Union County, South Carolina severe weather history spans 351 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,486 nationally and #32 in South Carolina.
351
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$9.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Union County, South Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Union County, South Carolina severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 114 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 321 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Union County, South Carolina record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.1M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Union County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 214 | 0 | $362K | 75 | 1961–2025 |
| Hail | 96 | 0 | $550K | 3 | 1963–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $8.1M | F3 | 1957–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 1998–2013 |
| Lightning | 8 | 1 | $135K | 0 | 1997–2013 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2015–2015 |
Decade by decade
Union 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
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 22 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-08-16 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-08-16 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-04-15 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 15.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-04-03 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-08-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Union County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2017 | Tornado | ADA | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Sep 1, 2013 | Lightning | UNION | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1993 | Tornado | Southside to | 0 | 2 | $5.0M |
| Apr 8, 1957 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jun 22, 2011 | Lightning | JOHNS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | UNION | 0 | 1 | $14K |
| Aug 16, 1994 | Tornado | Lockhart to | 0 | 1 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
NWS Storm survey found the path of an EF1 tornado that began around healing springs Church Road and Eaves Road, moving northeast between these Two Roads, then lifting near the intersection of Eaves Rd and old highway 176. A mobile home on Eaves Rd was overturned off its frame and flipped multiple times. A 65-year-old male occupant of the home was killed.
Exactly an hour after producing the first severe weather in the upstate, the supercell produced its strongest tornado in South Carolina. A high F1/low F2 tornado struck Union. Property damage resulting from the tornado's winds was estimated about $500,000. More hail damage is likely as the hail accumulated to great depths very quickly and near the tornado track was quite large. Winds were estimated from 60 to 90 mph in downtown sections where plate glass windows were blown out. There was also considerable damage to trees and power lines along with damage from the wind-driven hail. Nearer the tornado track damage was more severe with large trees crushing some homes. Mobile homes were damaged or destroyed, and a couple of houses lost roofs from the wind. The large hail quickly clogged storm drains and an estimated 2 to 3 inches of rain fell causing $50,000 in water damage to equipment in the hospital. Highest winds from south of Union to near Monarch were estimated at 115 mph in a small area. Two people were slighlty injured when a falling tree crushed their car.
An area of weak tornado damage was surveyed near the intersection of Neal Shoals Rd and Fairview Church Circle. Part of the roof was blown off a barn and shingles were removed from a house. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped in the area as well.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
26,885
Population (ACS)
$104K
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 29, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 5, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE DEBBY | EM |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDALIA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Union 106
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Union County, South Carolina?
351 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $9.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Union County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 214 recorded events — 61.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Union County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 22 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Union County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Union County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Union County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 58 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Union 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
- Sumter County 640
- Williamsburg County 273
- Spartanburg County 1,079
- York County 613
- Saluda County 316
- Richland County 1,414
Cite this page
“Union County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/union-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.