Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 6, 1999

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 6, 1999
Start: 1999-05-06T13:05
End: 1999-05-06T15:58
Location: South Carolina

May 6, 1999 · NWS CAE · 24 events in 15 counties and zones

The May 6th event caused widespread damage. 5 million in damage occurred across the state, most of it in the midlands.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 19
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 24

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 CAE wrote it up.

The May 6th event caused widespread damage. According to the SC Insurance industry, 6.5 million in damage occurred across the state, most of it in the midlands.

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edgefield

When: May 6, 1:05 PM EST to 1:10 PM EST
Where: Edgefield County, 5 mi W of Edgefield
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.780, -82.000

EOC reported trees and powerlines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCormick

When: May 6, 1:10 PM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where: McCormick County, Plum Branch to Parksville
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.850, -82.270

Sheriff reported trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCormick

When: May 6, 1:20 PM EST
Where: McCormick County, Modoc to Clarks Hill
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.730, -82.200

Sheriff and damage survey found trees down across lower McCormick county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edgefield

When: May 6, 1:24 PM EST
Where: Edgefield County, Edgefield to Trenton
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 33.780, -81.920

Spotter reported trees down hwy 25 between Edgefield and Trenton. Roof blow off mobile home.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edgefield

When: May 6, 1:28 PM EST
Where: Edgefield County, 3 mi S of Trenton
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.680, -81.830

EOC reported trees down.

Hail, Saluda

When: May 6, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Saluda County, 7 mi W of Saluda
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.000, -81.880

Sheriff reported quarter size hail on hwy 178 west of Saluda.

Hail, Lancaster

When: May 6, 1:35 PM EST
Where: Lancaster County, Heath Spgs
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.600, -80.670

Police reported nickel size hail.

Hail, Lee

When: May 6, 1:35 PM EST
Where: Lee County, Bishopville
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.220, -80.250

Sheriff reported quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Aiken

When: May 6, 1:55 PM EST
Where: Aiken County, New Holland to New Ellenton
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.680, -81.500

Sheriff reported trees down and damage to homes and mobile homes in New Holland and at hwys 694/695.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lexington

When: May 6, 2:10 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
Where: Lexington County, Batesburg to West Columbia
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.900, -81.550

Sheriff reported trees down throughout county and damage to homes and buildings, including Airport High School where several students and faculty were injurred by flying debris.

Thunderstorm Wind, Newberry

When: May 6, 2:17 PM EST
Where: Newberry County, Prosperity
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.200, -81.530

Sheriff reported trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lexington

When: May 6, 2:26 PM EST
Where: Lexington County, Columbia Arpt
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.930, -81.120

Official obs had G52kt. Trees down at airport.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: May 6, 2:35 PM EST to 2:55 PM EST
Where: Richland County, Columbia to Forest Acres
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.000, -81.020

Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down throughout the county. Several homes and business were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When: May 6, 2:40 PM EST
Where: Calhoun County, St Matthews to 10 mi WNW of St Matthews
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.720, -80.950

Sheriff reported trees down at Sandy Run.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kershaw

When: May 6, 2:40 PM EST to 2:50 PM EST
Where: Kershaw County, Lugoff to 1 mi SE of Lugoff
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Injuries: 12 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.200, -80.680

Sheriff and damage survey found extensive damage from an intense microburst. Two metal frame buisnessess were flattened. Three brick buildings had walls blown out. Several homes and mobile homes had moderate damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Orangeburg

When: May 6, 2:45 PM EST
Where: Orangeburg County, North to Neeses
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.620, -81.100

EOC reported trees down in North and Neeses.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chesterfield

When: May 6, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Chesterfield County, Chesterfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.730, -80.080

Police reported trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sumter

When: May 6, 3:05 PM EST to 3:25 PM EST
Where: Sumter County, Countywide
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.880, -80.280

Sheriff reported trees down countywide.

Hail, Lee

When: May 6, 3:15 PM EST
Where: Lee County, Bishopville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.220, -80.250

Sheriff reported nickel size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When: May 6, 3:15 PM EST
Where: Lee County, Bishopville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 34.220, -80.250

NWS employee and sheriff reported trees down in and around the Bishopville area. One persone was injured when a tree fell on their car.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kershaw

When: May 6, 3:30 PM EST to 3:50 PM EST
Where: Kershaw County, Camden
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 34.250, -80.600

NWS employee found trees down along I-20 in the Camden area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clarendon

When: May 6, 3:35 PM EST
Where: Clarendon County, Paxville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.730, -80.350

Sheriff reported trees down in Paxville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chesterfield

When: May 6, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Chesterfield County, Mc Bee
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.470, -80.250

Sheriff reported trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chesterfield

When: May 6, 3:58 PM EST
Where: Chesterfield County, Patrick
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.570, -80.050

Sheriff reported trees down.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, May 1999

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5691367, 5691368, 5691371, 5691369, 5691370, 5691372, 5691373, 5691374, 5691375, 5691377, 5691376, 5691378, 5691455, 5691453, 5691457, 5691454, 5691456, 5691458, 5691459, 5691460, 5691461, 5691462, 5691463, 5691464.