Burke County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37023 · population 87,532 · 506 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 979 records for Burke County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 654 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (272 records). The deadliest single record is the August 8, 2001 heat, filed for the forecast zone Burke, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1974, 22 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
- 979on 654 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 127 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $99Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Burke County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 272 since 1957. 57% 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 | 272 | 228 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.0M | 16 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 242 | 189 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 18 of 100 |
| Hail | 211 | 141 | 1985-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 8 of 100 |
| Floods | 84 | 71 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $53M | 15 of 100 |
| Drought | 54 | 37 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 34 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $887K | 24 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 23 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | 11 of 100 |
| Lightning | 19 | 18 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 16 | $1.6M | 10 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 8 | 1974-2017 | 0 | 8 | $21M | 79 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | 85 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | $588 | 64 of 100 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 1 | 0 | – | 72 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 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 Burke County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Burke County from 1974 to 2017, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 8 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Burke County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10, 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 Burke County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-23 | Hickory Municipal Ar, Burke County | EF2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2017-10-08 | Connellys Spgs, Burke County | EF1 2.19 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2017-10-08 | Camp Creek, Burke County | EF0 2.19 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2012-01-11 | Burke Chapel, Burke County | EF2 4.15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 8 | $17M |
| 2010-09-27 | Brindletown, Burke County | EF1 2.59 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2008-05-11 | Morganton, Burke County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-24 | Morganton, Burke County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-24 | Bridgewater, Burke County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $86K |
| 1979-05-24 | Burke County | F2 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Burke County | F1 6.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Burke County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 7, 2026 strong wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindIcard, Burke County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindDrexel, Burke County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBurke County · forecast zone Greater Burke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBurke County · forecast zone Greater Burke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindMorganton, Burke County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Strong WindBurke County · forecast zone Greater Burke | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillBurke County · forecast zone Greater Burke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-08 | HeatBurke County · forecast zone Burke A 19-year old playing basketball in a non air-conditioned gymnasium collapsed from heat. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital in Morganton. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-04-09 | LightningMorganton, Burke County Nine people were injured and several dogs were killed when lightning struck the Burke County Fairgrounds during a dog show. | 0 | 9 | – | |
| 2012-01-11 | TornadoBurke Chapel, Burke County This tornado touched down near George Hildebrand School Rd, felling trees and causing minor roof damage to several homes. The tornado continued northeast from there, along an intermittent path. The damage path became more concentrated as it moved across Paige St, continuing to down trees as well as causing minor roof ... | EF2 4.15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 8 | $17M |
| 2019-07-20 | LightningCalvin, Burke County A person was struck by lightning and injured at a flea market on Jamestown Rd. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-04-02 | High WindBurke County · forecast zone Burke Mountains Strong northwest winds developed across the mountains and northern foothills in the wake of an arctic cold front around midnight and continued through the overnight hours. Numerous trees were blown down across the area, along with some power lines. One tree fell on a camping trailer in Steele Creek Park in northwest ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $12K |
| 2015-09-04 | LightningOak Hill, Burke County Media reported a person in the Oak Hill community received minor injuries after being struck by lightning while talking on a cell phone plugged into a wall charger. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindRutherford College, Burke County Multiple trees were blown down on Tomlinson Rd at Israel Chapel Rd and on Icard Rhodiss Rd about 1 miles northeast of Icard. A tree fell on a car on Icard Rhodiss Rd, injuring an occupant. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2012-04-26 | LightningGlen Alpine, Burke County Lightning struck a man on Chapman Farm Rd, causing some second degree burns. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-01-11 | TornadoBurke Chapel, Burke County | EF2 4.15 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 8 | $17M |
| 2004-09-07 | FloodBurke County · forecast zone Burke | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2017-10-23 | TornadoHickory Municipal Ar, Burke County | EF2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2012-07-23 | LightningChesterfield, Burke County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2010-09-27 | TornadoBrindletown, Burke County | EF1 2.59 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $541K |
| 2014-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindGlen Alpine, Burke County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2017-10-08 | TornadoConnellys Spgs, Burke County | EF1 2.19 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2000-05-24 | TornadoBridgewater, Burke County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $86K |
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: May 24, 1979 (tornado, Burke 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 Burke 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 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 25 | 46 | 120 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 32 | 81 | 97 | 32 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 64 | 104 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 23 | 36 | 18 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 7 | 43 | 0 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 27 | 11 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% 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 112 · Feb 84 · Mar 54 · Apr 72 · May 109 · Jun 139 · Jul 156 · Aug 73 · Sep 49 · Oct 28 · Nov 31 · Dec 72 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Burke County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Burke County: 13 major disasters, 10 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (8) and snowstorm (3).
| 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 |
| 2021-03-03 | DR-4588 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Eta |
| 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 |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2016-11-19 | FM-5164 | Fire | Chestnut Knob Fire |
| 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 |
| 2002-12-12 | DR-1448 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1103 | Snowstorm | Winter Storm |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 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 |
| 1977-08-11 | EM-3049 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-04-12 | DR-428 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Burke County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 84 flood or flash flood records for Burke County from 1996 to 2024, on 71 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Burke County ranks 1167th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-26 | 4 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | 2004-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $11.3 million on 131 claims filed in Burke County; the most in one year was 71 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 35 · 2005: 1 · 2013: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2024: 71; 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 Burke County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Burke County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $809K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $805K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $15M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $12K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $738K | once in about 501 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $370K | once in about 26 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $587K | 0.3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Burke 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 Burke CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Burke County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis