Anderson County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 860 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #234 nationally and #10 in South Carolina.
860
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
27
Direct injuries
$21.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Anderson County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Anderson County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 12.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 272 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 112 events fall before 1990 and 748 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Anderson County, South Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $9.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Anderson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 514 | 2 | $4.5M | 75 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 226 | 0 | $300K | 4.25 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 43 | 1 | $2.0M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 38 | 0 | $9.2M | F3 | 1955–2021 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $5.5M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1999–2013 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $503K | 0 | 2001–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Anderson County, South Carolina severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
39 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 36 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-09-16 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 33.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-08-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.4 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Anderson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | POWDERSVILLE | 1 | 0 | $300K |
| Aug 7, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | EVERGREEN HILLS | 1 | 0 | $30K |
| Jul 15, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | STARR | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | STARR | 0 | 7 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 28, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Mar 29, 2010 | Lightning | ANDERSON | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Sep 16, 1996 | Tornado | SANDY SPGS | 0 | 2 | $3.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Stream gauges on the Saluda River in west Greenville and west Pelzer indicated flash flooding developed along the river after 8-15 inches of rain fell across the foothills in three days, with 1.5 to 2.5 inches of that falling in less than three hours on the morning of the 27th. Multiple homes and structures were inundated and damaged on the Anderson County side of the river from Powdersville down to Pelzer, including on Lakeview Dr, Birch River Rd, and on River Rd. A 60-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle was swept away in floodwater.
Ham radio operator and emergency manager reported numerous trees and limbs blown down, along with some power lines down from the Centerville area across the north side of Anderson. A 15-year-old male was killed by a tree falling on an outbuilding on Arnold Drive. Other trees fell on and blocked roads, while trees fell on homes on Oak Hill Dr and on Town Creek Dr.
Department of Natural Resources reported a man and woman were thrown from their boat by a strong thunderstorm wind gust on Lake Hartwell near the Singing Pines recreation area. While the woman was quickly rescued by other boaters, the 54-year-old man was presumed drowned, as his body was never recovered.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
210,478
Population (ACS)
$232K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 29, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | EM |
| Nov 21, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Anderson 189
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Anderson County, South Carolina?
860 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $21.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Anderson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 514 recorded events — 59.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Anderson County?
39 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 36 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Anderson County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Anderson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Anderson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Anderson County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 87 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Anderson County, South Carolina severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Allendale County 256
- Bamberg County 276
- Aiken County 819
- Barnwell County 309
- Abbeville County 274
- Beaufort County 856
Cite this page
“Anderson County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/anderson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.