South Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010
Deduplicated storm activity for South Carolina, fused from NWS warnings, storm reports, official records, and FEMA declarations.
Latest South Carolina hail and wind storms
- Last reported hail in South Carolina (0.75 in.+, screening): September 6, 2026 — 2.00 in. reported at 5 W Lexington (Lexington County), NWS Local Storm Report.
- 2026 so far in South Carolina: 16 hail days and 36 wind days statewide (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust | City pages hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 19, 2026 | — | 45 mph reported | — |
| September 6, 2026 | 2.00 in. reported | 70 mph reported | Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Greenville +1 more |
| September 5, 2026 | 1.75 in. reported | 66 mph reported | Columbia, Greenville |
| August 24, 2026 | — | 52 mph measured | Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville |
| August 22, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | 64 mph reported | North Charleston, Summerville |
| August 21, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | — | Florence |
| August 16, 2026 | — | 58 mph reported | Florence |
| August 14, 2026 | — | 49 mph measured | — |
| August 13, 2026 | 0.75 in. reported | 45 mph measured | Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant |
| August 11, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | 52 mph measured | Greenville, Spartanburg |
South Carolina storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 2,626 deduplicated storm events (wind, hail, tornado, and flood; NWS warning products included) in South Carolina in the 12 months ending October 21, 2026.
- Storm activity touched 46 of 46 South Carolina counties over that period.
- The most impacted county in South Carolina was Charleston, with 180 events.
- The busiest days by event count in South Carolina were June 18, 2026 and March 12, 2026, with 96 events each.
South Carolina storm activity at a glance (last 12 months)
StormAuditor's consolidated public record currently shows 2,626 storm events impacting 46 of South Carolina's 46 counties in the trailing 12 months: 1,470 wind events, 809 hail events, 62 tornado events, 285 flood events. Every count includes NWS warnings as well as observed reports, so tornado events mean tornado warnings and reports, not confirmed tornadoes.
Events are fused from National Weather Service warnings and Special Weather Statements, observed Local Storm Reports, official NCEI storm records, and FEMA disaster declarations, then consolidated into a single event table under the published methodology.
Wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, so these counts measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year. State totals also count NWS Special Weather Statements (radar-indicated hail or gusts below warning level); city pages leave those out.
Busiest days in South Carolina by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- June 18, 2026 — 96 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, wind)
- March 12, 2026 — 96 events incl. warnings (hail, tornado, wind)
- July 10, 2026 — 90 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, wind)
- September 6, 2026 — 82 events incl. warnings (hail, wind)
- August 21, 2026 — 81 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, wind)
Most impacted counties
Events of every type for each county — wind, hail, tornado and flood, NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements included. City pages count wind and hail events only, so a county number on a city page is never higher than the number here.
- Charleston — 180 events
- Aiken — 104 events
- Richland — 104 events
- Lexington — 93 events
- Greenville — 90 events
- Anderson — 82 events
- Pickens — 80 events
- Laurens — 78 events
Additional activity recorded under other NWS area names (forecast zones, tribal lands, and former census areas): Catawba Indian Nation (1) · Greenville Mountains (1) · Oconee Mountains (1) · Pickens Mountains (1).
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report anywhere in South Carolina showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The "City pages hit" column and each city's last reported hail apply the same rule within 25 miles of the city. The statewide columns count reports inside South Carolina only. City pages count reports within 25 miles of each city, which can reach into a neighboring state; those values name the other state, so a border city's value for a day can be higher than the South Carolina value.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count the South Carolina storm log: NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements (a lower-level NWS alert), storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts, NCEI entries and FEMA disaster declarations, for each county affected, floods included. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for each type (wind, hail, tornado, flood). A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements count once per county per day, and NCEI entries and FEMA declarations once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. The most impacted counties list uses this count. City pages count only wind and hail within 25 miles and leave out floods and Special Weather Statements, so city counts do not add up to the state total, and a city page's county count is a wind-and-hail count that is never higher than the same county's number here.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) in South Carolina from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
South Carolina hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 20, 2025. Storms from October 21, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
The National Centers for Environmental Information logged 1,109 storm days in South Carolina in this period — 13,596 NCEI Storm Events entries in all. Thunderstorm wind outnumbers hail about 3.9 to 1 here: 10,468 wind reports against 2,661 hail reports.
The most storm days came in 2011, with 89; the fewest in a full year was 56, in 2021. Across 2022–2024, South Carolina averaged 64 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 70.
On May 10, 2011, 4.50 in. (softball size) hail was reported in Horry County — the largest in these records for South Carolina. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 14 different years of this record, the latest being 2024. The strongest measured thunderstorm gust was 87 mph on August 15, 2023 in Lexington County. NCEI also lists 467 tornado entries in South Carolina — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in May (28% of all hail reports), while thunderstorm wind reports cluster in June. December through February accounts for 61 storm days.
- Average: 70 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- May and June: 46% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 461 in 2011
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 179 | 630 | 25 | 82 | 2.75 in. | 70 mph |
| 2011 | 461 | 1,050 | 20 | 89 | 4.50 in. | 75 mph |
| 2012 | 400 | 658 | 11 | 87 | 2.75 in. | 62 mph |
| 2013 | 91 | 468 | 10 | 71 | 2.50 in. | 82 mph |
| 2014 | 155 | 358 | 7 | 65 | 3.00 in. | 66 mph |
| 2015 | 115 | 677 | 8 | 68 | 2.00 in. | 78 mph |
| 2016 | 111 | 629 | 5 | 72 | 1.75 in. | 67 mph |
| 2017 | 149 | 488 | 49 | 76 | 3.00 in. | 81 mph |
| 2018 | 80 | 504 | 18 | 61 | 2.00 in. | 70 mph |
| 2019 | 67 | 619 | 26 | 59 | 2.00 in. | 81 mph |
| 2020 | 90 | 470 | 74 | 73 | 3.00 in. | 67 mph |
| 2021 | 156 | 486 | 50 | 56 | 2.00 in. | 68 mph |
| 2022 | 290 | 1,252 | 60 | 57 | 2.75 in. | 67 mph |
| 2023 | 132 | 1,192 | 38 | 68 | 2.25 in. | 87 mph |
| 2024 | 110 | 491 | 57 | 67 | 2.75 in. | 68 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 20 | 75 | 496 | 9 | 58 | 1.75 in. | 74 mph |
Counties with the most NCEI storm reports, 2010–Oct. 2025
| County | All entries | Hail | Thunderstorm wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton County | 909 | 35 | 856 |
| Lexington County | 724 | 130 | 560 |
| Richland County | 692 | 67 | 617 |
| Beaufort County | 559 | 53 | 494 |
| Charleston County | 541 | 126 | 388 |
| Greenville County | 503 | 213 | 275 |
| Horry County | 468 | 203 | 238 |
| Orangeburg County | 465 | 71 | 360 |
| Berkeley County | 458 | 160 | 287 |
| Dorchester County | 447 | 87 | 353 |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/sc.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
South Carolina storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
How big did hail get in South Carolina, 2010–Oct. 2025?
4.50 in., softball size, reported on May 10, 2011 in Horry County, per NCEI. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 14 years of this record in all, most recently 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Which year had the most storm days in South Carolina, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2011, with 89 storm days (461 hail reports, 1,050 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 70 storm days.
How many hail reports does South Carolina see in a typical year?
About 172 hail reports a year (2010–2024 average), with 1-inch or larger hail reported every year. Thunderstorm wind averages 665 reports a year.
What month has the most hail in South Carolina?
May has the most hail reports (755, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by June (482) and April (458).
What is the strongest measured thunderstorm gust in South Carolina, 2010–Oct. 2025?
87 mph, measured on August 15, 2023 in Lexington County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
For roofers, adjusters, and claim attorneys: the professional tools add statewide hail and wind swath maps, the Zone Canvas Tool, and Audit Reports with the evidence and arithmetic — see how roofing contractors and insurance claim attorneys use them.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Download the South Carolina dataset (free)
The full consolidated South Carolina event list for the trailing 12 months — dates, counties, hazard types, severities, measured gusts and hail sizes, with coordinates; source records deduplicated, and each NWS warning product listed per affected county — downloads free and stays current with the live record: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/sc.json. Free to reuse under the data license; the JSON file carries a field dictionary and provenance notes.
Research a specific South Carolina address
Statewide counts tell you where activity concentrated; they do not tell you what happened at one property. For an individual address:
- Run the Free Report Snapshot — an instant YES/NO against StormAuditor's screening thresholds (wind ≥ 45 mph, hail ≥ 0.75 in., deliberately below the official NWS severe criteria).
- Use the Address Lookup for warnings, storm reports, and station observations at the address.
- Buy a full Weather Report for $2.99 covering every qualifying storm date at the address.
Browse day-by-day activity on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher) or compare states on the Storm Data hub.
All values are derived from public NOAA and NWS data under StormAuditor's published methodology (see Limitations). Data last refreshed October 21, 2026.
See where recent storms tracked on the statewide South Carolina hail map and wind map (the Hail and Wind Explorers, included with Pro+ and Organization plans), or check the county impact heatmap (free with an account).
South Carolina cities A–Z: last reported hail
- Charleston hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Columbia hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (2.00 in. reported)
- Florence hail & wind history — last hail August 21, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Greenville hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (1.75 in. reported)
- Mount Pleasant hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Myrtle Beach hail & wind history — no 0.75 in.+ hail reported within 25 miles in 12 months
- North Charleston hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Rock Hill hail & wind history — no 0.75 in.+ hail reported within 25 miles in 12 months
- Spartanburg hail & wind history — last hail August 20, 2026 (1.50 in. reported in North Carolina)
- Summerville hail & wind history — last hail September 6, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
Neighboring states: Georgia storm data · North Carolina storm data
Guides for reading this data
Storm-day records in South Carolina
The newest storm-date pages for South Carolina cities: a report or station gust within 25 miles of the city met NWS severe criteria (hail 1.00 in.+ or wind 58 mph+), with at least two separate observations. Each page lists the reports, station gusts and a free way to check one address:
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "South Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010." Updated October 11, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/sc
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/sc">South Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010 — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.