Surfside Beach, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Surfside BeachWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Surfside Beach?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 186 days in the Coastal Horry forecast zone and Horry County — the most common reported hazard around Surfside Beach, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (47 days) and lightning casualties & damage (45 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds186Jun 2026May 20, 2005 · $1.2 million damage
Flash flooding47Oct 2025Sep 15, 2018 · 2 deaths · $10,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage45Apr 2026Aug 16, 1998 · 1 death
Flooding18Aug 2025Oct 4, 2015 · $10 million damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms10Aug 2024Jun 7, 2013 · 1 death
Coastal flooding7Nov 2021—
Heavy snow & winter storms7Feb 2026—
Storm surge4Sep 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 Coastal Horry forecast zone and Horry County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Surfside Beach?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 41 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Surfside BeachView
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		41 mi northeast2,700 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KCAE
Columbia, SC		125 mi west-northwest13,600 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KCLX
Charleston, SC		136 mi west-southwest15,600 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 Surfside Beach

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 60 tornadoes within 25 miles of Surfside Beach, 9 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an F3 on August 17, 1965, which touched down about 23 miles northeast of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on September 27, 2024, which passed about 16 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 195 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 10 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on May 10, 2011.

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 Surfside 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.

Surfside Beach radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Surfside Beach, SC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 41 miles northeast. KCAE (Columbia, SC) is 125 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Surfside Beach?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Surfside Beach the lowest scan from KLTX is about 2,700 ft up.

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

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