Lancaster County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 507 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #849 nationally and #22 in South Carolina.
507
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$31.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Lancaster County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lancaster County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 7.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 194 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 476 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lancaster County, South Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $28.1M 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 Lancaster County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 282 | 1 | $1.5M | 91 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 134 | 0 | $537K | 2.75 | 1973–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 62 | 0 | $673K | 0 | 2003–2025 |
| Tornado | 13 | 0 | $28.1M | F4 | 1957–2020 |
| Flood | 7 | 1 | $500 | 0 | 2015–2020 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2003–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $100 | 0 | 2017–2017 |
Decade by decade
Lancaster 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
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-04-08 | EF4 | 4 | 70 | 121.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-03-28 | EF4 | 0 | 36 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 19.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-09-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-09-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-03-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lancaster County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | CROCKETTS XRDS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2015 | Flood | LANCASTER | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 6, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 7 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25.0M | |
| Jan 7, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $120K | |
| Jul 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | HEATH SPGS | 0 | 1 | $16K |
| Jun 16, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | LANCASTER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Broadcast media reported, and was later confirmed by county officials, that strong thunderstorm winds toppled a tree and power pole which fell onto a vehicle traveling on Small St near Springdale Rd, in the town of Springdale, and killed a 57-year-old male.
EM reported one fatality when a pickup truck tried to drive through a flooded area and the went onto the shoulder that was washed out. The truck went into the stream and when the driver tried to get out he was carried away. The incident occurred around 630am.
Severe thunderstorms moved across Kershaw, Lancaster, and Chesterfield Counties causing several areas of localized wind damage. Trees were uprooted, large tree limbs broken, and roofs damaged. More than 6,500 residents were left without power. The Westville and Boonetown areas in Kershaw County were hard hit with 16 homes destroyed or heavily damaed, three cars heavily damaged, and many mobile homes blown off their foundations. There were three or more minor injuries. Trees were downed across Mt. Zion Road, Park Road, Knights Hill Road, and Proctor Road. Plate glass windows were blown out in city of Kershaw. Approximately 6,500 homes were left without power in Kershaw County with an estimated damage of $1.5 million. In Chesterfield County trees were blown on houses* in McBee, Chesterfield, and Cheraw. Highways SC 145 and SC 102 were blocked by fallen trees; an established auto repair shop at intersection of SC 109 and SC 145, was destroyed. Damage in Chesterfield County estimated at $100,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
104,475
Population (ACS)
$330K
Median home value
24
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
- Lancaster 130
- Van Wyck 104
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lancaster County, South Carolina?
507 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $31.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lancaster County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 282 recorded events — 55.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lancaster County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lancaster County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lancaster County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lancaster County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lancaster County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 79 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lancaster 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
- Kershaw County 501
- Laurens County 543
- Jasper County 483
- Lee County 236
- Horry County 1,020
- Lexington County 1,273
Cite this page
“Lancaster County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/lancaster-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.