338
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Laurens County, South Carolina: 338 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 80. That places the county #336 nationally and #19 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Laurens County, South Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Laurens County is the 2000s, when 105 of the county's 338 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 Laurens County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 62.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #336 for this hazard and #19 within South Carolina, putting it in the 89.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Laurens County with 92 recorded events, while Oct 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2009 | OWINGS | 80 | 1 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Mar 28, 1984 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1984 | 0 | 0 | 17 | $0 | |
| Jul 29, 2006 | CLINTON | 60 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2001 | LAURENS | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | JOANNA | 50 | $0 |
| Nov 8, 2025 | MT OLIVE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | LYDIA MILLS | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | JOANNA | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | MADDENS | 50 | $0 |
| May 3, 2025 | WATERLOO | 50 | $5K |
| Mar 31, 2025 | GRAY COURT | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2025 | MADDENS | 50 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | PRINCETON | 50 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | WATERLOO | 50 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Laurens County
- Hail 143
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.
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.
Spotter reported trees and power lines down throughout the city of Laurens, from around Stagecoach Rd, through the city and east to the around the Laurens County hospital. One tree fell and significantly damaged a home on Stuart St in Laurens.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Laurens County, South Carolina?
338 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Laurens County between 1958 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Laurens County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Laurens County measured 80.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Laurens 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 Laurens County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/laurens-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.