HAIL DAMAGE CLAIMS

Hail in South Carolina, 2015 to 2025

NOAA Storm Events records, county-based reports:

• Midlands: 414 hail reports, 45 of them 1.75 inches or larger.
• Upstate: 411 hail reports, 58 of them 1.75 inches or larger.
• Lowcountry: 228 hail reports, 23 of them 1.75 inches or larger.
• Pee Dee: 92 hail reports. Grand Strand: 62 hail reports.

Notable events: on April 20, 2024, NOAA recorded hail up to 2.75 inches in York County, from the city of York through Rock Hill, with an estimated $25 million in property damage. On May 5, 2020, hail of 3 inches fell at Clyde and Hartsville in Darlington County.

How insurers dispute hail claims

• They say marks on shingles are blistering, manufacturing defects or wear, not hail.
• They say the hail was too small to damage the roof.
• They say the damage came from an earlier storm, before the policy or outside the reporting window.
• They pay for cosmetic damage only, under a cosmetic damage exclusion on some policies.

Evidence that helps

• The NOAA hail report for your area, with date, size and location. Our areas we serve pages list the largest hail within 10 miles of each city.
• Photos of dented gutters, vents, AC fins and soft metals, which show hail size.
• A roofer’s inspection with marked hits on test squares.

See also roof damage claims and denied claims.

Largest hail near South Carolina cities, 2015 to 2025

From NOAA reports within 10 miles of each city:

• Greenville: 2.5-inch hail on March 21, 2017 near Taylors. 50 hail reports, 34 of them 1 inch or larger.
• Florence: 2.5-inch hail on May 5, 2020 near Darlington.
• Summerville: 2-inch hail on July 3, 2019. 68 hail reports, 37 of them 1 inch or larger.
• Goose Creek: 2-inch hail on June 10, 2024 near Ladson.
• Hilton Head Island: 2-inch hail on March 20, 2018 near Daufuskie Island.
• Columbia: 1.75-inch hail on April 5, 2017. 54 hail reports.
• Spartanburg: 1.75-inch hail on July 21, 2018.
• Myrtle Beach: 1.75-inch hail on March 20, 2018. 21 hail reports, 19 of them 1 inch or larger.
• Charleston: 1.5-inch hail on April 5, 2017. 58 hail reports.
• Rock Hill: 29 hail reports within 10 miles; the April 20, 2024 storm brought hail up to 2.75 inches to York County.

Hail on commercial and association property

Hail can damage flat roof membranes, skylights, rooftop HVAC units and metal panels across several buildings at once. Claims for apartments, condo associations and commercial buildings often involve large scopes and disputes over whether damage is functional or cosmetic. See commercial and industrial property and condo and HOA claims.

Timing

Hail damage may not leak for months. Report it once you find it, and use the NOAA date of the storm. The 3-year limit to sue on the policy applies. See claim deadlines.

Questions about a claim? Call 843-284-5790 or request a case review.

This page is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every claim depends on its own policy and facts.