Greenville County, South Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 45045 · population 525,347 · 786 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,561 records for Greenville County, South Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 849 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (579 records). The deadliest single record is the September 27, 2024 tropical storm, filed for the forecast zone Central Greenville, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $14.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1977, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on April 7, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,561on 849 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1551 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $184Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Greenville County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 579 since 1955. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among South Carolina's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 579 | 422 | 1955-2026 | 3 | 16 | $6.4M | 3 of 46 |
| Hail | 429 | 223 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 2 | $1.2M | 1 of 46 |
| Winter storms | 185 | 108 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $23M | 4 of 46 |
| Floods | 124 | 89 | 1996-2024 | 2 | 0 | $15M | 3 of 46 |
| Drought | 79 | 39 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 46 |
| High wind and dust storms | 48 | 34 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 8 | $985K | 5 of 46 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 33 | 1952-2024 | 0 | 24 | $52M | 13 of 46 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 0 | $70M | 4 of 46 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 14 | 1999-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 46 |
| Lightning | 13 | 12 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 1 | $1.5M | 17 of 46 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 10 | 8 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 46 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 4 | 0 | $14M | 44 of 46 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 1999-2012 | 2 | 0 | – | 21 of 46 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 46 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Greenville County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Greenville County from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 24 injuries recorded in the county. That is 13th of 46 South Carolina counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 39 tornadoes whose track touched Greenville County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Greenville County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-05-10 14:00, as SPC files it | Five Forks | F3 | 22.7 mi | 2 |
| 1973-05-27 17:20, as SPC files it | GreenvilleCrossed NC, SC | F3 | 60.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Greenville County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-25 | River Falls, Greenville County | EF0 0.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2021-08-17 | Mauldin, Greenville County | EF1 2.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2020-04-25 | Park Place, Greenville County | EF2 5.47 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.7M |
| 2020-04-13 | Jordon, Greenville County | EF0 0.68 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2020-04-13 | Blythe Shoals, Greenville County | EF2 2.67 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2019-04-14 | Fellowship Xrds, Greenville County | EF1 6.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $173K |
| 2019-04-14 | Lakemont, Greenville County | EF1 1.63 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-10-08 | Gowensville, Greenville County | EF1 1.38 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-04-03 | Croswell, Greenville County | EF0 1.48 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2016-11-30 | Woodville, Greenville County | EF1 14.71 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $615K |
| 2014-10-14 | Gowensville, Greenville County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2013-06-10 | Golden Grove, Greenville County | EF0 1.34 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2011-02-28 | Lima, Greenville County | EF0 1.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-10-26 | Cleveland, Greenville County | EF0 4.73 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-08-26 | Wares Xrds, Greenville County | EF1 6.09 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2002-11-11 | Simpsonville, Greenville County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $410K |
| 2002-11-11 | Piedmont, Greenville County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 1996-09-16 | Piedmont, Greenville County | F0 2 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1995-10-05 | Simpsonville, Greenville County | F0 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $145K |
| 1995-03-08 | Greenville County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1994-03-28 | Tigerville, Greenville County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1994-03-27 | Gowensville To Arroww, Greenville County | F1 18 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1990-02-10 | Greenville County | F0 3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-04-04 | Greenville County | F2 3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-04-13 | Greenville County | F2 10.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-03-23 | Greenville County | F2 0.1 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-03-24 | Greenville County | F1 7.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-28 | Greenville County | F1 0.5 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Greenville County | F3 16 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 17 | $2.5M step |
| 1969-08-15 | Greenville County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1969-08-15 | Greenville County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1967-07-12 | Greenville County | F0 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-02 | Greenville County | F2 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-12-24 | Greenville County | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-06-21 | Greenville County | F1 0.6 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-06 | Greenville County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1952-05-10 | Greenville County | F3 6.6 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Greenville County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 17, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindWoodside, Greenville County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindJordon, Greenville County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Southern Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Greenville Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Central Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Southern Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Greenville Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGreenville County · forecast zone Central Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindTravelers Rest, Greenville County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillGreenville County · forecast zone Southern Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillGreenville County · forecast zone Central Greenville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillGreenville County · forecast zone Greenville Mountains | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Tropical StormGreenville County · forecast zone Central Greenville Thousands of trees were blown down, with dozens of trees down on homes, vehicles, and power lines. Frequent gusts up to 70 mph occurred, with occasional gusts of 80 mph. Four fatalities were attributed to falling trees. | 4 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2014-08-09 | Flash FloodBrandon, Greenville County Three to six inches of rain falling in a couple of hours caused an extreme urban flash flood and stream flooding event in the Greenville metro area. The flooding initially began on the east side of the city in the Haywood Rd/downtown airport area, where several cars were stalled in deep, rushing water due to an ... | 2 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1996-12-25 | Cold/Wind ChillGreenville County · forecast zone Greater Greenville Cold weather was partly to blame for two fatalities (direct). An elderly man wandered away from home during the night and was found in a creek the next morning. An elderly woman turned the heat down to 50 degrees and died from hypothermia. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-01-12 | Cold/Wind ChillGreenville County · forecast zone Greater Greenville Two young boys fell through the ice which developed on a pond following the persistant cold weather. Both died of hypothermia after they were rescued. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindGreer, Greenville County | 1 | 3 | $188K | |
| 2006-08-20 | Thunderstorm WindGreenville County A large oak tree was blown down at Roper Mountain Rd and Blacks Dr. The tree fell on a moving vehicle, killing the 39-year-old man who was driving. Another tree was blown down on I-385. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-10 | HeatGreenville County · forecast zone Southern Greenville A week of temperatures in the middle and upper 90s culminated with high temperatures on the 10th around 100 degrees. Heat contributed to the death of a man in an uncooled home. His body temperature was still 108 degrees two hours after his time of death. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-07-31 | HeatGreenville County · forecast zone Southern Greenville Beginning on the 23rd of July, high temperatures eacy day reached between 95 and 105 degrees. These hot temperatures combined with high humidity contributed to the deaths of a few people during this period. A couple were found inside unairconditioned homes where the air temperature had reach 108 degrees. Others ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-12-04 | Ice StormGreenville County · forecast zone Greater Greenville | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeGreenville County · forecast zone Greater Greenville | 0 | 0 | $8.5M | |
| 2020-04-25 | TornadoPark Place, Greenville County | EF2 5.47 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.7M |
| 2004-07-29 | Flash FloodGreenville County | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2014-08-09 | Flash FloodBrandon, Greenville County | 2 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2020-02-06 | FloodGreer, Greenville County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1994-07-19 | HailTigerville, Greenville County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1994-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindTigerville, Greenville County | 0 | 0 | $995K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 27, 1973 (tornado, Greenville County); March 23, 1979 (tornado, Greenville County); April 13, 1980 (tornado, Greenville County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Greenville County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 6 | 24 | 57 | 115 | 127 | 170 | 76 |
| Hail | 1 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 83 | 125 | 157 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 44 | 70 | 52 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 22 | 56 | 32 | 14 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 12 | 56 | 5 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 28 | 8 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 125 · Feb 96 · Mar 124 · Apr 118 · May 213 · Jun 275 · Jul 258 · Aug 141 · Sep 67 · Oct 34 · Nov 39 · Dec 71 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Greenville County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Greenville County: 10 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4908 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3632 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-03-23 | FM-5576 | Fire | Table Rock Fire Complex |
| 2024-09-29 | DR-4829 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3619 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-08-05 | EM-3606 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023-08-31 | EM-3597 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2022-11-21 | DR-4677 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2022-09-29 | EM-3585 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4492 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-17 | DR-4479 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3470 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-01 | EM-3421 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3400 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2017-10-16 | DR-4346 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017-09-07 | EM-3386 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016-11-12 | FM-5162 | Fire | Pinnacle Mountain Fire |
| 2016-10-06 | EM-3378 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2015-10-05 | DR-4241 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-10-03 | EM-3373 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-02-12 | EM-3369 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2006-01-20 | DR-1625 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3233 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-07 | DR-1566 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 2003-01-08 | DR-1451 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 1977-08-04 | EM-3047 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Greenville County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 124 flood or flash flood records for Greenville County from 1996 to 2024, on 89 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Greenville County ranks 360th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 3 | 4 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14.7 million on 857 claims filed in Greenville County; the most in one year was 176 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 5 · 1979: 16 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 14 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 33 · 1985: 12 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 5 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 6 · 1990: 6 · 1991: 4 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 105 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 9 · 1998: 17 · 1999: 16 · 2000: 2 · 2002: 32 · 2003: 26 · 2004: 73 · 2005: 49 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 3 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 53 · 2014: 53 · 2015: 11 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 9 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 53 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 176 · 2025: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Greenville County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Greenville County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $169 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $6.3M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $3.8M | 56 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $20M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $104M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.2M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $9.5M | once in about 394 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Greenville County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in South CarolinaEvery South Carolina tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in South CarolinaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The South Carolina recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Greenville CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Greenville County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis