Swanquarter, NC Hail Storm – September 2026

A hail-producing thunderstorm moved through Swanquarter, North Carolina on September 5, 2026, producing 1.74-inch maximum hail and generating multiple NWS alerts in the early evening. The event combined a spotter-verified surface report with radar-detected hail signatures.

What Happened

A spotter in the Olivers Crossroads area reported dime- to quarter-sized hail at 6:00 PM EDT (22:00 UTC); that observation is spotter-verified. One minute later, at 6:07 PM EDT (22:07 UTC), dual-polarization radar issued a hail detection indicating larger stones aloft. NWS warning-only alerts followed as the storm continued to be tracked across the Swanquarter metro area at 6:18 PM, 6:25 PM, 6:29 PM and 7:29 PM EDT, each indicating a 1.0-inch hail signature in the warning area.

The sequence shows a pulse of stronger hail signatures on radar centered on the early evening window. The ground report in Olivers Crossroads occurred inside that window and provides direct surface evidence of impacts where the storm intersected populated roads and properties. Observations after 7:30 PM were limited to the warning trace; no additional spotter submissions were recorded for Pamlico County in the provided field dataset.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar suggest surface impacts were localized near Olivers Crossroads. The NWS local storm report described dime- to quarter-sized hail at the time listed above. No other ground-truth reports accompanied the radar hail alerts for this event in the supplied record.

Radar indicated stronger hail signatures aloft at 6:07 PM EDT, but surface reports remained limited to smaller, coin-sized stones at the Olivers Crossroads location. No municipal or countywide damage summaries were included in the available field data. Photographic or multiple-observer corroboration from additional Swanquarter neighborhoods was not present in the dataset provided.

Where hail of coin size occurred, typical observable effects include scuffed vehicle finishes, denting of thin metal fixtures, and concentrated shingle granule loss on older roofing. Inspectors in the immediate Olivers Crossroads area should expect isolated, shallow impacts rather than continuous broad swaths of structural damage based on the pattern of spotter and radar information.

What Contractors Should Know

Prioritize inspections in Olivers Crossroads and the nearest Swanquarter addresses first. Start with exterior roofing on south- and west-facing slopes, gutters, and metal flashings. Look for concentrated granule loss, small punctures in vinyl siding, and round dents in exposed HVAC condenser fins. Photograph each observed defect with a timestamp and a clear distance reference. Use a coin or ruler in images to document hole or dent size to tie the observation to the spotter scale reported at 6:00 PM EDT.

Document vehicle damage separately. Take overall photos, close-ups of dents, and vehicle identification information. For roofing, note shingle age and type; three-tab shingles installed more than 8–10 years ago commonly show damage consistent with coin-sized hail. Record roof pitch and slope orientation and map findings against property addresses inside the NWS warning area for accurate claim routing.