Lightning TrackerColumbia storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Columbia, SC, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Columbia, SC
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Columbia by the numbers
Columbia sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 969 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 135 hail reports, 803 damaging-wind reports and 31 tornado reports. On average that is 18.7 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 58% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 1 hail report, 69 wind reports and 2 tornado reports around Columbia; the largest hail was 2.00″ (hen egg) on Sep 6, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Columbia
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 19 mi NW · Lexington Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi NW · Richland Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Hail 2.00″ | 16 mi W · Lexington Co. |
| Sep 5, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi SE · Richland Co. |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi S · Calhoun Co. |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi SE · Richland Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi NE · Richland Co. |
| Aug 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi N · Richland Co. |
| Aug 5, 2026 | Damaging wind | 12 mi W · Lexington Co. |
| Aug 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi S · Calhoun 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 Columbia
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Columbia
Columbia averages 5.0 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 16 miles from the city centre on Sep 6, 2026. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Columbia
There have been 31 tornado reports within 25 miles of Columbia since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Apr 15, 2018, 20 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Columbia 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 Columbia
Questions about storms in Columbia
Does Columbia get a lot of severe storms?
Columbia averages 18.7 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 Columbia?
Most severe-weather reports around Columbia come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Columbia?
2.00 inches (hen egg size) on Sep 6, 2026, 16 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Columbia?
Yes — 31 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Apr 15, 2018.
How do I get storm alerts for Columbia?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Columbia, 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 Columbia, 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 9, 2026.