Raiford, FL Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Raiford, Union County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Raiford What TALON shows

What weather hits Raiford?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 63 days in the Union forecast zone and Union County — the most common reported hazard around Raiford, mostly in July and June. Next come hurricanes & tropical storms (8 days) and wildfires (6 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	63	May 2026	Mar 30, 2000 · $50,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	8	Sep 2024	—
Wildfires	6	Mar 2022	—
Flooding	4	Jan 2010	Mar 1, 1998 · $1.3 million damage
Flash flooding	3	Mar 2003	Mar 30, 2000 · $3,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	1	Jan 2018	—
High winds	1	Feb 2020	Feb 6, 2020 · $80,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	1	May 2003	—

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1996–2026 (the latest year is partial). A "day" is a date with at least one report in the Union forecast zone and Union County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Raiford?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KJAX (Jacksonville, FL), about 43 miles northeast. Radar beams climb as they travel, so the height of the lowest scan over town decides how low in a storm the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Raiford	View
KJAX Jacksonville, FL	43 mi northeast	2,900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KVAX Moody AFB, GA	73 mi northwest	6,000 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KTLH Tallahassee, FL	127 mi west	13,900 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, with standard refraction. Mountains near a radar can block it further.

Tornado & hail history near Raiford

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 73 tornadoes within 25 miles of Raiford, 8 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and August. The strongest was an EF2 on March 7, 2008, which touched down about 25 miles west-northwest of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF1 on March 16, 2025, which touched down about 20 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 97 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 8 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 1, 2003.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025. Distances are to each tornado's track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita scale.

On TALON you get Raiford's live radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Raiford radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Raiford, FL?

KJAX (Jacksonville, FL), about 43 miles northeast. KVAX (Moody AFB, GA) is 73 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Raiford?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Raiford the lowest scan from KJAX is about 2,900 ft up — excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground.

Is TALON's radar for Raiford free?

Yes — the US radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and NWS warnings are free in any browser. Close-up radar, rotation detection and longer forecasts are part of TALON Pro.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a warning for Raiford, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

All Florida towns →