Ashe County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37009 · population 26,560 · 426 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 593 records for Ashe County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 460 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (155 records). 310 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the January 24, 2004 strong wind, filed for the forecast zone Ashe, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $7,812 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1973, 24 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
- 593on 460 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 31 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $137Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Ashe County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 155 since 1996. 43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 155 | 146 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $11M | 2 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 114 | 114 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $413K | 23 of 100 |
| Floods | 90 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $111M | 11 of 100 |
| Hail | 88 | 64 | 1988-2022 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 39 of 100 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 76 | 59 | 1959-2024 | 0 | 0 | $363K | 91 of 100 |
| Drought | 28 | 28 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 29 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 15 | 2017-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $43K | 31 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 5 | 2014-2024 | 0 | 0 | $119K | 4 of 100 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2011-2013 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 65 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 92 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 99 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 Ashe County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Ashe County from 2017 to 2017, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries 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 1 tornado whose track touched Ashe County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Ashe County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-08 | Idlewood, Ashe County | EF0 2.71 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
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 Ashe County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 19, 2025 high wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-12-08 | Winter StormAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-20 | Flash FloodJefferson, Ashe County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-01 | Flash FloodHemlock, Ashe County | 0 | 0 | $15K | |
| 2025-04-15 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-01-24 | Strong WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe Strong winds on the afternoon of the 24th, blew a tree, onto a vehicle, resulting in one fatality and one injury. | 41 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $8K |
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodGreen Vly, Ashe County Runoff from continued heavy rain resulted in numerous roads becoming flooded and impassible across Ashe County per reports from the public and from the Ashe County 911 Dispatch Center. Rainfall totals ranging from 7 to locally 11 inches were observed across much of the county on the 26th, resulting in numerous flooded ... | 1 | 0 | $109M | |
| 2002-12-25 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe High winds during the afternoon downed numerous trees and power lines across the region. A man in Meat Camp was killed when a tree fell onto a tractor he was riding. The tracter was also damaged. In addition numerous wind gusts of near 70 mph were reported in Ashe, Alleghany, and Watauga counties. In Watauga County, a ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodGreen Vly, Ashe County | 1 | 0 | $109M | |
| 2024-09-27 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9.4M |
| 1998-01-08 | Flash FloodNorth Portion, Ashe County | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 2020-04-13 | Flash FloodOthello, Ashe County | 0 | 0 | $388K | |
| 2012-10-29 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $386K |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 0 | 0 | $272K | |
| 2025-03-06 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-02-16 | High WindAshe County · forecast zone Ashe | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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 Ashe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 65 | 54 | 30 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 33 | 41 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 23 | 34 | 22 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 30 | 34 | 6 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 27 | 19 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 84 · Feb 80 · Mar 38 · Apr 44 · May 47 · Jun 68 · Jul 51 · Aug 54 · Sep 22 · Oct 25 · Nov 23 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ashe County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Ashe County: 17 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (10) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-28 | DR-4827 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3617 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2022-10-01 | EM-3586 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021-09-08 | DR-4617 | Hurricane | Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2021-03-03 | DR-4588 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Eta |
| 2020-08-02 | EM-3534 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020-05-08 | DR-4543 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2018-09-14 | DR-4393 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2013-10-29 | DR-4153 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides |
| 2013-09-25 | DR-4146 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2010-02-02 | DR-1871 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2004-09-10 | DR-1546 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1998-01-15 | DR-1200 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1995-10-23 | DR-1073 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1989-09-25 | DR-844 | Hurricane | Hurricane Hugo |
| 1977-11-09 | DR-542 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-06-25 | DR-394 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Ashe County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 90 flood or flash flood records for Ashe County from 1996 to 2025, on 69 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ashe County ranks 991st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 1 | 1 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.3 million on 183 claims filed in Ashe County; the most in one year was 86 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 12 · 1981: 4 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1989: 9 · 1992: 2 · 1994: 5 · 1995: 9 · 1996: 8 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 10 · 2004: 3 · 2007: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 12 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2024: 86; 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 Ashe County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ashe County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $67K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $985K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $391K | 19 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $144K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $209K | once in about 36 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $183K | 49 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 Ashe 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
- High wind and dust storms in North CarolinaThe state's high wind and dust records, 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 Ashe CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ashe County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis