Lightning TrackerCharleston storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Charleston, SC, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Charleston, SC
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Charleston by the numbers
Charleston gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 487 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 125 hail reports, 340 damaging-wind reports and 22 tornado reports. On average that is 11.5 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in April, June, July, when 66% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 3 hail reports, 47 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Charleston; the largest hail was 1.75″ (golf ball) on Mar 15, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Charleston
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi W · Charleston Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 21 mi N · Berkeley Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 22 mi NW · Berkeley Co. |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi NW · Charleston Co. |
| Aug 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 24 mi NW · Dorchester Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi NW · Dorchester Co. |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Tornado | 7 mi S · Charleston Co. |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Tornado | 8 mi S · Charleston Co. |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi NW · Charleston Co. |
| Jul 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 3 mi S · Charleston Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Charleston
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Charleston
Charleston averages 4.2 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.00 inches — about the size of a hen egg — reported 22 miles from the city centre on Jun 10, 2024. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Charleston
There have been 22 tornado reports within 25 miles of Charleston since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Sep 27, 2024, 19 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Charleston on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Charleston
Questions about storms in Charleston
Does Charleston get a lot of severe storms?
Charleston averages 11.5 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Charleston?
Most severe-weather reports around Charleston come in April, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Charleston?
2.00 inches (hen egg size) on Jun 10, 2024, 22 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Charleston?
Yes — 22 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Sep 27, 2024.
How do I get storm alerts for Charleston?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Charleston, SC. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Charleston, SC. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.