Lightning TrackerRichmond storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Richmond, VA, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Richmond, VA
Checking the National Weather Service…
Storm outlook, next 48 hours
Loading forecast…
Severe weather in Richmond by the numbers
Richmond gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 852 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 125 hail reports, 716 damaging-wind reports and 11 tornado reports. On average that is 14.1 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in June, July, August, when 64% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 5 hail reports, 77 wind reports and 0 tornado reports around Richmond; the largest hail was 2.25″ (hen egg) on Jul 21, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Richmond
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | Damaging wind | 6 mi E · Henrico Co. |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 13 mi N · Hanover Co. |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Damaging wind | 14 mi W · Goochland Co. |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Damaging wind | 14 mi S · Chesterfield Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi E · Hanover Co. |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Hail 1.50″ | 24 mi W · Powhatan Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi W · Henrico Co. |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi NE · Hanover Co. |
| Jul 28, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi E · Hanover Co. |
| Jul 26, 2026 | Damaging wind | 9 mi NW · Henrico 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 Richmond
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Richmond
Richmond averages 2.7 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.00 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 17 miles from the city centre on May 27, 2017. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Richmond
There have been 11 tornado reports within 25 miles of Richmond since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Sep 17, 2018, 13 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Richmond 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 Richmond
Questions about storms in Richmond
Does Richmond get a lot of severe storms?
Richmond averages 14.1 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 Richmond?
Most severe-weather reports around Richmond come in June, July, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Richmond?
3.00 inches (tea cup size) on May 27, 2017, 17 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Richmond?
Yes — 11 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Sep 17, 2018.
How do I get storm alerts for Richmond?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Richmond, VA. 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 Richmond, VA. 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 6, 2026.