www.theitem.com/article/20090512/ITNEWS01/705129919/0/I -
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Published on: 5/12/2009
Last Visited: 5/13/2009
"Most of the damage reports we received from last night's storm have come from Sumter and Charleston counties," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Leonard Vaughan on Monday.
Vaughan said a severe thunderstorm struck near the city of Sumter about 8:30 p.m.
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Hail as big as half-dollars was reported on Alice Drive, Wise Drive and near the University of South Carolina Sumter campus, Vaughan said.
Golf ball-sized hail was reported on Clematis Trail Road, Vaughan said.
A severe thunderstorm also hit near Manning about 7 p.m., and nickel-sized hail was reported one mile southwest of Manning, he said.
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Black River Electric Vice President of Engineering Charlie Allen said about 30 customers in Kershaw, Lee, Sumter and Clarendon counties lost power temporarily as a result of wind and lightning damage.
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Shaw Air Force Base reported two tenths of an inch of rain, and Wedgefield had almost four tenths of an inch, Vaughan said.
Forecasters said the frontal boundary causing the unstable weather was expected to move south of the area on Monday night.
Less than a 10 percent chance of rain is expected today, but the chance of showers and thunderstorms increases on Wednesday and Thursday as the frontal boundary moves northward and another cold front approaches from the west, Vaughan said.
Rainfall since January is still from 2 to 6 inches below normal, Vaughan said.
"Some areas have got decent rainfall in April and May, but other areas haven't," he said.