ANDERSON — A swift, violent storm dropped “pea-sized” hail and about an inch of rain on parts of south Madison County on Thursday evening.

The storm swept through the county at about 5:45 p.m. bringing heavy rainfall and dropping small hail on the southern portion of the county, including Pendleton and Markleville.

“I had a report that the ground was covered with hail,” said Tom Harbron, warning director for the Madison County Emergency Management Agency. “It was small, about pea-sized.”

Harbron said there were no reports of hail-related damage, but gusting wind did knock down some trees and tree limbs.

“Most of the bigger trees damaged were rotted on the inside,” he said. “They were not sound trees.”

Harbron did not know what speeds the wind gusts reached. He said about an inch of rain fell in places.

“I heard reports of some places getting two inches,” he said. “It’s possible. It rained very hard. I think it was something that was very localized.”

Thursday morning’s storm dropped about an inch of rain as well, Harbron said. In the past 48 hours parts of the county have received two inches of rain, he said. Other places, such as the Frankton area, received much less.

“That’s typical with thunderstorms,” Harbron said. “You get very spotty coverage.”

The National Weather Service is calling for clear skies and a high near 80 degrees Friday.

Contact Shawn McGrath: 640-4883, shawn.mcgrath@heraldbulletin.com