South Carolina, 2020

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 28 to 29, 2020

May 28 to 29, 2020 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across upstate South Carolina during the morning into early afternoon in the vicinity of a surface trough. A couple of the storms produced locally damaging wind gusts and marginally 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
3

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 across upstate South Carolina during the morning into early afternoon in the vicinity of a surface trough. A couple of the storms produced locally damaging wind gusts and marginally 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 May 28, 6:06 AM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 6:06 AM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 2:54 AM EST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 28, 1:54 AM EST, 5 hours 58 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 22 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:52 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When
May 28, 7:52 AM EST to 7:55 AM EST
Where
Greenville County, 2.27 mi ESE of Fellowship Xrds to 2.81 mi WSW of Fountain Inn
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.690, -82.282

Public reported around two dozen pine trees blown down off Hipps Rd and trees down on Farmwood Dr. Media also reported a large tree snapped on Jenkins Bridge Rd.

Hail, Greenville

When
May 28, 7:58 AM EST
Where
Greenville County, 1.7 mi E of Fellowship Xrds
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
34.700, -82.290

Public reported via Social Media pea to quarter size hail off Rocky Creek Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
May 29, 8:49 AM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 2 mi E of Drayton to 1.97 mi WSW of Converse
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.966, -81.865

County comms reported trees blown down on Winfield Dr and on Ransdell Dr.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2020

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: 896772, 896776, 896782.