Laurens County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 543 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #749 nationally and #20 in South Carolina.
543
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
71
Direct injuries
$34.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Laurens County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Laurens County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 7.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 167 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 57 events fall before 1990 and 486 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Laurens County, South Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $30.8M 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 Laurens County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 338 | 3 | $2.5M | 80 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 143 | 0 | $60K | 2.75 | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 24 | 0 | $30.8M | F3 | 1960–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $169K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $809K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2013 |
Decade by decade
Laurens 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
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-12-13 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 10.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-10-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-01-13 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 43 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-03-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 21.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-10-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-11-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Laurens County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2013 | Heavy Rain | HICKORY TAVERN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | OWINGS | 1 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 43 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 17 | $0 | |
| May 8, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Jul 29, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLINTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
NWS survey found an area of extensive straight line wind damage. The damage began near Gray Court, but winds intensified significantly along West Main St in the city of Laurens, mainly in areas from Todd Ave to Laurens High School. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted. A 29-year-old woman was killed on highway 321 south of the city when a tree fell on her vehicle. Numerous trees fell on homes, causing roof damage. Other trees fell on and destroyed automobiles and outbuildings. For the most part, damage caused directly by the wind was minor. However, a detached garage at the intersection of highway 76 and Stagecoach Rd had its roof blown off, causing two of the walls to collapse. Another small structure was destroyed on LC Drive.
NWS storm survey found a second, stronger tornado touched down in Laurens County, approximately 4 miles north/northeast of where the first tornado lifted, or on the east side of Laurens, near the intersection of Fleming St Ext and Torrington Rd. Significant damage was observed along Irwin Rd, between Hazelnut Ct and Cashew Trl, where several manufactured homes were severely damaged or destroyed. An occupant of one of these homes was injured. The tornado continued north/northeast to near the intersection of I-385 and Highway 49. From there, the tornado traveled roughly along Highway 49. A frame home in this area had its roof completely removed and multiple cinder block and brick walls collapsed. Otherwise, the tornado continued to damage many outbuildings and blew down numerous trees and tree limbs. The tornado moved away from Highway 49 near the intersection of Highway 308 and while the damage path was lost in this rural area, dual pol radar data indicated the tornado likely continued north/northeast, crossing into Spartanburg County less than a mile north of Highway 49.
A small, but intense downburst affected the north side of the Cross Hill community. Damage began near the intersection of highways 72 and 39 and extended to the Puckett Ferry Rd and Liberty Springs Rd area. An unanchored mobile home was flipped and several other mobile homes were damaged. A shed was also flipped onto a carport. Numerous trees were also downed in the area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
68,666
Population (ACS)
$171K
Median home value
23
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
- Laurens 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Laurens County, South Carolina?
543 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $34.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Laurens County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 338 recorded events — 62.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Laurens County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 23 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Laurens County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Laurens County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Laurens County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Laurens County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Laurens 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
- Lancaster County 507
- Lee County 236
- Kershaw County 501
- Lexington County 1,273
- Jasper County 483
- McCormick County 225
Cite this page
“Laurens County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/laurens-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.