Edgecombe County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37065 · population 48,898 · 505 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 388 records for Edgecombe County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 282 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (160 records). The deadliest single record is the September 15, 1999 flash flood: 8 deaths. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1968, 25 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
- 388on 282 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 119 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $202Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Edgecombe County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 160 since 1964. 44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 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 | 160 | 119 | 1964-2026 | 1 | 1 | $2.1M | 63 of 100 |
| Hail | 75 | 47 | 1963-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $28K | 59 of 100 |
| Floods | 42 | 36 | 1996-2024 | 8 | 0 | $133M | 46 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 18 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $58M | 51 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 12 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 8 | $3.8M | 54 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 12 | 12 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | 31 of 100 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 1998-2025 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 4 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 97 of 100 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | $41K | 88 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 Edgecombe County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Edgecombe County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Edgecombe County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Edgecombe County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-02-22 16:30, as SPC files it | Fayetteville | F3 | 85.7 mi | 2 |
| 2023-07-19 10:25, as SPC files it | Rocky Mount | EF3 | 13.53 mi | 0 |
| 1992-11-23 02:10, as SPC files it | Wilson to Elizabeth | F3 | 160 mi | 0 |
| 1957-11-08 17:30, as SPC files it | Macclesfield to Conetoe | F3 | 46.9 mi | 0 |
| 1953-03-15 20:00, as SPC files it | Wilson | F3 | 30.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Edgecombe County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-13 | Pinetops, Edgecombe County | EF1 2.23 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-05-13 | Crisp, Edgecombe County | EF1 1.71 mi x 115 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2025-05-12 | Tarboro Airport, Edgecombe County | EF1 2.15 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2024-08-08 | Rocky Mt, Edgecombe County | EF0 0.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2023-07-19 | Battleboro, Edgecombe County | EF3 6.34 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $242K |
| 2019-04-19 | Battleboro, Edgecombe County | EF1 10.6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2014-04-29 | Conetoe, Edgecombe County | EF0 4.15 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2002-10-11 | Conetoe, Edgecombe County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-11-11 | Pinetops, Edgecombe County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $97K |
| 1992-11-23 | Edgecombe County | F3 24 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1977-05-05 | Edgecombe County | F1 1.5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-11-08 | Edgecombe County | F3 22.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1953-03-15 | Edgecombe County | F3 9.2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Edgecombe County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindSharp Pt, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTarboro Airport, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindKingsboro, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindKingsboro, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindKingsboro, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-28 | Excessive HeatEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-27 | Excessive HeatEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-26 | Excessive HeatEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindRocky Mt, Edgecombe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-25 | Excessive HeatEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-15 | Flash FloodCountywide, Edgecombe County Rainfall associated with Hurricane Floyd produced unprecedented flash flooding across the eastern half of the state. Every river and stream flooded nearby roads and communities. Several lives were lost due to people driving into flooded roadways or directly into streams where roads and bridges were washed out. Several ... | 8 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindPinetops, Edgecombe County Numerous trees were reported down in the Temperance Hall area, with 12 homes damgaged and one house destroyed. One individual was killed during clean up of the storm damage when a tree fell. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $129K |
| 2009-01-20 | Winter StormEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe Between 4 to 6 inches of snow fell across the county over a 12 hour period. Roads were quickly covered with snow resulting in several traffic accidents and the closing of local schools and businesses. One indirect fatality was reported the following morning when a vehicle hit a patch of ice on NC Highway 97 near ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-08-02 | HeatRocky Mount, Edgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe An elderly woman was found dead in her home Monday morning. She apparently died from heat exposure sometime late Sunday or early Monday (1st or 2nd) | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1995-11-11 | TornadoPinetops, Edgecombe County Three people were injured when a tornado destroyed two mobile homes on Highway 43 near Pinetops. | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $97K |
| 1957-11-08 | TornadoEdgecombe County | F3 22.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1992-11-23 | TornadoEdgecombe County | F3 24 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1992-03-19 | Thunderstorm WindEdgecombe County | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-09 | FloodWhitakers, Edgecombe County | 0 | 0 | $110M | |
| 2011-08-27 | High WindEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $57M |
| 2018-09-14 | Flash FloodHeartsease, Edgecombe County | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 2003-09-18 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Edgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1995-01-07 | Thunderstorm WindConetoe, Edgecombe County | 0 | 0 | $678K | |
| 2018-09-13 | Tropical StormEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | $588K | |
| 2005-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindLeggett, Edgecombe County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $378K |
| 2018-10-11 | Tropical StormEdgecombe County · forecast zone Edgecombe | 0 | 0 | $294K |
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 8, 1957 (tornado, Edgecombe County); November 23, 1992 (tornado, Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe 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 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 44 | 48 | 29 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 32 | 19 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 17 | 21 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 6 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1964 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 21 · Mar 31 · Apr 36 · May 57 · Jun 45 · Jul 63 · Aug 37 · Sep 27 · Oct 9 · Nov 16 · Dec 10 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Edgecombe County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Edgecombe County: 12 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (15) and severe storm (3).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2016-10-10 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-12-12 | DR-1448 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 2000-01-31 | DR-1312 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-09-16 | DR-1292 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations |
| 1999-09-15 | EM-3146 | Hurricane | Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations |
| 1998-03-22 | DR-1211 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1134 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1977-08-11 | EM-3049 | Drought | Drought |
| 1968-02-10 | DR-234 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
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 Edgecombe County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 42 flood or flash flood records for Edgecombe County from 1996 to 2024, on 36 days, with 8 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Edgecombe County ranks 387th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 8 |
| Hurricane Ian | 2022-09-30 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dorian | 2019-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-13 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $28.2 million on 795 claims filed in Edgecombe County; the most in one year was 333 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 4 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 2 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 21 · 1998: 10 · 1999: 317 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 13 · 2004: 3 · 2006: 9 · 2007: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 8 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 333 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 32 · 2021: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 3; 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 Edgecombe County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Edgecombe County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $24.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $554K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $4.1M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 9.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $11M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $761K | 7.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $291K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Edgecombe 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 Edgecombe CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Edgecombe County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis