Greenville, SC – Thirty years ago today, a powerful supercell thunderstorm carved a path across northern Upstate South Carolina and the Charlotte metro area, spinning up four weak tornadoes and leaving behind a narrow swath of damage.
According to the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg, two tornadoes touched down in South Carolina: one briefly near Six Mile in Pickens County and another that tracked nine miles from Gaffney to Blacksburg in Cherokee County. Two more weak twisters formed in York and Chester Counties, with reports near Clover and just northwest of Chester.
Though rated weak, the tornadoes downed trees and caused minor structural damage. For many residents, it marked an unusually active start to May and remains one of the more notable spring events in the region’s severe weather history.
No fatalities or major injuries were reported, but emergency officials at the time urged better awareness of springtime severe weather threats, especially in areas not typically associated with tornado activity.
This May marks the 30th anniversary of the outbreak. Today, local meteorologists encourage residents to stay prepared with NOAA weather radios and review tornado safety plans as severe weather season peaks across the Carolinas.
