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 19 hail storms within 25 miles of Sumter, SC. Of those, 6 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 ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2023 was the most active year on record locally, with 8 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Sumter| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 1 event | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 5 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 6 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 7 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 event |
| 2025 | 3 events |
| 2024 | 4 events |
| 2023 | 8 events |
| 2022 | 3 events |
2023 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Sumter, with 8 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Sumter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-08 | 3 NNW Stateburg, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Penny size hail reported. |
| 2025-06-08 | OLANTA, SC | Significant | 1.00" | Hail estimated at nickel to quarter size briefly fell near this location. |
| 2025-05-20 | TURBEVILLE, SC | Significant | 1.00" | Clarendon County dispatch received a report of quarter sized hail near the intersection of Coker Rd and Hicks Rd, SE of Turbeville. |
| 2025-05-14 | MANNING, SC | Significant | 1.00" | A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail in Manning. |
| 2024-05-25 | HORATIO, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Trained spotter reported penny size hail at his location. |
| 2024-05-15 | UNION XRDS, SC | Severe | 1.75" | Public sent in pictures of hail and wind damage. The pictures shows golf ball size hail along with wind damage to their property. There were several large limbs downed, a tree uprooted, damage to shingles and facia and also lawn objects blown around. |
| 2024-05-10 | FT MOTTE, SC | Significant | 1.00" | Calhoun County EM reported quarter size hail at the intersection of Adams Road and SC-419. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2024-02-23 | BISHOPVILLE, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Public report of pea size hail in Bishopville. |
| 2023-06-06 | SUMTER, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Trained spotter reported pea size hail at Loring Mill Rd and Keels Rd. |
| 2023-06-06 | SUMTER, SC | Moderate | 0.50" | Public reported and provided a photo, via social media, of one half inch hail in the Millwood area of Sumter. |
| 2023-06-06 | HORATIO, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Trained spotter on Carryall Cir in Dalzell reported several minutes of pea size hail. |
| 2023-04-30 | HORATIO, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Trained spotter reported penny size hail on Carryall Cir near Hwy 261. |
| 2023-04-30 | DALZELL, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Public report of pea size hail in Dalzell, that lasted about 10 minutes. |
| 2023-04-22 | HORATIO, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Trained spotter reported pea size hail at Carryall Cir and Hwy 261. Time estimated. |
| 2023-03-26 | WEDGEFIELD, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Social media report of approximately dime size hail near Wedgefield. |
| 2023-03-26 | MANNING, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Pea sized hail reported in Manning. |
| 2022-04-06 | PRIVATEER, SC | Minor | 0.25" | Pea size hail reported in Privateer. Time estimated. |
| 2022-03-16 | PAXVILLE, SC | Moderate | 0.75" | Public report of dime to penny size hail near Paxville. |
| 2022-03-16 | PAXVILLE, SC | Significant | 1.00" | Public report of hail up to quarter size along Home Branch Rd just east of Paxville. |
NOAA has recorded 147 high-wind events within 25 miles of Sumter, SC in the past five years. Of those, 146 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 81 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 34 events |
| Significant | 112 events |
| Moderate | 1 event |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | EASTOVER, SC | 60 | Significant | Richland County Emergency Management reported trees fell along Vanboklen Rd. |
| 2026-06-18 | SUMTER, SC | 60 | Significant | Amateur radio operator relayed report that Sumter FD removed a large tree from Albert Dr. |
| 2026-06-18 | 1 SE Shaw AFB, SC | 53 | Significant | Shaw AFB measured 53 mph gust. |
| 2026-06-18 | HORATIO, SC | 60 | Significant | Trained spotter reported trees down in the area on N Kings Hwy. |
| 2026-06-18 | DALZELL, SC | 60 | Significant | Trained spotter reported multiple trees, including a large oak, down around Catchall Rd. |
| 2025-07-31 | BISHOPVILLE, SC | 60 | Significant | Lee County dispatch reported trees down on powerlines on Main St as well as trees down on Dogwood Dr in Bishopville, SC. |
| 2025-07-12 | QUINTS XRDS, SC | 60 | Significant | Local media relayed photos of multiple trees down due to a downburst in Sumter. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-07-04 | PINCKNEY XRDS, SC | 60 | Significant | Sumter County 911 dispatch reported trees down throughout the county. No specifics given. |
| 2025-07-04 | SUMTER, SC | 60 | Significant | SCDPS website reported a tree in roadway at the intersection of Church Street and West Hampton Lane. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-25 | GABLE, SC | 60 | Significant | SC DPS website reported a tree down on I-95 over the Black River Swamp. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-25 | GABLE, SC | 60 | Significant | SC DPS reports tree down on Cecil McFadden Rd near Gable. |
| 2025-06-25 | SARDINIA, SC | 60 | Significant | SC DPS website reported a tree down on I-95 near Exit 132. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-25 | PRIVATEER, SC | 60 | Significant | SC DPS website reported a tree in roadway near the intersection of Bethel Church Road and Stanford Drive. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-13 | DALZELL, SC | 60 | Significant | Sumter sheriff office reported trees down in Dalzell area. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-08 | EASTOVER, SC | 60 | Significant | SC DOT reports trees down on US 601 near the intersection with Garners Ferry Rd. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2025-06-08 | HORATIO, SC | 60 | Significant | Spotter reports a small tree down across SC 261 near Dalzell, SC. |
| 2025-06-07 | STATEBURG, SC | 60 | Significant | Sumter Fire Dept reported a tree on power lines at the intersection of Hwy 261 and Mine Hill Rd. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-06-07 | POCALLA SPGS, SC | 60 | Significant | Sumter Fire reported a tree on power line at Guignard Pkwy and Pocalla Rd. |
| 2025-06-07 | MC CASKILL, SC | 60 | Significant | SC Highway Patrol reports trees blocking the roadway at the intersection of US 601 and McCord Ferry Rd. Time estimated by radar. |
| 2025-05-30 | GABLE, SC | 60 | Significant | SC highway patrol reported a tree blocking the roadway on I-95 southbound. Time estimated by radar. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Sumter was on June 8, 2025. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Sumter averages roughly 4 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 6 of the 19 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Sumter in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Sumter-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 Sumter. 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 Sumter 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 ValidationSumter 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.