Lightning in South Carolina

Events

516

Deaths

22

Injuries

148

Damage

$42 million

• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strikes in South Carolina, June 15 to 18, 20002 deaths · 50 kt wind · 3 eventsA few trees fell in Aiken. One fell on a car with no occupants inside.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 5, 20221 injured · $62,000 · EF3 · 45 eventsA severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through southeast South Carolina during the afternoon into early evening hours of April 5, 2022 as a mid-level shortwave ejected rapidly across the region in advance of a surface cold front.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 4, 20191 death · 12 injured · 1 eventLightning struck some people at the Lawshe Plantation.
• Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, May 5, 20201 death · $125,000 · EF1 · 18 eventsFor the second day in a row, thunderstorms, including severe severe storms developed across the mountains and in the vicinity of a stationary front and moved southeast across portions of upstate South Carolina from late afternoon into the evening.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, June 20 to 22, 20111 death · 1 injured · $135,000 · 60 kt wind · 28 eventsClusters of thunderstorms produced wind damage and hail across the forecast area of central South Carolina. Wind damage was mainly confined to trees and powerlines.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in South Carolina, July 9 to 10, 20131 death · $350,000 · 50 kt wind · 7 eventsSlow moving thunderstorm complexes developed for a second evening over Upstate South Carolina. The storms caused a few areas of flash flooding and knocked down several trees, mainly due to wet ground.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, June 26 to 27, 20151 death · $96,000 · 55 kt wind · 22 eventsA line of thunderstorms moved through the Midlands and produced wind damage and hail. Most of the wind damage was to trees and powerlines. One woman also died from injuries sustained from a lightning strike at Columbia Metropolitan Airport while she deplaned.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, July 30, 20071 death · 1 injured · $13,000 · 50 kt wind · 13 eventsA weak frontal boundary in combination with sea breeze and numerous low level boundaries in a highly unstable environment resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms across the region.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, June 30, 20041 death · 1 injured · 50 kt wind · 5 eventsThunderstorm winds knocked down a tree and a large limb.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 16, 19981 death · 1 injured · 1 eventHusband and wife struck by lightning near 13th hole at Colonial Charters Golf Course. Woman was revived, but the man died.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, June 8, 20041 death · 1 injured · 1 eventLightning struck a tree and branched off to hit a man and a woman. The man was killed and the woman had a slight injury.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 29, 20071 death · 1 injured · 1 eventLightning struck and killed a 17-year old male and injured an adult at a soccer field in Spartanburg.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, January 11, 20081 death · 1 injured · 1 eventScattered thunderstorms moved through the Midlands and produced 1 to 2 inches of rain and some intense lightning.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 20, 1999$10 million · 3.5 in hail · 24 eventsMulticell thunderstorms developed across the Upstate during the afternoon, with a few evolving into long-lived supercells. Damaging straightline winds moved a barn off it's foundation and destroyed some metal buildings near Walhalla.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 5, 20081 death · 55 kt wind · 4 eventsA nearly stationary frontal boundary remained just west of the area producing afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
• Hail and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, June 18, 20051 death · 1 in hail · 3 eventsLightning killed a man while he was working in a field.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, September 1, 20131 death · 50 kt wind · 3 eventsA cluster of thunderstorms knocked over a few trees across Upstate South Carolina.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, September 14, 19971 death · 1 eventDeer hunter struck by lightning while climbing down from tree stand.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 27, 19981 death · 1 eventFemale who was injured on July 27 when lightning hit a nearby tree and "jumped" over to her, died several days four days later.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, September 2, 20011 death · 1 eventA 38 year old man was struck and killed by lightning as he huddled near a beach umbrella that his family was under.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 22, 20021 death · 1 eventLightning struck a tree, which fell on and killed a bicyclist.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 26, 20021 death · 1 eventLightning struck and killed a 61 year old male while he and his wife were out shrimping.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 29, 20061 death · 1 eventLightning struck and killed a 36-year-old man on Golden Pond Dr.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 22, 20061 death · 1 eventLightning struck a tree on Vernon St in Lyman, killing a 40-year-old woman who was tending to her dogs. Four dogs were killed as well.
• Lightning Strike in South Carolina, June 24, 202520 injured · 1 eventA very hot and humid air mass was in place with heat advisories in effect. Isolated showers and storms developing during early afternoon and lightning struck the water and cable of buoys near the beach on Lake Murray.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in South Carolina

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.