Oak Island, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Oak IslandWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Oak Island?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 74 days in the Coastal Brunswick forecast zone and Brunswick County — the most common reported hazard around Oak Island, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (46 days) and lightning casualties & damage (26 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds74Jun 2026Apr 15, 2007 · $150,000 damage
Flash flooding46May 2025Oct 8, 2016 · $1.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage26Jul 2025Jul 17, 2004 · 1 death
Flooding23Sep 2024Sep 16, 2024 · 1 death
Hurricanes & tropical storms8Sep 2022Aug 26, 2011 · $100,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms5Feb 2026—
Coastal flooding4Oct 2015Oct 3, 2015 · $20,000 damage
Excessive heat3Jun 2015—

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 Coastal Brunswick forecast zone and Brunswick County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Oak Island?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 18 miles west-northwest. 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Oak IslandView
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		18 mi west-northwest1,000 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		93 mi northeast8,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		123 mi north13,200 ftLimited — 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 Oak Island

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 57 tornadoes within 25 miles of Oak Island, 3 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an EF3 on February 15, 2021, which passed about 19 miles west-northwest of town and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on September 15, 2024, which touched down about 10 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 89 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on April 5, 2017.

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 Oak Island'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.

Oak Island radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Oak Island, NC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 18 miles west-northwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Oak Island?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Oak Island the lowest scan from KLTX is about 1,000 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All North Carolina towns →