South Carolina, 2020Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, May 20, 2020
May 20, 2020 · NWS CHS · 10 events in 1 county or zone
Under the influence of a large and anomalous upper low a large cluster of thunderstorms developed in the morning hours and impacted portions of southeast South Carolina. One storm developed near a stationary surface front and produced a short-lived tornado, damaging straight-line wind gusts, and large hail.
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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
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.
Under the influence of a large and anomalous upper low a large cluster of thunderstorms developed in the morning hours and impacted portions of southeast South Carolina. One storm developed near a stationary surface front and produced a short-lived tornado, damaging straight-line wind gusts, and large hail.
Event by event
5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:42 AM EST to 10:46 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 2.91 mi E of Yonges Is
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 32.680, -80.170
An off duty NWS employee reported penny sized hail on Wadmalaw Island.
Thunderstorm Wind, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:43 AM EST to 10:44 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 4.91 mi NE of Rockville
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 32.650, -80.140
The public reported a large tree and traffic light down where Betsy Kerrison Highway turns into Bohicket Road.
Tornado, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:47 AM EST to 10:50 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 2.55 mi SSW of Morris Acres to 2.24 mi S of Morris Acres
- Rating
- EF1
- Path length
- 0.77 mi
- Path width
- 300 yd
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 32.716, -80.117
A National Weather Service storm survey team determined that an EF1 tornado occurred on Johns Island in Charleston County. The tornado began just south of Chisolm Road and west of Chaineybriar Lane. It continued eastward across the southern portion of Shadberry Lane, and dissipated over Church Creek just southeast of Overlook Road. Along the path of the tornado, most of the damage was due to numerous snapped and uprooted trees. A few homes did sustain mainly minor roof damage due to falling trees and large tree limbs.
Thunderstorm Wind, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:49 AM EST to 10:53 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 2.76 mi S of Morris Acres
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 32.710, -80.100
A National Weather Service storm survey team determined that straight line thunderstorm winds damaged trees at scattered locations along Maybank Highway between Angel Oak Road and Oak Grove Road.
Hail, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:50 AM EST to 10:54 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 0.9 mi NW of Morris Acres
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 32.760, -80.110
Half dollar sized hail was reported on Johns Island.
Thunderstorm Wind, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:53 AM EST to 10:54 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 4.3 mi ENE of Yonges Is
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 32.700, -80.150
An off duty NWS employee reported a tree down on Bears Bluff Road near Albers Lane.
Thunderstorm Wind, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 10:53 AM EST to 10:54 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 2.15 mi SSE of Morris Acres
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 32.720, -80.090
An off duty NWS employee reported approximately 10 trees down near the intersection of Maybank Highway and Dominic Drive.
Hail, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 11:07 AM EST to 11:11 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 1.58 mi WNW of Dupont
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 32.810, -80.075
An off duty NWS employee reported hail up to the size of nickels on Bermuda Stone Road in the Carolina Bay subdivision.
Hail, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 11:16 AM EST to 11:20 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 1.81 mi NW of Dupont
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 32.820, -80.070
Quarter sized hail was reported in the Shadowmoss subdivision.
Hail, Charleston
- When
- May 20, 12:26 PM EST to 12:30 PM EST
- Where
- Charleston County, 1.16 mi W of Scanlonville
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 32.800, -79.900
Local broadcast media reported nickel sized hail in Mount Pleasant.
- 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.
- Hail in Texas, May 20, 2020$100 million · 3 in hail · 9 events
- Strong Wind in Minnesota, May 20, 20201 death · 1 event
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, May 20, 2020$737,000 · EF0 · 49 events
- Flash Flooding and Flood in South Carolina, May 20 to 21, 2020$211,000 · 3 events
- Flooding in Ohio, May 20 to 23, 2020$34,000 · 8 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, May 20 to 22, 2020$35,000 · 7 events
- Damaging Winds in Florida, May 20 to 24, 2020$25,000 · 65 kt wind · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 20, 20202.5 in hail · 21 events
- Damaging Wind in Colorado, May 20, 2020$15,000 · 70 kt wind · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 20, 2020EF0 · 8 events
- Hail in Wyoming, May 20, 20202 in hail · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Louisiana, May 20, 20201.75 in hail · 7 events
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: 895364, 895368, 895373, 895369, 895365, 895370, 895371, 895372, 895366, 895367.