Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 22, 2013

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 22, 2013
Start: 2013-05-22T14:57
End: 2013-05-22T21:30
Location: South Carolina

May 22, 2013 · NWS GSP · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed over western South Carolina during the afternoon hours. A few of the storms produced damaging winds and a little hail.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

Scattered thunderstorms developed over western South Carolina during the afternoon hours. A few of the storms produced damaging winds and a little hail.

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 May 22, 1:45 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:45 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 4:12 AM EST, 10 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
512 AM EDT WED MAY 22 2013

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-230915-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-
IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-
ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-
MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-
PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-
GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-
ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
512 AM EDT WED MAY 22 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS
MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. IN
ADDITION...SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH
COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY DURING THE
PEAK DAYTIME HEATING HOURS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 22, 2:36 PM EST, 21 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 22, 2:40 PM EST, 17 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 22, 2:40 PM EST, 17 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 22, 2:45 PM EST, 12 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 22, 2:46 PM EST, 11 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 22, 2:54 PM EST, 3 minutes before

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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Oconee

When: May 22, 2:57 PM EST
Where: Oconee County, 2.36 mi NNE of Mountain Rest
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.900, -83.130

Hail up to one inch diameter covered the ground on Stakey Mountain Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pickens

When: May 22, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Pickens County, 1.38 mi N of Eastatoe
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 34.970, -82.900

One tree and multiple large limbs were reportedly blown down just east of Lake Jocassee.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pickens

When: May 22, 4:50 PM EST
Where: Pickens County, 3.85 mi NNE of Latham
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.870, -82.520

Highway Patrol reported a tree blown down on Slickum Rd and another tree down on Albatross Rd to the northeast of Easley.

Hail, Oconee

When: May 22, 5:06 PM EST
Where: Oconee County, 1.49 mi SSW of Seneca
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.660, -82.960

Penny size hail was reported just south of Seneca.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When: May 22, 6:23 PM EST to 6:27 PM EST
Where: Spartanburg County, 1.41 mi NNE of Gramling to 1.56 mi SSW of New Prospect
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.100, -82.125

Multiple large trees were blown down in the Lake Bowen area. Highway Patrol also reported several trees down in the Campobello area.

Hail, Pickens

When: May 22, 8:50 PM EST
Where: Pickens County, 0.69 mi S of Pickens Co Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.810, -82.700

Penny size hail was reported about a mile north of Liberty.

Hail, Greenville

When: May 22, 9:00 PM EST
Where: Greenville County, 0.57 mi W of Travelers Rest
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.970, -82.440

Quarter size hail was reported near Travelers Rest.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When: May 22, 9:04 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, 1.79 mi SW of (And)anderson Co Arp
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.480, -82.740

A tree was blown down on Dobbins Bridge Rd, about 5 miles west southwest of Anderson.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When: May 22, 9:04 PM EST
Where: Anderson County, 1.14 mi W of Anderson
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.500, -82.670

A tree was blown down on the west side of Anderson.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When: May 22, 9:30 PM EST
Where: Greenville County, Greenville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.850, -82.400

A tree was blown down on Main Street in Greenville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When: May 22, 9:30 PM EST
Where: Greenville County, 0.88 mi ESE of Donaldson Afb
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.747, -82.355

A tree was blown down on Fork Shoals Road, just north of the intersection of Ashmore Bridge Road.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, May 2013

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: 456726, 456728, 456731, 456734, 456738, 456744, 456750, 456752, 456753, 456754, 456755.