South Carolina, 1998

Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, June 4, 1998

June 4, 1998 · NWS GSP · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening developed across the Upstate. A few became severe and one even produced a tornado.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening developed across the Upstate. A few became severe and one even produced a tornado. Quarter size hail occurred north of Anderson. Trees and power lines were downed in Westminster and north of Keowee. Trees and power lines were downed countywide in Abbeville and Greenwood counties. Trees fell across a car and a trailer, and a barn was blown apart along Hwy 28 in Abbeville county. Police officers observed twin tornadoes touch down briefly in a field northwest of Chester, but produce no damage.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When
June 4, 3:15 PM EST
Where
Oconee County, Westminster
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.670, -83.100

Hail, Anderson

When
June 4, 3:57 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 6 mi N of Anderson
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
34.580, -82.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Abbeville

When
June 4, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Abbeville County, Antreville to Abbeville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
34.300, -82.550

Tornado, Chester

When
June 4, 5:30 PM EST
Where
Chester County, 5 mi NW of Chester
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.750, -81.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenwood

When
June 4, 5:30 PM EST
Where
Greenwood County, Countywide
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.150, -82.080

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for South Carolina, 1998Warnings in South Carolina, June 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5652007, 5652008, 5652009, 5652010, 5652011.