514
Recorded events
44
Counties affected
22
Direct deaths
$41.8M
Property damage
South Carolina lightning history: 514 recorded events across 44 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
South Carolina lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 188 reported lightning events across South Carolina. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in South Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Beaufort County | 66 | 3 | $3.7M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Charleston County | 47 | 2 | $1.3M | 1998–2025 |
| #3 | Horry County | 46 | 1 | $8.6M | 1996–2026 |
| #4 | Spartanburg County | 34 | 2 | $1.8M | 1996–2023 |
| #5 | Berkeley County | 26 | 1 | $445K | 2004–2025 |
| #6 | Richland County | 24 | 0 | $4.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Anderson County | 20 | 0 | $5.5M | 1996–2023 |
| #8 | York County | 20 | 2 | $403K | 1996–2012 |
| #9 | Dorchester County | 19 | 0 | $227K | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Georgetown County | 17 | 1 | $624K | 1996–2019 |
| #11 | Florence County | 16 | 1 | $972K | 1996–2017 |
| #12 | Oconee County | 13 | 0 | $751K | 1996–2017 |
| #13 | Greenville County | 13 | 0 | $1.1M | 1996–2023 |
| #14 | Cherokee County | 13 | 0 | $1.2M | 1996–2023 |
| #15 | Lexington County | 12 | 2 | $1.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #16 | Colleton County | 11 | 0 | $163K | 1998–2025 |
| #17 | Aiken County | 11 | 1 | $640K | 1997–2022 |
| #18 | Greenwood County | 10 | 0 | $175K | 1996–2010 |
| #19 | Orangeburg County | 8 | 1 | $650K | 1996–2008 |
| #20 | Union County | 8 | 1 | $135K | 1997–2013 |
| #21 | Laurens County | 7 | 0 | $809K | 1996–2013 |
| #22 | Abbeville County | 7 | 0 | $410K | 1996–2005 |
| #23 | Sumter County | 7 | 0 | $1.7M | 1997–2023 |
| #24 | Marion County | 6 | 0 | $720K | 1999–2011 |
| #25 | Pickens County | 6 | 0 | $61K | 1997–2010 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in South Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2015 | Lexington County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 5, 2020 | Chester County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 21, 2011 | Chesterfield County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2008 | Orangeburg County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 11, 2008 | Aiken County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 17, 2000 | Clarendon County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 22, 2006 | Spartanburg County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 27, 1998 | Beaufort County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 18, 2000 | Clarendon County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 29, 2007 | Spartanburg County | — | 1 | 1 |