Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 29 hail storms within 25 miles of Bluffton, SC. Of those, 13 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was egg-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2024 was the most active year on record locally, with 10 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Bluffton| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Destructive | 1 event | Egg-size, expect mat fractures and gutter damage |
| Severe | 4 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 8 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 12 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 4 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 events |
| 2025 | 8 events |
| 2024 | 10 events |
| 2023 | 3 events |
| 2022 | 2 events |
2024 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Bluffton, with 10 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Bluffton typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-25 | 2 W Pritchardville, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Public reported pea-sized hail and damage to small fence in the New River Neighborhood. |
| 2026-08-25 | 1 W Pritchardville, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Trained spotter reported pea sized hail near Hwy 170 and Hwy 46. |
| 2026-08-25 | 2 W Pritchardville, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Public reported pea-sized hail and damage to small fence in the New River Neighborhood. |
| 2026-05-11 | BEAUFORT, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Hail ranging from pea to penny sized was reported near the Technical College of the Lowcountry near the southwest side of downtown Beaufort. The hail was mostly pea size with a few pieces up to penny size observed as it bounced on the ground and cars. |
| 2026-05-11 | 1 SSW Beaufort, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | The public reported pea to penny size hail near the Technical College of the Lowcountry near the southwest side of downtown Beaufort. The hail was mostly pea size with a few pieces up to penny size observed as it bounced on the ground and cars. Time estimated based on radar. |
| 2026-04-05 | 4 NW Pritchardville, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Trained Storm Spotter reported pea-sized hail at the corner of Beachcomber Blvd and Tiki Terrace. |
| 2025-05-29 | LEVY, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny sized hail was reported at the Levy Fire Station. |
| 2025-05-26 | MEINHARD, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Local broadcast media shared a social media video of quarter sized hail along with strong winds in the Port Wentworth area. In the video, a blown trampoline is resting against a house. |
| 2025-05-26 | EXLEY, GA | Severe | 1.50" | Ping pong ball sized hail was reported near Highway 21 at Old Augusta Road. |
| 2025-05-26 | HARDEEVILLE, SC | Significant | 1.00" | A storm chaser relayed a report of quarter sized hail off of exit 5 along Interstate 95 in Hardeeville. |
| 2025-05-25 | BEAUFORT CO ARPT, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny sized hail was reported on Lady's Island. |
| 2025-05-25 | BURTON, SC | Moderate | 0.88" | Nickel sized hail was reported in Burton. |
| 2025-05-08 | SHELL PT, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny sized hail was reported on Highway 170 near the Port Royal River. |
| 2025-05-08 | BAILEYS LNDG, SC | Moderate | 0.88" | Nickel sized hail was reported in the Bluffton area. |
| 2024-07-15 | OLEARY, GA | Moderate | 0.75" | A video received via social media showed pea to penny sized hail in the Port Wentworth area. |
| 2024-05-24 | WILSHIRE, GA | Significant | 1.00" | Local broadcast media relayed a report of quarter sized hail at the Landings. |
| 2024-05-24 | WILSHIRE, GA | Significant | 1.00" | A picture of quarter sized hail was relayed via social media. |
| 2024-05-24 | WILMINGTON IS, GA | Severe | 1.75" | Golf ball sized hail was reported near Skidaway Island by a NWS employee. |
| 2024-05-24 | BLUFFTON, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | A trained spotter reported penny sized hail near Bluffton. |
| 2024-05-19 | POOLER, GA | Moderate | 0.88" | Local broadcast media relayed a report of nickel sized hail near Pooler. |
NOAA has recorded 240 high-wind events within 25 miles of Bluffton, SC in the past five years. Of those, 232 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 75 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 8 events |
| Significant | 224 events |
| Moderate | 8 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-24 | Hunter Army Airfield, GA | 53 | Significant | A 53 mph wind gust was observed at Hunter Army Airfield. |
| 2026-08-24 | Hunter Army Airfield, GA | 48 | Significant | — |
| 2026-08-15 | 6 E Parris Island, SC | 49 | Significant | The Beaufort Weatherflow site measured a 49 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-08-15 | Marine Corps Air Statio, SC | 40 | Moderate | Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station (KNBC) measured a 40 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-08-13 | Hunter Army Airfield, GA | 44 | Moderate | Peak wind gust of 44 mph at Hunter Army Airfield (KSVN). |
| 2026-08-11 | Savannah Airport, GA | 44 | Moderate | Peak wind gust of 44 mph at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV). |
| 2026-08-11 | Ridgeland Airport, SC | 52 | Significant | Peak wind gust of 52 mph at the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport (K3J1). |
| 2026-07-27 | Marine Corps Air Statio, SC | 41 | Moderate | — |
| 2026-07-12 | 6 E Parris Island, SC | 44 | Moderate | XBUF recorded a wind gust of 38 kts (44 mph). |
| 2026-07-10 | 6 E Parris Island, SC | 42 | Moderate | The Beaufort Weatherflow site measured a 42 mph wind gust. |
| 2026-06-18 | CENTRAL JCT, GA | 49 | Significant | Emergency management reported a power line down on the 2000 Block of Gugel Street. |
| 2026-06-18 | BEAUFORT, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on Brickyard Point Road South. |
| 2026-06-18 | GRAHAMVILLE, SC | 58 | Significant | The Jasper County Warning Point reported a tree down at Old House Road and Honey Hill Circle. |
| 2026-06-18 | WILKINS, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down at Attaway Lane and Sams Point Road. |
| 2026-06-18 | BEAUFORT, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree and wires down near the intersection of Hay Street and North Hermitage Road. |
| 2026-06-18 | BLUFFTON, SC | 52 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down at 872 Fording Island Road. |
| 2026-06-18 | WADDELL GARDENS, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down at 1501 Ivy Lane. |
| 2026-06-18 | BLUFFTON, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County Warning Point reported a tree down near the intersection of Buckwalter Parkway and Shell Hall Drive. |
| 2026-06-18 | HILTON HEAD IS ARPT, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree fell on and damaged a vehicle on Shelter Cove Lane. |
| 2026-06-18 | LOBECO, SC | 58 | Significant | The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree and power lines down near the intersection of Stuart Point Road and Young Circle. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Bluffton was on May 26, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Bluffton averages roughly 6 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 13 of the 29 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Bluffton in the last five years was egg-sized. Most Bluffton-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in SC cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Bluffton. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Bluffton took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationBluffton sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.