251
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Cherokee County, South Carolina: 251 recorded events between 1970 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #684 nationally and #30 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Cherokee County, South Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Cherokee County is the 2000s, when 72 of the county's 251 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Cherokee County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 60.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #684 for this hazard and #30 within South Carolina, putting it in the 78.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Cherokee County with 72 recorded events, while Dec is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2022 | GAFFNEY | 50 | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jul 4, 2013 | THICKETTY | 50 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 11, 2011 | BLACKSBURG | 60 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | GAFFNEY CHEROKEE ARP | 65 | $25K |
| Aug 1, 2025 | GAFFNEY CHEROKEE ARP | 40 | $10K |
| Jul 1, 2025 | GAFFNEY CHEROKEE ARP | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | EAST GAFFNEY | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | THICKETTY | 50 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | THICKETTY | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 25, 2024 | BLACKSBURG | 60 | $0 |
| Aug 31, 2024 | BLACKSBURG | 50 | $50K |
| Aug 18, 2024 | GAFFNEY CHEROKEE ARP | 50 | $10K |
| Jul 31, 2024 | GAFFNEY | 55 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cherokee County
- Hail 119
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Multiple sources reported multiple trees blown down from the north side of Gaffney northeast along Highway 18. One tree fell on a house and another fell on a mobile home on E Jefferies St in Gaffney. A 78-year-old occupant of the mobile home was killed while sitting on the porch.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across northern and eastern sections of Gaffney. Three trees fell on and damaged 3 homes. Other trees fell on automobiles. About 10 outbuildings were detroyed in the parking lot of a retail store. Penny size hail was also reported.
County comms and emergency manager reported a wide swath of wind damage across western Cherokee County, from Cowpens National Battlefield, across the Macedonia and Thicketty communities. The most significant damage was in Macedonia, where numerous trees were blown down and minor structural damage occurred to several homes and a church.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Cherokee County, South Carolina?
251 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Cherokee County between 1970 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Cherokee County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Cherokee County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Cherokee County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Cherokee County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/cherokee-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.