Travelers Rest, SC Hail Storm – June 2025

What Happened

A severe hail storm tracked through Travelers Rest, SC, on June 28, 2025, producing 1-inch hail and several rounds of spotter-verified reports through the afternoon and evening. The storm remained active into late night, with seven NWS hail alerts issued between 2:56 PM EDT and 10:26 PM EDT.

The first alert came at 2:56 PM EDT with spotter-reported 1-inch hail. A second report followed at 3:12 PM EDT, then another at 4:20 PM EDT. At 4:37 PM EDT, dual-polarization radar detection supported the same hail size. Additional spotter reports came in at 5:23 PM EDT, then radar plus spotter verification at 7:43 PM EDT and again at 10:26 PM EDT.

Field reports lined up with that timing. Around 3:25 PM EDT, a utility company reported power outages tied to fallen trees on equipment. At 3:35 PM EDT, Glassy Mountain VFD reported a tree down on a powerline near SC 11 and SC 101. Later reports extended the damage picture beyond the immediate Travelers Rest area, including numerous trees and power lines down across the Mocksville area at 4:24 PM EDT and powerlines down near downtown Hickory at 4:45 PM EDT.

By early evening, reports continued to show scattered tree and utility impacts. At 5:00 PM EDT, 911 Communications reported powerlines down near Hickory Lincolnton Hwy. At 6:00 PM EDT, a utility company reported trees down causing power outages near Troutman. Near the end of the event window, reports shifted to road blockage, including a tree across Neal Shoals Road and Davis Jeter Road at 7:55 PM EDT, a tree blocking roadway in Monarch Mill at 8:00 PM EDT, and a tree down on a chicken coop at 10:31 PM EDT.

Damage Assessment

The field reports point to a storm that produced scattered tree damage, powerline impacts, and outages across a wide area, with the strongest local reports centered on transportation and utility corridors. Near Travelers Rest, the first verified impacts included a tree on a powerline near SC 11 and SC 101 and a separate utility report of outages tied to fallen trees on equipment.

The reports later expanded into additional tree and line damage, including multiple downed trees and powerlines near populated areas and road networks. The combination of tree failures, blocked roads, and utility interruptions shows a hail storm that brought more than just brief stone sizes. It left a trail of cleanup calls from local responders and utility crews.

The 0.75-inch ground-truth reports outside the immediate Travelers Rest area also matter here. They include powerline damage near Hickory Lincolnton Hwy, tree and line damage in downtown Hickory, and a tree blocking Neal Shoals Road and Davis Jeter Road. Another report from Monarch Mill described a tree blocking a roadway. A later social media report noted a tree down on a chicken coop. These reports show how the storm produced a mix of property and access impacts as it moved.