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Hail in Lee County, South Carolina
61 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Lee County, South Carolina, has 61 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 30 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 22 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 30 events against 27 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 6,692 hail events recorded in South Carolina; its 14.9 per 100 square miles compares with 22.3 statewide.
11 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 4.00 inches (softball size).
Compared with South Carolina
| Measure | Lee County | South Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 61 | 6,692 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 14.9 | 22.3 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 37.5 | 12.9 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
1Mar
7Apr
8May
22Jun
11Jul
5Aug
2Sep
1Oct
3Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 61 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 2024 | Hail | 0.25 in | $100 | $100 | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2022 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 2021 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 2019 | Hail | 0.25 in | $100 | $100 | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2018 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2017 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2013 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | $20K | $15K | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2010 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2008 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Oct 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Oct 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2004 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2000 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2000 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1996 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1995 | Hail | 1.00 in | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1994 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1987 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1986 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1984 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jan 1971 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1967 | Hail | 4.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Lee County had?
61 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Lee County?
23 Feb 2024 (Hail, 0.25 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Lee County?
The hail of 9 Apr 2011, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $20K and crop damage at $15K.
How does Lee County compare with South Carolina for hail?
14.9 events per 100 square miles against 22.3 statewide; the county holds 61 of the state's 6,692 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.