Catawba County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37035 · population 160,509 · 401 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 746 records for Catawba County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 527 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (285 records). The deadliest single record is the January 9, 2024 tornado: 1 death, 4 injuries and $235,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1977, 19 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
- 746on 527 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 215 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $186Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Catawba County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 285 since 1957. 51% 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 | 285 | 227 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 2 | $3.9M | 5 of 100 |
| Hail | 177 | 124 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $19M | 5 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 115 | 110 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 21 of 100 |
| Floods | 41 | 30 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $70M | 44 of 100 |
| Drought | 37 | 37 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 22 | 1996-2022 | 1 | 0 | $862K | 32 of 100 |
| Lightning | 21 | 19 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 3 | $916K | 6 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 17 | 1951-2024 | 1 | 10 | $73M | 20 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 11 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 23 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2000-2016 | 0 | 0 | $133K | 22 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 2018-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 59 of 100 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 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 Catawba County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Catawba County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 10 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th of 100 North Carolina counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Catawba County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 1 of them in Catawba County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-05-05 16:54, as SPC files it | Belwood | F4 | 14 mi | 4 |
| 2024-01-09 11:27, as SPC files it | Catawba | EF1 | 9.02 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Catawba County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | Bandy, Catawba County | EF1 7.52 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 4 | $235K |
| 2023-08-07 | Claremont, Catawba County | EF1 13.45 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-10-23 | Longview, Catawba County | EF1 3.87 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $602K |
| 2017-10-23 | Plateau, Catawba County | EF0 1.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-01 | Duan, Catawba County | EF0 2.67 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2010-10-26 | Terrell, Catawba County | EF0 0.42 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-10-26 | Claremont, Catawba County | EF2 2.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.9M |
| 2010-10-26 | Plateau, Catawba County | EF0 0.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-09-28 | Hickory, Catawba County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 1994-08-16 | Ne Hickory, Catawba County | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $995K |
| 1992-11-22 | Catawba County | F1 5 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-03-07 | Catawba County | F0 0.1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1989-05-05 | Catawba County | F4 6 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 3 | $25M step |
| 1982-09-18 | Catawba County | F1 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-05-25 | Catawba County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-03-14 | Catawba County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Catawba County | F1 31.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-23 | Catawba County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1954-08-18 | Catawba County | F2 5.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-08-09 | Catawba County | F2 0.5 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 Catawba County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 27, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindClaremont, Catawba County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindConover, Catawba County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Heavy SnowCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-10 | HailOyama, Catawba County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindNewton, Catawba County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindPropst Xrds, Catawba County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-20 | Winter WeatherCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-21 | Winter WeatherCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-09 | TornadoBandy, Catawba County NWS storm survey found the path of a tornado that touched down near Yount Rd in Claremont, where large tree branches were broken off, before the tornado moved northeast, uprooting trees from Love Rd to Boggs Rd. The tornado appeared to intensify by along Hewitt Rd near McLin Creek, before moving into the Fox Hollow ... | EF1 7.52 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 4 | $235K |
| 2004-07-15 | Strong WindCatawba County · forecast zone Catawba Gusty winds at a golf course in Newton blew down a tree which fell on a golf cart. The 59-year-old man who was driving the cart was killed. | 45 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| 2011-07-13 | LightningHickory, Catawba County Three people received minor injuries when lightning struck a nearby tree at Catawba Memorial Park. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1989-05-05 | TornadoCatawba County | F4 6 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 3 | $25M step |
| 1973-05-23 | TornadoCatawba County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2011-05-22 | Thunderstorm WindHickory, Catawba County Tree damage started in the county on the northeast side of Hickory. Numerous trees were also blown down across Falling Creek Rd and a tree was blown down on a vehicle in Conover, which injured the driver. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1998-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindClaremont, Catawba County Mutli-cell thunderstorms developed in a hot and humid airmass just ahead of a cold front sagging south across North Carolina during the evening of the 26th. Several storms became severe and produced widespread hail and wind damage. Hail and wind lasted 15-20 minutes at some locations. Numerous trees and power lines ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1994-08-16 | TornadoNe Hickory, Catawba County At approximately 745 PM EDT, a tornado touched down in northern Catawba county, just northeast of the town of Hickory. Extensive damage was reported in the residential communities of Sandy Ridge and Kool Park. Two mobile homes and one home were completely destroyed. Flying debris caused extensive damage to cars and ... | F2 1.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $995K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodOyama, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $47M | |
| 1996-05-24 | HailNewton, Catawba County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $19M |
| 2010-10-26 | TornadoClaremont, Catawba County | EF2 2.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.9M |
| 2002-08-17 | Flash FloodHickory, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2013-05-06 | FloodClaremont, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2013-07-27 | Flash FloodHickory, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2013-07-27 | Flash FloodClaremont, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2013-07-27 | Flash FloodOyama, Catawba County | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 5, 1989 (tornado, Catawba 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 Catawba 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 | 10 | 11 | 27 | 40 | 70 | 97 | 28 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 44 | 53 | 53 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 51 | 34 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 12 | 18 | 11 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 7 | 28 | 0 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 15 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% 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 53 · Feb 53 · Mar 31 · Apr 39 · May 109 · Jun 132 · Jul 147 · Aug 80 · Sep 32 · Oct 15 · Nov 19 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Catawba County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Catawba County: 10 major disasters, 11 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (7) and snowstorm (4).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2013-10-29 | DR-4153 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1989-05-17 | DR-827 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1977-11-09 | DR-542 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Catawba County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for Catawba County from 2002 to 2024, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Catawba County ranks 911th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 3 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Eta | 2020-11-12 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.9 million on 210 claims filed in Catawba County; the most in one year was 41 in 2020. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 8 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 14 · 2004: 12 · 2005: 3 · 2008: 2 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 40 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 38 · 2020: 41 · 2024: 21; 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 Catawba County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Catawba County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $45.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $2.0M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $993K | 52 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.9M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $27M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $98K | 7 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.2M | once in about 560 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 17 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Catawba 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 Catawba CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Catawba County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis