Saluda County, South Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 45081 · population 18,852 · 453 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 355 records for Saluda County, South Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 235 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (216 records). The deadliest single record is the September 27, 2024 tropical storm, filed for the forecast zone Saluda, which covers the county: 3 deaths and $34.9 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1977, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 23, 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
- 355on 235 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 622 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $57Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Saluda County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 216 since 1974. 44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 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 | 216 | 150 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $945K | 23 of 46 |
| Hail | 76 | 53 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 2 | $7.3M | 32 of 46 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 21 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 18 of 46 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 14 | 1955-2026 | 3 | 20 | $13M | 31 of 46 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 9 | 2008-2024 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 19 of 46 |
| Floods | 7 | 6 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 0 | $46K | 40 of 46 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2018-2024 | 3 | 0 | $35M | 27 of 46 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 2 | 2004-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 46 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 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 Saluda County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Saluda County from 1955 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 3 deaths and 20 injuries recorded in the county. 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Saluda County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-03-13 21:00, as SPC files it | Batesburg-Leesville | F2 | 9.9 mi | 2 |
| 1992-11-22 17:00, as SPC files it | PeakCrossed GA, SC | F3 | 67 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in South Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Saluda County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | Ridge Spg, Saluda County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-27 | Perrys Xrds, Saluda County | EF0 1.34 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-27 | Merchant, Saluda County | EF1 1.62 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-08-17 | Mt Willing, Saluda County | EF0 0.11 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-24 | Mayson, Saluda County | EF1 2.88 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-24 | Perrys Xrds, Saluda County | EF0 1.92 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-05 | Ward, Saluda County | EF2 6.13 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-03-15 | Ward, Saluda County | EF2 8.49 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-27 | Saluda County | F0 2 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-16 | Saluda County | F1 6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Ward, Saluda County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-24 | Saluda County | F0 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-02 | Saluda County | F0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-05-07 | Ward, Saluda County | F1 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1992-11-22 | Saluda County | F2 29 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1992-11-22 | Saluda County | F3 21 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 9 | $2.5M step |
| 1955-03-13 | Saluda County | F2 9.9 mi x 133 yd | 2 | 10 | $250K 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 Saluda County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 11, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($200,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Saluda County emergency manager reported a couple chicken houses were destroyed and tin from the roof of a building near Simmons Rd was lifted.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1278597)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindPerrys Xrds, Saluda County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-26 | FloodSaluda County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | HailMerchant, Saluda County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoRidge Spg, Saluda County | EF0 0.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | Heavy SnowSaluda County · forecast zone Saluda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindMayson, Saluda County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| 2025-08-01 | Thunderstorm WindBleases Xrds, Saluda County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindDennis Xrds, Saluda County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindPerrys Xrds, Saluda County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindMerchant, Saluda County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindSaluda County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter WeatherSaluda County · forecast zone Saluda | 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 StormSaluda County · forecast zone Saluda Widespread damage to trees and power lines. Many roads closed, some for extended periods of time. Large sections of the county without power for an extended period. Falling trees caused damage to structures across the county. At least 269 homes sustained some level of damage including 23 destroyed and 90 with major ... | 3 | 0 | $35M | |
| 1955-03-13 | TornadoSaluda County | F2 9.9 mi x 133 yd | 2 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1992-11-22 | TornadoSaluda County | F3 21 mi x 400 yd | 1 | 9 | $2.5M step |
| 1999-04-24 | HailSaluda County 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 ... | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 2 | $7.1M |
| 2004-09-16 | TornadoSaluda County Storm survey found numerous trees and powerlines down, light to moderate damage to several mobile homes, a 2 story barn destroyed, 2 trees on cars, and light to moderate roof damage to several framed homes. | F1 6 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Tropical StormSaluda County · forecast zone Saluda | 3 | 0 | $35M | |
| 1999-04-24 | HailSaluda County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 2 | $7.1M |
| 2011-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindWard, Saluda County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $276K |
| 2025-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindMayson, Saluda County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| 1998-05-07 | TornadoWard, Saluda County | F1 1.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 2011-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindSaluda County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $52K |
| 2011-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindBatesburg, Saluda County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2010-03-28 | Thunderstorm WindRidge Spg, Saluda County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $16K |
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: November 22, 1992 (tornado, Saluda County, 1 killed); November 22, 1992 (tornado, Saluda 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 Saluda 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 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 60 | 94 | 33 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 34 | 12 | 14 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 10 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 23 · Feb 15 · Mar 25 · Apr 41 · May 59 · Jun 51 · Jul 56 · Aug 25 · Sep 24 · Oct 9 · Nov 11 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Saluda County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Saluda County: 8 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (10) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | EM-3632 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2020-03-13 | 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 |
| 2016-10-06 | 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 |
| 2014-03-12 | DR-4166 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2014-02-12 | EM-3369 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3233 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-13 | DR-1509 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 2000-01-31 | DR-1313 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter 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 Saluda County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 7 flood or flash flood records for Saluda County from 2000 to 2026, on 6 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Saluda County ranks 2321st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 1 | 3 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $29,000 on 11 claims filed in Saluda County; the most in one year was 5 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1992: 1 · 1994: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2017: 2; 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 Saluda County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Saluda County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.2 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 | Relatively Moderate | $147K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $726K | once in about 12 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $437K | once in about 346 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $286K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $210K | 41 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $352K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.9M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Saluda 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 Saluda CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Saluda County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis