton County emergency manager reported a tree down on Beulah Road near the intersection with Lodge Highway. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The Colleton County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on Strickland Farm Road. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | A tree was reported down on Augusta Highway near Drain Road. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The Colleton County 911 Call Center reported a tree on a power line near the intersection of Sunrise Road and Drain Road. |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County dispatch reported a tree down on Beulah Road. |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Colleton County dispatch reported a tree down on Low Country Highway and Drawdy Road. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Garris Hill Loop. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down at the 1000 Block of Beavers Pass Road. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down in the 5200 block of Augusta Highway. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Lodge Highway. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down near the intersection of Lodge Highway and U.S. Highway 21. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Highway 217 near the intersection with Beavers Pass Road. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | South Carolina Department of Transportation reported a tree down across Mill Pond Road near Mount Carmel Road. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | THe Colleton County 911 Call center reported a tree down near the intersection of Route 21 and Mount Caramel Road. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Smoaks | - | A trained weather spotter reported a few hailstones as large as 3 inches in diameter, although most of the hail that fell was about the size of a quarter. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Smoaks | - | A trained weather spotter reported golf ball size hail and estimated wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph. |
| July 2003 | Tornado (F1) | Smoaks | - | Tornado touched down just south of Smoaks. Several trees were uprooted or snapped off. A mobile home suffered roof damage and the family's dog was killed. At least one car was crushed when a tree landed on it. |
| March 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Several trees and large limbs down. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Roof damage at middle school. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Roof damage reported. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Trees and powerlines down. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Smoaks | - | Trees and power line down |
| April 2006 | Hail | Smoaks | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Smoaks | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Smoaks | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnsville | 3.2 miles | 18 | |
| Padgetts | 4.0 miles | 18 | |
| Williams | 4.1 miles | 18 | |
| Smyly | 4.5 miles | 18 | |
| Colleton | 5.0 miles | 18 | |
| Caldwell | 5.8 miles | 18 | |
| Ruffin | 5.9 miles | 18 | |
| Springtown | 7.3 miles | 18 |
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 Smoaks | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q587494 | 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 1231808. 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.












