Lightning TrackerColumbus storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Columbus, GA, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Columbus, GA
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Columbus by the numbers
Columbus gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 257 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 44 hail reports, 191 damaging-wind reports and 22 tornado reports. On average that is 10.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in April, June, August, when 50% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 0 hail reports, 27 wind reports and 2 tornado reports around Columbus.
Latest storm reports near Columbus
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi E · Muscogee Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi S · Muscogee Co. |
| Aug 13, 2026 | Damaging wind | 18 mi NE · Harris Co. |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi N · Muscogee Co. |
| Jun 18, 2026 | Tornado | 13 mi NE · Muscogee Co. |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi W · Russell Co. |
| May 22, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi NE · Muscogee Co. |
| Mar 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi N · Muscogee Co. |
| Mar 11, 2026 | Damaging wind | 1 mi NW · Russell Co. |
| Mar 11, 2026 | Tornado | 20 mi SW · Russell 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 Columbus
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Columbus
Columbus averages 1.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 1.75 inches — about the size of a golf ball — reported 11 miles from the city centre on Jun 15, 2022. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Columbus
There have been 22 tornado reports within 25 miles of Columbus since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Apr 27, 2017, 19 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Columbus 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 Columbus
Questions about storms in Columbus
Does Columbus get a lot of severe storms?
Columbus averages 10.0 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 Columbus?
Most severe-weather reports around Columbus come in April, June, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Columbus?
1.75 inches (golf ball size) on Jun 15, 2022, 11 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Columbus?
Yes — 22 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Apr 27, 2017.
How do I get storm alerts for Columbus?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Columbus, GA. 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 Columbus, GA. 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.