South Carolina, 2020Flash Flood and Hail in South Carolina, May 24, 2020
May 24, 2020 · NWS CAE · 8 events in 3 counties and zones
A combination of strong daytime heating and a stalled surface front promoted slow moving thunderstorms across central SC, some of which produced hail, wind damage and/or localized heavy rainfall and flooding.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $120
- Crop damage
- $120
- Events
- 8
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.
A combination of strong daytime heating and a stalled surface front promoted slow moving thunderstorms across central SC, some of which produced hail, wind damage and/or localized heavy rainfall and flooding.
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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 6:31 PM EST, 20 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 23, 6:31 PM EST, 20 hours 14 minutes before
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</html>Event by event
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Lancaster
- When
- May 24, 2:45 PM EST to 2:50 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster County, 0.69 mi N of Elgin
- Measured
- 0.5 in hail
- Property damage
- $10
- Crop damage
- $10
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 34.680, -80.720
Elgin FD reported quarter inch to half inch size hail at the fire station.
Thunderstorm Wind, Lancaster
- When
- May 24, 2:50 PM EST to 2:55 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster County, 1.49 mi SSE of Elgin
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 34.650, -80.710
Lancaster Co dispatch reported trees down at Banner Rd and Old Camden Hwy near Elgin. Time estimated.
Hail, Lancaster
- When
- May 24, 2:55 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster County, 0.57 mi W of Elgin
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.670, -80.730
Public provided a report, via social media, of quarter size hail and included a video of the hail, at Cane Mill Rd and Providence Rd. Time estimated.
Thunderstorm Wind, Lancaster
- When
- May 24, 2:55 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster County, 0.89 mi SW of Lancaster
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 34.710, -80.780
Lancaster Co dispatch reported trees down in the town of Lancaster, including 6th St and Springdale Rd. Time estimated.
Thunderstorm Wind, Lancaster
- When
- May 24, 3:10 PM EST to 3:14 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster County, 1.7 mi E of Antioch
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.700, -80.640
A social media report, along with a photo, indicated downed trees in the backyard of a residence. Time estimated.
Thunderstorm Wind, Aiken
- When
- May 24, 4:02 PM EST to 4:05 PM EST
- Where
- Aiken County, 2.15 mi NNW of Couchton
- Measured
- 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 33.600, -81.630
Many trees were snapped or uprooted. Two or three mature hickory trees fell onto a house causing significant damage.
Hail, Richland
- When
- May 24, 5:15 PM EST to 5:18 PM EST
- Where
- Richland County, 0.69 mi S of Capitol View
- Measured
- 0.25 in hail
- Property damage
- $10
- Crop damage
- $10
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 33.970, -80.930
Pea size hail reported in Hazelwood Acres.
Flash Flood, Richland
- When
- May 24, 8:15 PM EST to 8:45 PM EST
- Where
- Richland County, 0.83 mi SW of Ft Jackson to 0.92 mi SSW of Ft Jackson
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $100
- Crop damage
- $100
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.010, -80.938
Several streets on Fort Jackson were reported impassable due to flash flooding, including portions of Marion St, Imboden St, Lee St and Hill St.
- 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.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Rip Current in Louisiana, May 24, 20201 death · 2 injured · 1 event
- Flash Flood in Illinois, May 24, 20201 death · 1 event
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 24 to 25, 2020$554,000 · EF1 · 27 events
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Virginia, May 24 to 25, 2020$1.7 million · 55 kt wind · 20 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Nebraska, May 24 to 25, 2020$2.2 million · EF0 · 3 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Mississippi, May 24 to 27, 2020$255,000 · 1.75 in hail · 34 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 24, 2020$173,000 · 1.75 in hail · 7 events
- Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 24, 2020$200,000 · 61 kt wind · 3 events
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Kentucky, May 24, 2020$75,000 · 52 kt wind · 7 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 24, 20201.75 in hail · 24 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Kansas, May 24 to 25, 2020$200 · 1.25 in hail · 22 events
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 24, 2020$25,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 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: 889388, 889383, 889381, 889384, 889385, 889387, 889389, 883165.