Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 9, 2025

Name: Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 9, 2025
Start: 2025-07-09T16:58
End: 2025-07-09T17:00
Location: South Carolina

July 9, 2025 · NWS CHS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Numerous thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours across southeast South Carolina. These thunderstorms produced frequent cloud to ground lightning, with one strike causing significant damage to a home in Colleton County.

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: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 CHS wrote it up.

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 Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 9, 1:22 PM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 1:22 PM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 12:44 PM EST, 4 hours 14 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:35 PM EST, 2 hours 23 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:03 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:06 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:40 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 3:57 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:57 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute before

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The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Colleton

When: July 9, 4:58 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Colleton County, 2.33 mi NNE of Smoaks
Injuries: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 33.112, -80.786

Colleton County Fire and Rescue reported that a home at 1462 Johnsville Road was heavily damaged by a fire due to electrical damage caused by a lightning strike. The home suffered significant damage due to the fire, especially on the back side of the structure. The occupant of the home suffered burns to the arms in attempts to extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of Fire and Rescue.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2025 Every state in 2025 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, July 2025

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: 1286232.