Clay County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37043 · population 11,079 · 215 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 161 records for Clay County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 135 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (86 records). The deadliest single record is the May 27, 2024 thunderstorm wind: 1 death. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1973, 11 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
- 161on 135 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 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 Clay County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 86 since 1985. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1985 fell in May and June. 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 | 86 | 74 | 1985-2026 | 1 | 0 | $724K | 37 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 27 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 100 |
| Hail | 19 | 16 | 1985-2025 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 90 of 100 |
| Floods | 12 | 10 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 80 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 2000-2009 | 0 | 0 | $161K | 50 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 5 | 1965-2018 | 0 | 0 | $351K | 59 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 79 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 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 Clay County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Clay County from 1965 to 2018, the strongest rated EF1, 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Clay County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6: 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 Clay County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-17 | Fires Creek, Clay County | EF0 1.51 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-04-25 | Hayesville, Clay County | EF1 1.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 1980-02-25 | Clay County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1974-12-25 | Clay County | F1 3.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-12-25 | Clay County | F1 7.7 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-01-10 | Clay County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Clay County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 27, 2024 thunderstorm wind (1 death).
A large tree was felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts and landed on a trailer. The tree crushed an occupant within the trailer, resulting in a fatality.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1178711)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-25 | Flash FloodTusquitee, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindHayesville, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-04 | FloodWarne, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindHayesville, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-24 | HailHayesville, Clay County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindWarne, Clay County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-07 | FloodHayesville, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter StormClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindShooting Creek, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2018-03-17 | TornadoFires Creek, Clay County | EF0 1.51 mi x 120 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindShooting Creek, Clay County A large tree was felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts and landed on a trailer. The tree crushed an occupant within the trailer, resulting in a fatality. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2004-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindHayesville, Clay County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2010-04-25 | TornadoHayesville, Clay County | EF1 1.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2004-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindHayesville, Clay County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2005-04-22 | Thunderstorm WindHayesville, Clay County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 25, 1974 (tornado, Clay County); December 25, 1974 (tornado, Clay 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 Clay 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 31 | 31 | 14 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1985 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 17 · Feb 10 · Mar 13 · Apr 17 · May 23 · Jun 33 · Jul 16 · Aug 11 · Sep 4 · Oct 1 · Nov 2 · Dec 14 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clay County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Clay County: 4 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and tropical storm (2).
| 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 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1995-10-23 | DR-1073 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 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 Clay County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Clay County from 1998 to 2026, on 10 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clay County ranks 1838th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $175,000 on 35 claims filed in Clay County; the most in one year was 13 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1998: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2013: 13 · 2015: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2025: 7; 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 Clay County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.1 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 | $41K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $66K | once in about 427 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $652K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $54K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $119K | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $594K | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $38K | 33 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 Clay 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 Clay CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clay County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis