Currituck County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37053 · population 28,088 · 262 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 378 records for Currituck County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 237 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (87 records). The deadliest single record is the July 31, 2016 lightning: 1 death. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1988, 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
- 378on 237 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 42 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $30Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest EF1
- 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 Currituck County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 87 since 1984. 41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1984 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 | 87 | 71 | 1984-2026 | 0 | 0 | $296K | 55 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 68 | 39 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 41 of 100 |
| Floods | 63 | 43 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8.8M | 10 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 40 | 21 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $19M | 4 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 34 | 25 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 100 |
| Hail | 31 | 27 | 1986-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 72 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 12 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $752K | 41 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 9 | 1979-2021 | 0 | 2 | $753K | 40 of 100 |
| Heat | 8 | 5 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 5 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 100 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1996-2017 | 1 | 0 | $97K | 26 of 100 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2004-2004 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2000-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 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 Currituck County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Currituck County from 1979 to 2021, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 40th 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Currituck 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 Currituck County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-01 | Poplar Branch, Currituck County | EF0 0.52 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2017-05-05 | Gregory, Currituck County | EF0 4.16 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2014-04-25 | Jarvisburg, Currituck County | EF0 0.83 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2011-04-16 | Harbinger, Currituck County | EF1 2.02 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $52K |
| 2003-06-07 | Moyock, Currituck County | F0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| 2000-07-24 | Corolla, Currituck County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-15 | Currituck County | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-15 | Currituck County | F1 0.7 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-11-05 | Currituck County | F1 1.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-07-22 | Currituck County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Currituck County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindGrandy, Currituck County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindMayock, Currituck County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindMayock, Currituck County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindMayock, Currituck County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindKnotts Is, Currituck County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Heavy SnowCurrituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Heavy SnowCurrituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCurrituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCurrituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | High WindCurrituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | High WindCurrituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-28 | Strong WindCurrituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-31 | LightningKnotts Is, Currituck County A five year old boy was struck by lightning and killed near a vehicle at Carova Beach. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-09-23 | Rip CurrentCorolla, Currituck County Drowned in a rip current near the Pine Island community. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-09-22 | Rip CurrentCorolla, Currituck County Drowned after trying to save others from a rip current near the Whalehead Beach community. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-08-26 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Camden County and Currituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck Hurricane Bonnie moved along the coast of northeast North Carolina on August 27th. Very strong winds and heavy rains associated with Bonnie's spiral bands hammered northeast North Carolina Thursday afternoon into early Friday morning. The highest sustained wind speed recorded at the Elizabeth City Coast Guard Station ... | 1 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2003-06-07 | TornadoMoyock, Currituck County Numerous trees down. Some siding stripped off houses. Any structural damage was from falling trees and debris. Two injuries occurred when a large tree fell on a house and collapsed the roof of the one story building. | F0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-15 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Camden County and Currituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | $8.1M | |
| 2009-11-12 | Coastal FloodCurrituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | $6.9M | |
| 1996-09-05 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Currituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2011-08-27 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Camden County and Currituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2003-09-18 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Camden County and Currituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2009-11-12 | Coastal FloodCamden County and Currituck County · forecast zone Western Currituck | 0 | 0 | $963K | |
| 2011-08-27 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Currituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | $656K | |
| 1996-07-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Currituck County · forecast zone Eastern Currituck | 0 | 0 | $433K |
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: November 5, 1988 (tornado, Currituck 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 Currituck 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 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 26 | 29 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 21 | 28 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 14 | 42 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 15 | 14 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1984 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 28 · Mar 10 · Apr 29 · May 30 · Jun 36 · Jul 50 · Aug 50 · Sep 50 · Oct 27 · Nov 18 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Currituck County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Currituck County: 9 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) and tropical storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3617 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024-08-06 | EM-3608 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 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 |
| 2019-10-04 | DR-4465 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2019-09-03 | EM-3423 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2016-10-10 | DR-4285 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2016-10-07 | EM-3380 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2011-08-31 | DR-4019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-08-25 | EM-3327 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irene |
| 2011-04-19 | DR-1969 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2010-09-01 | EM-3314 | Hurricane | Hurricane Earl |
| 2005-09-14 | EM-3254 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ophelia |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1490 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 1999-09-16 | DR-1292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-15 | EM-3146 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3141 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 1998-08-27 | DR-1240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bonnie |
| 1988-12-02 | DR-818 | Tornado | Severe Storms & 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 Currituck County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 63 flood or flash flood records for Currituck County from 1999 to 2025, on 43 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Currituck County ranks 190th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Bonnie | 1998-08-26 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-08 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-27 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $21.9 million on 2,007 claims filed in Currituck County; the most in one year was 537 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 1 · 1985: 2 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 7 · 1992: 5 · 1993: 34 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 29 · 1998: 31 · 1999: 124 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 139 · 2004: 16 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 385 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 60 · 2010: 63 · 2011: 197 · 2012: 17 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 67 · 2016: 537 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 119 · 2019: 63 · 2020: 10 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 14 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 35 · 2025: 3 · 2026: 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 Currituck County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Currituck County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $182K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $494K | 41 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $3.3M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $612K | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $112K | once in about 1,224 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $338K | 6.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $38K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $4.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Currituck 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 Currituck CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Currituck County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis