Flash Flood and Hail in South Carolina, July 4 to 7, 2003

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in South Carolina, July 4 to 7, 2003
Start: 2003-07-04T13:15
End: 2003-07-07T14:00
Location: South Carolina

July 4 to 7, 2003 · NWS CAE · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

4 hail, 3 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 2
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 2:03 AM EST, 11 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 2:03 AM EST, 11 hours 12 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 4:25 AM EST, 8 hours 50 minutes before

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-041130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
525 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA.

.DAY ONE...
RIVER FLOODING CONTINUES ON THE CONGAREE RIVER AT CAROLINA EASTMAN
AND
THE SALUDA RIVER AT CHAPPELLS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

AWP

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 3 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Aiken

When: July 4, 1:15 PM EST
Where: Aiken County, New Holland
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.683, -81.500

Sheriff reported one and a half inch hail on hwy 39 near New Holland.

Thunderstorm Wind, Edgefield

When: July 4, 2:25 PM EST
Where: Edgefield County, 5 mi W of Edgefield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.783, -82.000

Public called in and reported trees down west of Edgefield.

Hail, Edgefield

When: July 4, 2:30 PM EST
Where: Edgefield County, 5 mi W of Edgefield
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.783, -82.000

Public reported golf ball size hail which damaged several vehicles.

Hail, Lexington

When: July 4, 2:30 PM EST
Where: Lexington County, 5 mi SW of Lexington
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.933, -81.317

Public reported golf ball size hail at Country Cupboard RV and Truck Stop on I-20.

Lightning, Calhoun

When: July 4, 6:45 PM EST
Where: Calhoun County, 6 mi SW of St Matthews
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 33.675, -80.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a State Trooper at I-26 and exit 139 injuring him.

Lightning, Orangeburg

When: July 4, 7:00 PM EST
Where: Orangeburg County, Orangeburg
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.439, -80.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a home in Orangeburg and started a fire which destroyed it.

Flash Flood, Orangeburg

When: July 4, 7:40 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Orangeburg County, Orangeburg
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.439, -80.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flooding occurred in Orangeburg flooding several apartments and leaving several motorists stranded.

Lightning, Orangeburg

When: July 4, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Orangeburg County, 1 mi NE of Santee
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 33.439, -80.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A State Trooper was struck and injured by lightning on I-95.

Hail, Orangeburg

When: July 7, 2:00 PM EST
Where: Orangeburg County, 1 mi SE of Eutawville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.383, -80.333

Public reported nickel size hail.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, July 2003

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: 5361346, 5361411, 5361412, 5361413, 5361414, 5361415, 5361416, 5361417, 5361418.