Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008

Name: Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008
Start: 2008-03-15T07:39
End: 2008-03-15T16:39
Location: South Carolina

March 15, 2008 · NWS GSP · 26 events in 8 counties and zones

Several supercell thunderstorms affected the southern part of Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon and early evening hours. Very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes accompanied the storms.

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: 0
Property damage: $2.8 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

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 GSP wrote it up.

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 15, 2:22 AM EST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 2:22 AM EST, 5 hours 17 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 15, 4:02 AM EST, 3 hours 37 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 15, 6:31 AM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

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Local storm report, Mar 15, 7:11 AM EST, 28 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Mar 15, 7:37 AM EST, 2 minutes before

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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:39 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Greenwood

When: March 15, 7:39 AM EST
Where: Greenwood County, 1 mi SE of Hodges
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 34.270, -82.238

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When: March 15, 2:17 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, Iva to 2 mi N of Iva
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.300, -82.670

Several trees down along highway 81 south of Iva.

Hail, Cherokee

When: March 15, 2:30 PM EST
Where: Cherokee County, Gaffney
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.070, -81.630

Hail, Union

When: March 15, 2:37 PM EST
Where: Union County, Jonesville
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.830, -81.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When: March 15, 2:39 PM EST
Where: Cherokee County, Blacksburg to 2 mi S of Blacksburg
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.120, -81.500

Hail, Abbeville

When: March 15, 2:39 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, 4 mi W of Due West
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.330, -82.450

Tornado, Abbeville

When: March 15, 2:43 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, 6 mi NE of Abbeville
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.241, -82.306

NWS survey found a small damage area consisent with EF0 tornado damage in northeast Abbeville County. Damage was mainly confined to downed trees and power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When: March 15, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Laurens County, Waterloo
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.350, -82.070

Trees blown down in Waterloo and Cross Hill.

Hail, Laurens

When: March 15, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Laurens County, 4 mi SW of Cross Hill
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 34.259, -82.029

Numerous other reports of penny size hail were also received.

Hail, Laurens

When: March 15, 2:56 PM EST
Where: Laurens County, Hickory Tavern
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.520, -82.180

Hail, Laurens

When: March 15, 2:56 PM EST
Where: Laurens County, 7 mi SSW of Hickory Tavern
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.426, -82.227

Reported along highway 252 near Indian Mound Rd.

Hail, Abbeville

When: March 15, 3:02 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, 5 mi NE of Abbeville
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.231, -82.318

Hail, Chester

When: March 15, 3:05 PM EST
Where: Chester County, 1 mi SW of Great Falls
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.560, -80.912

Hail, York

When: March 15, 3:22 PM EST
Where: York County, 2.5 mi ESE of Rock Hill
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.906, -80.989

Reported near the intersection of highway 5 and I-77.

Hail, Abbeville

When: March 15, 3:25 PM EST to 3:29 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, Calhoun Falls
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.100, -82.600

Hail, Greenwood

When: March 15, 3:50 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, Bradley to Kirksey
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $2.8 million
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.050, -82.250

The combination of strong winds and hail up to golfball size damaged 507 structures in the far southern part of the county. Estimated damage in the form of broken windows, damaged roofs and siding was 2.8 million dollars. Most of the damage occurred between highways 221 and 25.

Hail, Greenwood

When: March 15, 3:57 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, Callison
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.020, -82.130

Hailed reportedly covered the ground.

Hail, Anderson

When: March 15, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, Starr
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 34.380, -82.700

Hail, Anderson

When: March 15, 4:12 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, 7 mi NE of Iva
Measured: 4.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.372, -82.583

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When: March 15, 4:12 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, 4 mi SW of Honea Path
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.409, -82.430

Large tree limbs snapped.

Hail, Anderson

When: March 15, 4:12 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, 4 mi SW of Honea Path
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.409, -82.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Abbeville

When: March 15, 4:20 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, 6 mi SW of Due West
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 34.269, -82.454

A tree down in Donalds and another tree down on highway 201 south of Due West.

Hail, Greenwood

When: March 15, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, Cokesbury
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.280, -82.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenwood

When: March 15, 4:35 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, Cokesbury
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.280, -82.220

Trees blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenwood

When: March 15, 4:39 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, 7.5 mi NE of Greenwood
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.257, -82.077

Trees blown down in the Lake Greenwood area.

Hail, Greenwood

When: March 15, 4:39 PM EST
Where: Greenwood County, 7.5 mi NE of Greenwood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.257, -82.077

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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history The tornado archive for South Carolina, 2008 Warnings in South Carolina, March 2008

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 89701, 89706, 89708, 89709, 89710, 89711, 89713, 89714, 89715, 89716, 89717, 89718, 89719, 89722, 89723, 89730, 89725, 89726, 89727, 89739, 90725, 89729, 89740, 89741, 89744, 89745.