Hyde County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37095 · population 4,573 · 612 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 253 records for Hyde County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 195 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (87 records). The deadliest single record is the July 12, 2020 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Ocracoke Island, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 32 declarations naming the county since 1988, 30 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
- 253on 195 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 35 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $140Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 32latest 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 Hyde County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 87 since 1975. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 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 | 72 | 1975-2025 | 0 | 1 | $114K | 98 of 100 |
| Hail | 30 | 25 | 1987-2019 | 0 | 0 | $197K | 99 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 30 | 26 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $135M | 15 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 92 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 18 | 1952-2021 | 0 | 4 | $3.9M | 46 of 100 |
| Floods | 18 | 15 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 97 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 10 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 100 |
| Drought | 9 | 6 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 of 100 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2019-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | $36K | 20 of 100 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 3 | 2004-2020 | 3 | 0 | – | 7 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1998-2004 | 0 | 0 | $634K | 80 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 92 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 Hyde County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Hyde County from 1952 to 2021, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. That is 46th 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Hyde County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, 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 Hyde County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-08 | Swanquarter, Hyde County | EFU 12.49 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-13 | Swindell, Hyde County | EF1 3.18 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-04-07 | Ponzer, Hyde County | EF1 1.32 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2012-07-10 | Gurlock, Hyde County | EF0 0.12 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-04-28 | Panzer, Hyde County | EF0 0.05 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-08-14 | Rose Bay, Hyde County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-09-10 | Ocracoke, Hyde County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1999-09-15 | Swanquarter, Hyde County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-09-03 | Ocracoke, Hyde County | F1 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $362K |
| 1993-08-06 | Engelhard, Hyde County | F0 0.25 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1993-08-06 | Swanquarter, Hyde County | F1 0.75 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1993-08-06 | Ponzer, Hyde County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1992-06-21 | Hyde County | F0 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-11-28 | Hyde County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1986-06-20 | Hyde County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-17 | Hyde County | F2 0.5 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-06-17 | Hyde County | F0 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1985-11-04 | Hyde County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-03-21 | Hyde County | F1 12 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1956-03-18 | Hyde County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1952-05-20 | Hyde County | F2 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
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 Hyde County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 12, 2020 rip current (1 death).
A man from Pennsylvania drowned in a suspected rip current at Ocracoke Island beach. CPR was administered after bringing him to shore, but efforts were not successful. A large rip current was spotted in the area where the swimmer went missing.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 893623)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Coastal FloodHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | High WindHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Winter StormHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Winter StormHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | High WindHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-12 | Rip CurrentHyde County · forecast zone Ocracoke Island A man from Pennsylvania drowned in a suspected rip current at Ocracoke Island beach. CPR was administered after bringing him to shore, but efforts were not successful. A large rip current was spotted in the area where the swimmer went missing. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-08-07 | Rip CurrentHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde A man drowned near Ocracoke Inlet after a rip current pulled him out to sea. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-07-28 | Rip CurrentOcracoke, Hyde County Rip currents were prevalent along the east facing beaches of Eastern North Carolina on this day. After rescuing a young girl from a rip current, a middle aged man from West Virginia drowned during the afternoon while attempting to reach his fiancee, who was pulled offshore by a rip current.. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1952-05-20 | TornadoHyde County | F2 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2005-03-08 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Hyde County A line of severe thunderstorms moved through much of North Carolina during the morning and early afternoon hours of March 8th. In general, Eastern North Carolina experienced straight-line wind gusts from 50 to 90 mph. A wind gust of 110 mph was recorded at Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of Dare County where ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $76K |
| 1988-11-28 | TornadoHyde County | F1 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1956-03-18 | TornadoHyde County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-01 | Tropical StormHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2018-09-13 | Tropical StormHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 1999-09-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Hyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 1996-07-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Hyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 2010-09-02 | Tropical StormHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 1993-08-06 | TornadoSwanquarter, Hyde County | F1 0.75 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1998-03-11 | Cold/Wind ChillHyde County · forecast zone Western Hyde | 0 | 0 | $634K | |
| 1998-09-03 | TornadoOcracoke, Hyde County | F1 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $362K |
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 28, 1988 (tornado, Hyde County); March 21, 1983 (tornado, Hyde County); June 17, 1986 (tornado, Hyde 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 Hyde 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 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 0 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 5 | 11 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 19 · Mar 18 · Apr 21 · May 31 · Jun 37 · Jul 30 · Aug 28 · Sep 20 · Oct 11 · Nov 7 · Dec 9 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hyde County
FEMA's register lists 32 declarations that include Hyde County: 15 major disasters, 16 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for hurricane (24) 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 |
| 2020-10-14 | DR-4568 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 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 |
| 2019-01-31 | DR-4412 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2018-09-14 | DR-4393 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 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 |
| 2008-06-13 | FM-2773 | Fire | Evans Road Fire |
| 2005-10-07 | DR-1608 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ophelia |
| 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 |
| 1999-09-09 | DR-1291 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 1999-09-01 | EM-3141 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 1998-08-27 | DR-1240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bonnie |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1134 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran |
| 1996-07-18 | DR-1127 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bertha |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 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 Hyde County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Hyde County from 2011 to 2026, on 15 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hyde County ranks 210th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-13 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-26 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Earl | 2010-09-02 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 1999-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Bertha | 1996-07-12 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $44.8 million on 1,734 claims filed in Hyde County; the most in one year was 508 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 13 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 7 · 1996: 61 · 1998: 60 · 1999: 235 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 355 · 2004: 100 · 2005: 10 · 2006: 11 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 148 · 2012: 3 · 2014: 9 · 2015: 17 · 2016: 100 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 57 · 2019: 508 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 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 Hyde County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hyde County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $12M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | $2.2M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $156K | once in about 383 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $48K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $100K | 2.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $76K | 50 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $94K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $83K | 8.4 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hyde 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 Hyde CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hyde County's FEMA declarations (CSV)32 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis