Emerald Isle, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Emerald Isle What TALON shows

What weather hits Emerald Isle?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 98 days in the West Carteret forecast zone and Carteret County — the most common reported hazard around Emerald Isle, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (29 days) and flooding (9 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	98	Mar 2026	Jan 12, 1996 · $500,000 damage
Flash flooding	29	Sep 2024	Sep 30, 2010 · $10,000 damage
Flooding	9	Nov 2015	Sep 9, 2007 · $5,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	6	Aug 2024	—
Excessive heat	4	Jul 2024	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	3	Feb 2026	—
Lightning casualties & damage	2	Jun 2007	May 23, 1998 · 1 death
Ice storms & sleet	1	Jan 2022	—

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 West Carteret forecast zone and Carteret County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Emerald Isle?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMHX (Morehead City, NC), about 12 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 Emerald Isle	View
KMHX Morehead City, NC	12 mi northeast	600 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLTX Wilmington, NC	92 mi west-southwest	8,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX Raleigh/Durham, NC	108 mi northwest	10,700 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 Emerald Isle

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 97 tornadoes within 25 miles of Emerald Isle, 11 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and April. The strongest was an EF3 on April 16, 2011, which passed about 18 miles west-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on September 16, 2024, which touched down about 2 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 106 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 7 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on July 28, 2014.

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 Emerald Isle'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.

Emerald Isle radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Emerald Isle, NC?

KMHX (Morehead City, NC), about 12 miles northeast. KLTX (Wilmington, NC) is 92 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Emerald Isle?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Emerald Isle the lowest scan from KMHX is about 600 ft up — excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground.

Is TALON's radar for Emerald Isle 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 Emerald Isle, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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