Hopkins, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Hopkins What TALON shows

What weather hits Hopkins?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 330 days in the Richland forecast zone and Richland County — the most common reported hazard around Hopkins, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (114 days) and lightning casualties & damage (21 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	330	Jun 2026	Jun 20, 2019 · 1 death
Flash flooding	114	May 2026	Oct 4, 2015 · 2 deaths · $10 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	21	Jul 2025	Jun 12, 2006 · $1.5 million damage
Flooding	15	May 2025	Sep 26, 2015 · $62,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	10	Jan 2026	—
Ice storms & sleet	6	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	6	Sep 2024	Sep 27, 2024 · 1 death · $20 million damage
High winds	5	Jan 2022	Jan 3, 2022 · 1 death

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

Which radars cover Hopkins?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 15 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Hopkins	View
KCAE Columbia, SC	15 mi west-northwest	800 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KCLX Charleston, SC	87 mi south	7,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KGSP Greer, SC	103 mi northwest	10,100 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 Hopkins

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 112 tornadoes within 25 miles of Hopkins, 24 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and March. The strongest was an EF3 on April 13, 2020, which passed about 19 miles south of town and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on September 27, 2024, which passed about 19 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 280 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 16 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on September 25, 1988.

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 Hopkins'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.

Hopkins radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Hopkins, SC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 15 miles west-northwest. KCLX (Charleston, SC) is 87 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Hopkins?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Hopkins the lowest scan from KCAE is about 800 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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