16,334
Recorded events
46
Counties affected
27
Direct deaths
$72.4M
Property damage
South Carolina thunderstorm wind history: 16,334 recorded events across 46 counties between 1955 and 2026.
Decade by decade
South Carolina thunderstorm wind history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 6,034 reported thunderstorm wind 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 thunderstorm wind events in South Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Colleton County | 930 | 1 | $1.1M | 1961–2025 |
| #2 | Richland County | 812 | 3 | $3.4M | 1956–2026 |
| #3 | Lexington County | 799 | 2 | $2.2M | 1956–2026 |
| #4 | Charleston County | 619 | 0 | $1.0M | 1955–2026 |
| #5 | Spartanburg County | 582 | 0 | $9.9M | 1955–2026 |
| #6 | Greenville County | 575 | 3 | $4.1M | 1955–2026 |
| #7 | Beaufort County | 575 | 0 | $999K | 1957–2025 |
| #8 | Orangeburg County | 543 | 2 | $1.2M | 1956–2025 |
| #9 | Aiken County | 516 | 0 | $1.9M | 1955–2026 |
| #10 | Anderson County | 514 | 2 | $4.5M | 1956–2026 |
| #11 | Dorchester County | 498 | 0 | $561K | 1955–2025 |
| #12 | Berkeley County | 470 | 0 | $982K | 1965–2025 |
| #13 | Sumter County | 423 | 1 | $1.6M | 1960–2025 |
| #14 | Newberry County | 416 | 0 | $697K | 1956–2026 |
| #15 | Horry County | 401 | 1 | $4.6M | 1956–2026 |
| #16 | Jasper County | 395 | 0 | $353K | 1967–2025 |
| #17 | Florence County | 361 | 0 | $1.6M | 1957–2026 |
| #18 | Darlington County | 347 | 0 | $2.3M | 1956–2025 |
| #19 | Laurens County | 338 | 3 | $2.5M | 1958–2026 |
| #20 | York County | 337 | 2 | $2.9M | 1967–2025 |
| #21 | Oconee County | 328 | 0 | $1.1M | 1959–2025 |
| #22 | Kershaw County | 326 | 1 | $2.2M | 1960–2026 |
| #23 | Pickens County | 318 | 2 | $915K | 1960–2025 |
| #24 | Hampton County | 309 | 0 | $331K | 1956–2025 |
| #25 | Fairfield County | 299 | 0 | $468K | 1957–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest thunderstorm wind events in South Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2019 | Pickens County | — | 2 | 2 |
| May 13, 2002 | York County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 15, 2017 | Anderson County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 20, 2006 | Greenville County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 13, 2020 | Lexington County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | York County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | Anderson County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 21, 1986 | Horry County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 30, 2012 | Orangeburg County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 4, 2013 | Cherokee County | — | 1 | 0 |
All hazards in South Carolina · Thunderstorm Wind across the U.S.