Topsail Beach, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Topsail BeachWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Topsail Beach?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 79 days in the Coastal Pender forecast zone and Pender County — the most common reported hazard around Topsail Beach, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (38 days) and flooding (15 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds79Mar 2026Mar 15, 2008 · $2.0 million damage
Flash flooding38Aug 2024Sep 15, 2018 · 1 death · $5.0 million damage
Flooding15Jul 2023Aug 9, 2014 · $20,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage14Jun 2025Jun 29, 2025 · 1 death
Hurricanes & tropical storms7Sep 2022Aug 26, 2011 · $1.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms7Feb 2026—
Excessive heat3Jun 2015—
High winds2Jan 2024—

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

Which radars cover Topsail Beach?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 52 miles west-southwest. 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 Topsail BeachView
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		52 mi west-southwest3,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		52 mi east-northeast3,800 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		102 mi north-northwest9,800 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Topsail Beach

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 80 tornadoes within 25 miles of Topsail Beach, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an F2 on August 13, 2004, which passed about 13 miles west-northwest of town and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on July 6, 2025, which touched down about 15 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 115 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 4 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.50-inch hail on June 16, 1971.

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 Topsail Beach'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.

Topsail Beach radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Topsail Beach, NC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 52 miles west-southwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 52 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Topsail Beach?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Topsail Beach the lowest scan from KLTX is about 3,700 ft up.

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

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