Caldwell County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37027 · population 80,586 · 472 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 957 records for Caldwell County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 640 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (314 records). 578 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 July 6, 2018 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 2 injuries and $5,876 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1974, 21 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
- 957on 640 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 135 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $101Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Caldwell County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 314 since 1996. 63% of its winter storm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 314 | 210 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 17 | $16M | 9 of 100 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 151 | 131 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 2 | $895K | 53 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 134 | 101 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 3 | $3.5M | 4 of 100 |
| Hail | 127 | 95 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 0 | $79K | 17 of 100 |
| Floods | 90 | 75 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $55M | 12 of 100 |
| Drought | 77 | 45 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 13 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 22 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 9 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 10 | 1973-2017 | 0 | 3 | $4.8M | 65 of 100 |
| Lightning | 9 | 9 | 1997-2014 | 0 | 9 | $440K | 34 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 7 | 1997-2014 | 0 | 0 | $57K | 4 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 3 | 2004-2005 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 10 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 80 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 94 of 100 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 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 Caldwell County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Caldwell County from 1973 to 2017, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 3 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Caldwell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-07 15:49, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Caldwell County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-23 | Grace Chapel, Caldwell County | EF1 0.76 mi x 750 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-10-08 | Hudson, Caldwell County | EF1 6.71 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $361K |
| 2017-10-08 | Baton, Caldwell County | EF0 2.42 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2012-01-11 | Rhodhiss, Caldwell County | EF0 0.12 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-28 | Saw Mills, Caldwell County | EF1 4.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1998-05-07 | Dudley Shoals, Caldwell County | F4 4 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 1994-08-16 | Dudley Shoals, Caldwell County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1989-05-05 | Caldwell County | F2 15 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-07-09 | Caldwell County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-04 | Caldwell County | F2 5.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Caldwell County | F1 10.4 mi x 100 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 Caldwell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 27, 2026 flash flood ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindRhodhiss, Caldwell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindWarrior, Caldwell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-08 | Thunderstorm WindWhitnel, Caldwell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-27 | Flash FloodRichland, Caldwell County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-06 | Thunderstorm WindYadkin Vly, Caldwell County EM reported a large tree was blown down on a vehicle in Green Mountain Park killing a 78-year-old occupant and causing minor injuries to two others. A few other trees were blown down in Lenoir and areas just east of the city. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 2 | $6K |
| 2011-01-06 | Winter WeatherCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell Several accidents occurred across the North Carolina foothills during the morning of the 6th due to black ice. A school bus was involved in a single vehicle accident in the Grace Chapel area of Caldwell County. Seventeen students received minor injuries. | 0 | 17 | – | |
| 2008-06-27 | LightningLenoir, Caldwell County Eight firefighters working to contain a wildfire were treated for burns when lightning struck nearby. | 0 | 8 | – | |
| 2002-03-10 | High WindCaldwell County and Watauga County · forecast zone Watauga High winds on the 10th produced damage across northwest North Carolina.High winds downed trees across Watauga and Ashe counties. A car dealership in West Jefferson had windows blown out by the high winds. A car was damaged by a falling limb in Blowing Rock. Two occupants received minor injuires. | 0 | 2 | $5K | |
| 1998-05-07 | TornadoDudley Shoals, Caldwell County A violent, F4 tornado touched down near Dudley Shoals then moved east-southeast cutting a winding path through valleys, to the Alexander county border. The damage path was 100 yards wide on average, but reached a width of 3/4 of a mile at times. One well-constructed home was totally destroyed, other homes were ... | F4 4 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2011-04-28 | TornadoSaw Mills, Caldwell County A continuous path of tornado damage began near Deal Mill Rd, about 3.5 miles east of Hudson. The damage extended in a northeast direction, affecting Boyd McRary Rd and Campground Rd, where numerous large trees were uprooted, portions of the roof of a home were removed, and some outbuildings were destroyed. The tornado ... | EF1 4.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2011-04-16 | Flash FloodMortimer, Caldwell County Flash flooding developed at a known flood-prone camping area along Wilson's Creek just off Brown Mountain Beach Rd. Several campers and tents were washed away. Nine people were caught in flood water, but seven managed to make it to safety. Two additional people were rescued, one from a camper, and another from an ... | 0 | 1 | $66K | |
| 2010-06-27 | LightningHudson, Caldwell County Lightning ignited a fire at an apartment complex on Delmar St, damaging several units. One person suffered minor burn-related injuries. | 0 | 1 | $135K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-12-04 | Ice StormCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2004-09-18 | FloodCaldwell County and Watauga County · forecast zone Watauga | 0 | 0 | $7.8M | |
| 2004-09-07 | FloodCaldwell County and Watauga County · forecast zone Watauga | 0 | 0 | $4.2M | |
| 2004-09-07 | FloodCaldwell County · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeCaldwell County · forecast zone Greater Caldwell | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 1998-05-07 | TornadoDudley Shoals, Caldwell County | F4 4 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2007-06-12 | DroughtCaldwell County and Watauga County · forecast zone Watauga | 0 | 0 | $598K | |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowCaldwell County and Watauga County · forecast zone Watauga | 0 | 0 | $543K |
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: April 4, 1974 (tornado, Caldwell County); May 5, 1989 (tornado, Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 54 | 114 | 119 | 27 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 23 | 29 | 61 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 101 | 20 | 0 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 37 | 59 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 31 | 35 | 15 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 12 | 61 | 0 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 148 · Feb 124 · Mar 65 · Apr 53 · May 85 · Jun 100 · Jul 104 · Aug 62 · Sep 39 · Oct 33 · Nov 42 · Dec 102 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Caldwell County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Caldwell County: 13 major disasters, 10 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. 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 |
| 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 Caldwell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 90 flood or flash flood records for Caldwell County from 1996 to 2026, on 75 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Caldwell County ranks 1393rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-26 | 3 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | 2004-09-07 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.5 million on 85 claims filed in Caldwell County; the most in one year was 13 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 5 · 1980: 1 · 1983: 3 · 1984: 2 · 1990: 4 · 1994: 9 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 1 · 2004: 7 · 2005: 4 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 13 · 2025: 2; 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 Caldwell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Caldwell County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.0 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 | $732K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $56K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $18M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $482K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 496 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $373K | once in about 26 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.8M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Caldwell 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
- Winter storms in North CarolinaThe state's winter storm 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 Caldwell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Caldwell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis