Halifax County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37083 · population 48,603 · 724 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 462 records for Halifax County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 314 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (238 records). The deadliest single record is the September 15, 1999 flash flood: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1988, 24 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
- 462on 314 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 215 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $135Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Halifax County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 238 since 1966. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 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 | 238 | 154 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.4M | 70 of 100 |
| Hail | 67 | 51 | 1984-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 92 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 56 | 56 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $808K | 75 of 100 |
| Floods | 42 | 34 | 1996-2023 | 2 | 0 | $116M | 78 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 18 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 1 | $1.8M | 72 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 13 | 1952-2019 | 0 | 12 | $11M | 72 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 9 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | 54 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 4 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 100 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 88 of 100 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 1 | – | 90 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 Halifax County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Halifax County from 1952 to 2019, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 12 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 Halifax County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 0 of them in Halifax County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-11-27 23:00, as SPC files it | Raleigh | F4 | 83 mi | 4 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Halifax County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-19 | Pierces Xrds, Halifax County | EF1 6.17 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2019-04-19 | Enfield, Halifax County | EF1 0.67 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $404K |
| 2019-04-15 | Ringwood, Halifax County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2014-04-24 | Essex, Halifax County | EF1 1.86 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2011-04-16 | Halifax Co Airport, Halifax County | EF2 6.41 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2008-03-04 | Enfield Dunroamin Ar, Halifax County | EF0 0.66 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 1995-06-12 | Near Weldon, Halifax County | F0 3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-03-29 | Halifax County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-02-10 | Halifax County | F1 15 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-11-28 | Halifax County | F4 22 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-04-03 | Halifax County | F2 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-28 | Halifax County | F1 24.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-07-26 | Halifax County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-07-23 | Halifax County | F2 | 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 Halifax County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindPender, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindScotland Neck Airport, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindEssex, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindAurelian Spgs, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindAirlie, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindRoanoke Rapids, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindRoanoke Rapids, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindRoanoke Rapids, Halifax County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-11 | Frost/FreezeHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-28 | Excessive HeatHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 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, Halifax 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 ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1988-11-28 | TornadoHalifax County | F4 22 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-04-03 | TornadoHalifax County | F2 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2018-03-02 | Strong WindHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax A tree fell on a box truck on Highway 158 and Myrick Estates Road, resulting in one minor injury. | 35 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $18K |
| 2000-04-08 | Thunderstorm WindRingwood, Halifax County Roof was blown off farm buildings and hit a nearby trailer. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1998-06-23 | LightningRoanoke Rapids, Halifax County A Halifax county firefighter was struck by lightning when responding to a fire. | 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 | FloodSummit, Halifax County | 0 | 0 | $115M | |
| 2003-09-18 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Halifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoHalifax Co Airport, Halifax County | EF2 6.41 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2012-08-25 | Flash FloodAurelian Spgs, Halifax County | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2019-09-06 | Tropical StormHalifax County · forecast zone Halifax | 0 | 0 | $577K | |
| 2003-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindScotland Neck, Halifax County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $401K |
| 2008-03-04 | TornadoEnfield Dunroamin Ar, Halifax County | EF0 0.66 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2019-04-15 | TornadoRingwood, Halifax County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 28, 1988 (tornado, Halifax 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 Halifax 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 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 61 | 77 | 65 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 30 | 13 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 24 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 17 | 14 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 26 · Mar 32 · Apr 58 · May 69 · Jun 68 · Jul 80 · Aug 34 · Sep 21 · Oct 6 · Nov 15 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Halifax County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Halifax County: 12 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (15) 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 |
| 2019-09-03 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1134 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1103 | Snowstorm | Winter Storm |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 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 Halifax County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 42 flood or flash flood records for Halifax County from 1996 to 2023, on 34 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Halifax County ranks 1629th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 2 |
| Hurricane Isaias | 2020-08-04 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dorian | 2019-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $846,000 on 54 claims filed in Halifax County; the most in one year was 18 in 1999. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1999: 18 · 2003: 5 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 9 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 1; 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 Halifax County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Halifax County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.6 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 High | $405K | 6.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.7M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $9.4M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $721K | 7.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $485K | once in about 1,016 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $284K | 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 Halifax 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 Halifax CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Halifax County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis