PlainHazard

Greene County, North Carolina

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37079 · population 20,451 · 267 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 288 records for Greene County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 223 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (112 records). The deadliest single record is the March 28, 1984 tornado: 7 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
288on 223 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
968 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$247Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
18strongest F4
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 Greene County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 112 since 1957. 42% 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.

Greene County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 112 89 1957-2026 0 1 $458K 39 of 100
Hail 48 41 1984-2023 0 0 – 38 of 100
Floods 35 22 1999-2025 1 0 – 37 of 100
Winter storms 32 32 1996-2026 1 4 $38K 52 of 100
Hurricanes and tropical storms 19 18 1996-2020 0 0 $130M 11 of 100
Tornadoes 18 16 1966-2024 7 63 $117M 7 of 100
Drought 16 16 2011-2026 0 0 – 32 of 100
Heat 4 4 2023-2025 0 0 – 13 of 100
Extreme cold 2 2 1998-2004 0 0 – 48 of 100
High wind and dust storms 2 2 2002-2017 0 0 $1K 93 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 Greene County had?

NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Greene County from 1966 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 7 deaths and 63 injuries recorded in the county. That is 7th 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 Greene County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 18 people, 7 of them in Greene County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Greene County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1984-03-28 19:45, as SPC files itGreenvilleF428 mi16
1971-02-22 16:30, as SPC files itFayettevilleF385.7 mi2
2011-04-16 15:32, as SPC files itWalnut Creek to FarmvilleEF320.42 mi0
1977-03-04 15:45, as SPC files itHookerton to WintervilleF34.9 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.

Every tornado record filed for Greene County (18)
Every tornado recorded in Greene County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-08-08 Snow Hill, Greene County EF2 9.48 mi x 400 yd 0 0 –
2014-04-29 Shines Xrds, Greene County EF0 0.02 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2014-04-25 Wootens Xrds, Greene County EF1 4.18 mi x 125 yd 0 0 $262K
2014-04-25 Shines Xrds, Greene County EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $118K
2011-04-16 Jason, Greene County EF3 15.25 mi x 400 yd 0 60 $39M
2011-03-06 Lindoll, Greene County EF0 0.56 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $3K
2009-03-27 Rookerton, Greene County EF1 0.73 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $69K
2008-02-18 Hookerton, Greene County EF2 1.47 mi x 150 yd 0 3 $685K
2006-01-14 Snow Hill, Greene County F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $1.1M
2006-01-14 Snow Hill, Greene County F1 0.7 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $366K
2003-05-09 Snow Hill, Greene County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1997-07-05 Jason, Greene County F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1996-04-15 Ormandsville, Greene County F2 1.3 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $282K
1995-10-05 Snow Hill, Greene County F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $97K
1984-03-28 Greene County F4 13 mi x 1,223 yd 7 0 $25M step
1977-03-04 Greene County F3 4.9 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-05-29 Greene County F0 0 0 $25K step
1966-08-16 Greene County F1 0 0 $250K 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 Greene County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 26, 2017 flood (1 death).

A women drowned near Stantonsburg on Highway 58 near Paris road due to flooding along Contentnea Creek. The woman drove around barricades and into flood waters and was swept off the road and the car became submerged.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 688957)
The 12 most recent records kept for Greene County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-04-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-03-31 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-03-12 Thunderstorm WindMaury, Greene County 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-02-01 Winter StormGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-01-31 Winter StormGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2026-01-13 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2025-11-01 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 –
2025-10-07 DroughtGreene County · forecast zone Greene 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Greene County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1984-03-28 TornadoGreene County F4 13 mi x 1,223 yd 7 0 $25M step
1996-02-02 Winter StormGreene County · forecast zone Greene An unusual winter storm began with freezing rain on Friday morning, February 2 across Greene, Lenoir, Pitt, Martin, Washington and Beaufort counties. Snow began falling across all of the region Saturday morning with snowfall accumulations of from 2-3 inches except around an inch along immediate coastal areas by Sunday ... 1 4 $38K
2017-04-26 FloodLindoll, Greene County A women drowned near Stantonsburg on Highway 58 near Paris road due to flooding along Contentnea Creek. The woman drove around barricades and into flood waters and was swept off the road and the car became submerged. 1 0 –
2011-04-16 TornadoJason, Greene County This is the second segment for the tornado that originally spun up in Lenoir County. The tornado moved into Greene county just west of Highway 903. The tornado produced mainly EF0 and EF1 damage across the southern part of Greene County with damage to trees and a few homes. The tornado intensified to EF3 with winds ... EF3 15.25 mi x 400 yd 0 60 $39M
2008-02-18 TornadoHookerton, Greene County A tornado touched down about 1 mile north of Hookerton. The tornado was rated as EF2 and was around 150 yards wide. The tornado demolished a 2 story home shortly after touching down causing 3 minor injuries. The tornado also ripped the roof off a nearby trailer. The tornado stayed on the ground for a little over 1 ... EF2 1.47 mi x 150 yd 0 3 $685K
1987-04-12 Thunderstorm WindGreene 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.

The costliest records in Greene County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1999-09-14 Hurricane (Typhoon)Greene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $61M
2011-04-16 TornadoJason, Greene County EF3 15.25 mi x 400 yd 0 60 $39M
2011-08-26 Tropical StormGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $26M
1996-07-12 Hurricane (Typhoon)Greene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $24M
1996-09-04 Hurricane (Typhoon)Greene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $15M
2006-08-31 Tropical StormGreene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $1.5M
2003-09-17 Hurricane (Typhoon)Greene County · forecast zone Greene 0 0 $1.2M
2006-01-14 TornadoSnow Hill, Greene County F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd 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: March 28, 1984 (tornado, Greene County, 7 killed).

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 Greene 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).

Greene County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind115820263516
Hail00031118142
Floods––––66149
Winter storms––––312107
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––9541
Tornadoes01213551

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

42% 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 23 · Feb 18 · Mar 17 · Apr 35 · May 38 · Jun 43 · Jul 36 · Aug 38 · Sep 23 · Oct 9 · Nov 3 · Dec 5 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Greene County

FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Greene County: 13 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (19) and tropical storm (2).

Declarations including Greene County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3637Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2024-09-26EM-3617Tropical StormHurricane Helene
2024-08-06EM-3608Tropical StormTropical Storm Debby
2022-10-01EM-3586HurricaneHurricane Ian
2020-08-02EM-3534HurricaneHurricane Isaias
2020-03-25DR-4487BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3471BiologicalCovid-19
2019-10-04DR-4465HurricaneHurricane Dorian
2019-09-03EM-3423HurricaneHurricane Dorian
2018-09-14DR-4393HurricaneHurricane Florence
2018-09-10EM-3401HurricaneHurricane Florence
2016-10-10DR-4285HurricaneHurricane Matthew
2016-10-07EM-3380HurricaneHurricane Matthew
2011-08-31DR-4019HurricaneHurricane Irene
2011-08-25EM-3327HurricaneHurricane Irene
2011-04-19DR-1969Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2010-09-01EM-3314HurricaneHurricane Earl
2005-09-14EM-3254HurricaneHurricane Ophelia
2005-09-05EM-3222HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2003-09-18DR-1490HurricaneHurricane Isabel
1999-09-16DR-1292HurricaneHurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations
1999-09-15EM-3146HurricaneHurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations
1998-08-27DR-1240HurricaneHurricane Bonnie
1996-09-06DR-1134HurricaneHurricane Fran
1996-07-18DR-1127HurricaneHurricane Bertha
1984-03-30DR-699TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1968-02-10DR-234Severe Ice StormSevere 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 Greene County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 35 flood or flash flood records for Greene County from 1999 to 2025, on 22 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Greene County ranks 1407th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Greene County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Irene2011-08-2610
Hurricane Isabel2003-09-1710
Hurricane Floyd1999-09-1410
Hurricane Fran1996-09-0410
Hurricane Bertha1996-07-1210

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.5 million on 82 claims filed in Greene County; the most in one year was 44 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1988: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 13 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 3 · 2011: 2 · 2016: 44 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2020: 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 Greene County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Greene County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.4 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Greene County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
HurricaneRelatively Moderate$8.2Monce in about 4 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$164K3.3 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$484K7.8 modeled event-days a year
HailRelatively Low$236K3.7 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Low$1.1Monce in about 5 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$318K7.8 modeled event-days a year
LightningRelatively Low$111K50 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$268Kabout once 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 Greene County

  1. Wayne County 657
  2. Pitt County 647
  3. Lenoir County 460
  4. Wilson County 452
  5. Greene County 288

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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