Saluda County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 316 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 68.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,689 nationally and #38 in South Carolina.
316
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$8.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Saluda County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Saluda County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 4.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 115 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 301 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Saluda County, South Carolina record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $5.3M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Saluda County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 215 | 0 | $742K | 78 | 1974–2025 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $2.1M | 2.75 | 1964–2024 |
| Tornado | 17 | 3 | $5.3M | F3 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $37K | 0 | 2000–2017 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2011 |
Decade by decade
Saluda 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
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-22 | EF3 | 1 | 9 | 67.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-03-13 | EF2 | 2 | 10 | 9.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 32.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-11-07 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-16 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Saluda County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 1955 | Tornado | 2 | 10 | $250K | |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 1 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 24, 1999 | Hail | SALUDA | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| Sep 16, 2004 | Tornado | SALUDA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A supercell storm moved se through Saluda county and produced hail to baseball size along its entire path. Damage was done to homes, buildings, farm equipment, vehicles, and crops. The damage path was about three miles wide. Two people were injured by the hail when they were caught outside in the middle of plowing their fields.
Fruit Hill Road at Henley Road, Fruit Hill Road at Star Court, Larkin Rice Road between Gregory Lane and Old Chappells Ferry Road, and Hare Avenue at N. Bouknight Ferry Road all impassible and closed. Also, residents of 5 mobile homes were evacuated due to flooding at Mohawk Drive and S. Bouknight Ferry Road. A small amount of water entered 2 of the homes but no significant damage occurred.
A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed a very|weak EF0 tornado, with peak winds of 65 mph, north of Holtson|Crossroads in Saluda County, SC.||The tornado very briefly touched down near the intersection of|Double Bridges Road and West Creek Road, where it snapped a couple|of trees. The survey team was not able to confirm any additional|damage in the immediate vicinity due to a lack of access from the|ground. However, it appears that the damage did not extend to homes on|Rabbit Lane to the east.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,131
Population (ACS)
$147K
Median home value
22
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
- Saluda 125
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Saluda County, South Carolina?
316 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $8.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Saluda County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 215 recorded events — 68.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Saluda County?
18 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 Saluda County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Saluda County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Saluda County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Saluda County as very low risk, placing it in the 40 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Saluda 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
- Richland County 1,414
- Spartanburg County 1,079
- Pickens County 576
- Sumter County 640
- Orangeburg County 922
- Union County 351
Cite this page
“Saluda County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/saluda-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.