Henderson County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37089 · population 116,029 · 373 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 728 records for Henderson County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 560 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (161 records). The deadliest single record is the September 26, 2024 flash flood: 7 deaths and $188 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1977, 16 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
- 728on 560 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1228 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $292Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Henderson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 161 since 1959. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1959 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 | 161 | 139 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 4 | $350K | 29 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 160 | 155 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 13 of 100 |
| Hail | 152 | 109 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $33M | 7 of 100 |
| Floods | 107 | 81 | 1996-2026 | 7 | 1 | $215M | 4 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 50 | 49 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 4 | $3.8M | 8 of 100 |
| Drought | 36 | 36 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 24 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $14M | 5 of 100 |
| Lightning | 19 | 18 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 19 | $703K | 5 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 4 | 2004-2013 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 5 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1975-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 86 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | $19M | 73 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 Henderson County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Henderson County from 1975 to 2023, the strongest rated F1, 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 4 tornadoes whose track touched Henderson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, 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 Henderson County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-07 | Dana, Henderson County | EF0 0.6 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 1977-08-17 | Henderson County | F1 5.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-02-18 | Henderson County | F1 6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-10-17 | Henderson County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 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 Henderson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 25, 2026 flash flood ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HailFruitland, Henderson County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindDruid Hills, Henderson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindHorse Shoe, Henderson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | HailMills River, Henderson County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | HailBrightwater, Henderson County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-25 | Flash FloodFruitland, Henderson County | 0 | 0 | $100K | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindHendersonville, Henderson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | Flash FloodBat Cave, Henderson County Historic and catastrophic flash flooding developed along multiple streams across Henderson County during the overnight and early morning hours as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening. Flash flooding first redeveloped along the Rocky Broad River in the Bat Cave community, but spread to encompass ... | 7 | 0 | $188M | |
| 2007-04-16 | High WindHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson After abating somewhat in the early morning hours, there was a resurgence in damaging winds across the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding areas during the daylight hours. Thousands of trees and numerous power lines fell across the area, with many trees falling on roads and damaging homes and vehicles. A 59-year-old ... | 65 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2004-09-16 | High WindHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson High winds developed across the mountains, as the remants of Hurricane Ivan moved just west of the area. Locations near the southern exposure of the Blue Ridge were the hardest hit, with major damage occurring in and around Highlands, Cashiers, Brevard, and southern Henderson County. Thousands of trees were blown ... | 55 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $781K |
| 1999-03-03 | Strong WindHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson Gusty winds of around 40 mph caused a 95 foot pine tree to fall on a moving vehicle, 7 miles northwest of Hendersonville, killing the occupant. | 1 | 0 | $18K | |
| 1997-03-15 | Cold/Wind ChillHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson A woman in Hendersonville succombed partly from the cold weather when she was locked outside a home overnight. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-03-08 | Cold/Wind ChillHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson Record cold was at least partially responsible for the deaths of two mountain residents. A homeless man died in Hendersonville and an elderly man in Transylvania county wandered from his home and died from hypothermia. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-06-14 | LightningTuxedo, Henderson County | 0 | 18 | – | |
| 2007-04-15 | High WindHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson Very strong winds developed in areas along and near the Blue Ridge during the early evening of the 15th, and continued through the early morning hours of the 16th. A 66 mph gust was recorded at Asheville Regional Airport during the evening. However, winds likely gusted to 70-80 mph at times in other areas. Widespread ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | Flash FloodBat Cave, Henderson County | 7 | 0 | $188M | |
| 2024-09-27 | Tropical StormHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2004-09-17 | FloodHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | $13M | |
| 2004-09-07 | FloodHenderson County · forecast zone Henderson | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 1997-09-11 | HailAsheville Airport, Henderson County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $9.2M |
| 1997-09-11 | HailHendersonville, Henderson County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $7.4M |
| 2008-09-30 | HailGoodluck, Henderson County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | $6.3M |
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: February 18, 1976 (tornado, Henderson 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 Henderson 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 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 38 | 52 | 25 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 28 | 65 | 51 | 16 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 17 | 53 | 52 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 12 | 28 | 46 | 21 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 34 | 8 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 1 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1959 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 92 · Feb 71 · Mar 44 · Apr 41 · May 75 · Jun 100 · Jul 94 · Aug 56 · Sep 47 · Oct 23 · Nov 32 · Dec 53 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Henderson County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Henderson County: 8 major disasters, 9 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (8) and snowstorm (3).
| 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 |
| 2016-11-11 | FM-5161 | Fire | Party Rock Fire |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2004-09-10 | DR-1546 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-11-09 | DR-542 | 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 Henderson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 107 flood or flash flood records for Henderson County from 1996 to 2026, on 81 days, with 7 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Henderson County ranks 564th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-26 | 3 | 7 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | 2004-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-04 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $29.6 million on 442 claims filed in Henderson County; the most in one year was 217 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 10 · 1983: 5 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 6 · 1992: 5 · 1994: 10 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 5 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 13 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 30 · 2005: 9 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 9 · 2010: 11 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 11 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 26 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 217 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 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 Henderson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Henderson County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $40.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $1.4M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $9.8M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.7M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 58 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $112K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $19M | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Henderson 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 Henderson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Henderson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis