South Carolina, 2024

Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 8, 2024

May 8, 2024 · NWS ILM · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Steep lapse rates aloft and the warmest temperatures of the year helped develop strong instability with SBCAPE 2500-3000 J/kg and LIs down to -8. Thunderstorms developed in associated with a shortwave moving over the southern Appalachians early in the afternoon.

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 ILM wrote it up.

Steep lapse rates aloft and the warmest temperatures of the year helped develop strong instability with SBCAPE 2500-3000 J/kg and LIs down to -8. Thunderstorms developed in associated with a shortwave moving over the southern Appalachians early in the afternoon. These storms raced eastward and were joined by new convection developing across the coastal plain in the late afternoon. Multicellular convection dominated with transient super cellular characteristics noted due to 0-6 km shear up to 40kt. Large hail and damaging winds resulted.

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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 8, 2:32 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 2:32 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 2:35 PM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 3:55 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 8, 4:06 PM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 8, 4:35 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 8, 4:49 PM EST, 51 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 8, 4:57 PM EST, 43 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 8, 5:31 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:39 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Darlington

When
May 8, 5:40 PM EST
Where
Darlington County, 0.9 mi NE of Lydia
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.290, -80.110

Darlington County Agricultural Extension Services reported a corn field was damaged by quarter sized hail near the intersection of Highway 15 and Indian Branch Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Florence

When
May 8, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Florence County, 1.34 mi WNW of Howe
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.140, -79.770

Multiple trees down along Freedom Boulevard in south Florence.

Thunderstorm Wind, Florence

When
May 8, 6:05 PM EST
Where
Florence County, 0.9 mi NW of Coles Xrng
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
34.180, -79.780

Several trees blown down across the city.

What these are

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.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2024

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: 1173151, 1173152, 1173153.