South Carolina, 2019

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 18, 2019

August 18, 2019 · NWS GSP · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Isolated thunderstorms developed over Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon into the evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging winds and large 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
5

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.

Isolated thunderstorms developed over Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon into the evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging winds and large 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 Aug 18, 1:44 PM EST, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 18, 1:44 PM EST, 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 18, 3:38 AM EST, 10 hours 37 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 18, 1:55 PM EST, 20 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 18, 1:58 PM EST, 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 18, 2:00 PM EST, 15 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 18, 2:05 PM EST, 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 18, 2:07 PM EST, 8 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 18, 2:09 PM EST, 6 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When
August 18, 2:15 PM EST
Where
Oconee County, 0.69 mi S of Walhalla
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.760, -83.070

County comms reported a few trees blown down on South Tugaloo St.

Hail, Greenville

When
August 18, 3:07 PM EST
Where
Greenville County, 0.69 mi S of Taylors
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.910, -82.300

Multiple reports were received from the public of pea to marble hail, with a couple of reports of quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
August 18, 3:42 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 0.18 mi WNW of Cherokee Spgs to 1.45 mi NW of Cowpens
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
35.051, -81.903

Highway patrol reported trees blown down on Old Furnace Rd, on Bud Arthur Bridge Rd, and at Dewberry Rd and River Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When
August 18, 4:44 PM EST
Where
Cherokee County, 5.84 mi NNE of Kings Creek
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
35.148, -81.390

Media reported trees blown down on Battleground Road near Kings Mountain State Park.

Hail, Cherokee

When
August 18, 4:55 PM EST
Where
Cherokee County, 2.67 mi NNE of Blacksburg
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
35.155, -81.480

Public reported quarter size hail at exit 104 off I-85.

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

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2019

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: 853410, 853415, 853411, 853413, 853417.