Alamance County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37001 · population 171,316 · 423 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 532 records for Alamance County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 383 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (253 records). The deadliest single record is the July 6, 2025 flash flood: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1977, 25 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 532on 383 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 48 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Alamance County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 253 since 1957. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among North Carolina's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 253 | 177 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.0M | 23 of 100 |
| Hail | 92 | 61 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 42 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 82 | 81 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $651K | 34 of 100 |
| Floods | 53 | 42 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 0 | $10M | 28 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 18 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 43 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 10 | 1975-2025 | 0 | 1 | $3.7M | 55 of 100 |
| Lightning | 7 | 6 | 2002-2011 | 1 | 4 | $335K | 42 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 6 | 1996-2022 | 1 | 0 | $6.2B | 49 of 100 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 100 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Alamance County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Alamance County from 1975 to 2025, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 11 tornadoes whose track touched Alamance County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Alamance County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-06 | Alamance County | EF1 0.6 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2024-09-26 | Just Xrds, Alamance County | EF0 0.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2021-05-10 | Sutphin, Alamance County | EF1 1.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2021-03-18 | Elon College, Alamance County | EF1 1.84 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $545K |
| 2020-04-13 | Sutphin, Alamance County | EF1 4.53 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $570K |
| 2011-04-16 | Altamahaw, Alamance County | EF1 7.33 mi x 66 yd | 0 | 0 | $761K |
| 2008-03-04 | Union Ridge, Alamance County | EF0 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 1983-05-26 | Alamance County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-07-21 | Alamance County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-19 | Alamance County | F1 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Alamance County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMebane, Alamance County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-29 | HailMebane Hurdle Field Ar, Alamance County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-29 | HailMebane Hurdle Field Ar, Alamance County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-29 | HailMebane, Alamance County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormAlamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAlamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | Thunderstorm WindSaxapahaw, Alamance County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-12-19 | Thunderstorm WindHopedale, Alamance County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-12-19 | Thunderstorm WindElon College, Alamance County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-11 | Frost/FreezeAlamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-01 | Thunderstorm WindPleasant Grove, Alamance County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-07-28 | Excessive HeatAlamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-06 | Flash FloodMebane Hurdle Field Ar, Alamance County Deputies responded to a report of a missing period last seen driving near Jones Drive and Calloway Drive. The body of a man was later recovered in a creek downstream. Another man was found dead also due to flooding. Both fatalities were the result of swift high water across the roadway. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-06-15 | LightningGraham, Alamance County A 19 year old male was struck by lightning and killed while taking shelter under a tree. It was not raining at the time. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1996-09-05 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Alamance County · forecast zone Alamance Hurricane FRAN was the worst natural economic disaster to occur in North Carolina history. In the RAH county warning area along, the damage exceeded 2 billion dollars. Damage to crops, livestock, farm equipment/buildings was over 400 million. The agricultural damage was the greatest in Sampson, Johnston, and Wayne ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-07-04 | LightningBurlington, Alamance County Three people suffered minor injuries when lightning struck nearby at a campground. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1987-09-10 | Thunderstorm WindAlamance County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2010-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindSnow Camp, Alamance County A person was injured at an outdoor pottery festival when thunderstorm winds lifted a tent and a potter. The injured person was treated for minor lacerations in the back and on her head. Two tents were also damaged and several pieces of pottery were destroyed. A tree was also blown down one block from the festival. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $3K |
| 1975-03-19 | TornadoAlamance County | F1 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-15 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Alamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | $6.2B | |
| 2018-09-17 | FloodSnow Camp, Alamance County | 0 | 0 | $7.1M | |
| 1999-09-04 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Alamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | |
| 2003-07-13 | Flash FloodMebane, Alamance County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoAltamahaw, Alamance County | EF1 7.33 mi x 66 yd | 0 | 0 | $761K |
| 2008-09-06 | Flash FloodJust Xrds, Alamance County | 0 | 0 | $685K | |
| 2015-02-25 | Winter StormAlamance County · forecast zone Alamance | 0 | 0 | $623K | |
| 2020-04-13 | TornadoSutphin, Alamance County | EF1 4.53 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $570K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 21, 1977 (tornado, Alamance County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Alamance County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 16 | 48 | 91 | 66 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 34 | 27 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 28 | 34 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 48 · Feb 36 · Mar 30 · Apr 38 · May 86 · Jun 74 · Jul 90 · Aug 56 · Sep 35 · Oct 7 · Nov 8 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Alamance County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Alamance County: 13 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (12) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4889 | Tropical Depression | Tropical Depression Chantal |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3617 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-08-06 | EM-3608 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2022-10-01 | EM-3586 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020-08-02 | EM-3534 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4487 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3471 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-03 | EM-3423 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2019-01-31 | DR-4412 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2018-09-14 | DR-4393 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2016-10-07 | EM-3380 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2014-03-31 | DR-4167 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-04-19 | DR-1969 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1457 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 2002-12-12 | DR-1448 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 2000-01-31 | DR-1312 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-09-16 | DR-1292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-15 | EM-3146 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1134 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-08-11 | EM-3049 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3033 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Alamance County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 53 flood or flash flood records for Alamance County from 1996 to 2025, on 42 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Alamance County ranks 1036th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Chantal | 2025-07-06 | 2 | 2 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-05 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Ian | 2022-09-30 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Hanna | 2008-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.1 million on 168 claims filed in Alamance County; the most in one year was 53 in 2025. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 3 · 1982: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1987: 7 · 1990: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1995: 14 · 1996: 26 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2003: 10 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 5 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 53; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Alamance County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alamance County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $41.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $401K | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $627K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $911K | 47 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $27M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.9M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $2.7M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $867K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $729K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Alamance County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in North CarolinaEvery North Carolina tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in North CarolinaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The North Carolina recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Alamance CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Alamance County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis