Thunderstorms initiated ahead of a slow moving cold front. Thunderstorms with large hail repeatedly tracked across mainly Horry County, South Carolina during the late afternoon and into the evening hours.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.
Thunderstorms initiated ahead of a slow moving cold front. Thunderstorms with large hail repeatedly tracked across mainly Horry County, South Carolina during the late afternoon and into the evening hours. The Myrtle Beach area was especially hard hit and many of the golf ball sized hail reports were from the Grand Strand.
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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 12:33 PM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 111 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 AMZ250-252-254-256-241715- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 111 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-241715- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-COASTAL PENDER- INLAND NEW HANOVER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-INLAND BRUNSWICK- COASTAL BRUNSWICK-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY-COASTAL HORRY-INLAND GEORGETOWN- COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 111 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RJD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 411 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 SCZ032-033-053-232115- FLORENCE-INLAND HORRY-MARION- 411 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE OUT OF FLORENCE INTO MARION AND HORRY COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 409 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF GRESHAM...OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARION... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE CONWAY...ADRIAN...BRITTON NECK... GALIVANTS FERRY...GRESHAM...HICKORY GROVE...HOMEWOOD...HORRY...PEE DEE CROSSROADS...RAINS AND AYNOR. HAZARDS INCLUDE... PEA SIZE HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. && LAT...LON 3394 7892 3372 7912 3403 7962 3419 7951 TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 307DEG 26KT 3405 7947 ZOUZIAS
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:50 UTC.
27 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail to the size of golf balls was reported on Dog Bluff Road.
Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported at Seaside Mulch on Dog Bluff Road. The hail lasted for 5 minutes and covered the ground.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Dog Bluff Road. The hail reportedly lasted for 8 minutes.
Nickel size hail was reported. The hail covered the ground.
Quarter size hail was reported. The hail reportedly lasted for 10 minutes.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Racepath Avenue.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Red Bluff Road.
Three-quarter inch hail was measured at WMBF Studios.
Three-quarter inch hail was measured by a spotter.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Dog Bluff Road.
Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported at the North Myrtle Beach Airport.
The public measured 1.75 inch hail at Broadway at the Beach.
Quarter size hail was reported at Barefoot Landing.
One inch hail was measured by the media in the Briarcliffe Acres neighborhood.
Hail to the size of golf balls was reported at Broadway at the Beach.
Hail to the size of golf balls was reported on 33rd Avenue N.
Nickel size hail was reported.
Half dollar size hail was reported at the Best Western Oceanfront Inn and Suites.
The public measured 1 inch hail on 64th Avenue N.
The public measured 1.75 inch hail in the Carolina Forest neighborhood.
The public measured 1 inch hail along Grissom Parkway near the intersection with Business Highway 17.
The public measured 1 inch hail along Highway 17 Bypass between 38th Avenue and 48th Avenue.
Quarter size hail was reported at WMBF Studios.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Eddie Woods Road.
Quarter size hail was reported by the amateur radio network. The report was relayed by NWS CHS.
A large oak tree was reported down along Highway 527. The time was estimated based on radar data.
Trees were reported down. The public estimated winds to 60 mph.
Golf ball size hail was reported.
Golf ball size hail was reported in the North Santee community.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2014
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: 523362, 523363, 523365, 523364, 523395, 523366, 523367, 523368, 523369, 523370, 523371, 523373, 523374, 523375, 523376, 523377, 523378, 523381, 523382, 523383, 523384, 523385, 523386, 523387, 523389, 523396, 523391, 523392, 523394.