Lenoir County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37107 · population 55,112 · 399 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 460 records for Lenoir County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 328 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (179 records). The deadliest day on its record was October 13, 2016: flood records filed for Lenoir County that day count 3 deaths across 3 records. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1968, 27 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
- 460on 328 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 959 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $912Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 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 Lenoir County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 179 since 1968. 44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1968 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 | 179 | 132 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 40 of 100 |
| Hail | 111 | 84 | 1958-2023 | 0 | 0 | $943K | 15 of 100 |
| Floods | 51 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 0 | $62M | 36 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 36 | 35 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 10 | $75K | 67 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 21 | 1961-2023 | 0 | 49 | $167M | 9 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 22 | 20 | 1996-2020 | 3 | 0 | $681M | 13 of 100 |
| Drought | 15 | 15 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 6 | 2002-2022 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 80 of 100 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2023-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1998-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2010-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 100 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 83 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 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 Lenoir County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Lenoir County from 1961 to 2023, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 49 injuries recorded in the county. That is 9th 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Lenoir County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 16 people, 0 of them in Lenoir County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 19:45, as SPC files it | Greenville | F4 | 28 mi | 16 |
| 2011-04-16 15:32, as SPC files it | Walnut Creek to Farmville | EF3 | 20.42 mi | 0 |
| 1984-03-28 19:30, as SPC files it | La Grange | F3 | 9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Lenoir County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-22 | Kinston, Lenoir County | EF1 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-09-05 | Deep Run, Lenoir County | EFU 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-14 | Woodington, Lenoir County | EF0 8.97 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-16 | La Grange, Lenoir County | EF0 2.41 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2009-05-05 | Strabane, Lenoir County | EF0 0.02 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2008-04-05 | Nobles Xrds, Lenoir County | EF0 2.89 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2005-10-22 | La Grange, Lenoir County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-29 | La Grange, Lenoir County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2000-02-14 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-15 | Pink Hill, Lenoir County | F1 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1998-04-01 | Pink Hill, Lenoir County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-01 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 3 | $163K |
| 1998-04-01 | La Grange, Lenoir County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $634K |
| 1998-04-01 | La Grange, Lenoir County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 1996-09-16 | Sand Hill, Lenoir County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 1996-09-16 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 1996-04-15 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-15 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-15 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1996-04-15 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-15 | Deep Run, Lenoir County | F0 0.3 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1993-08-02 | Kinston, Lenoir County | F1 2.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1991-03-29 | Lenoir County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 33 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-03-28 | Lenoir County | F4 5 mi x 1,223 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1984-03-28 | Lenoir County | F3 4 mi x 527 yd | 0 | 7 | $25M step |
| 1981-07-04 | Lenoir County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-10-09 | Lenoir County | F1 5.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-03-14 | Lenoir County | F2 8 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-09-14 | Lenoir County | F1 5.2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-08-20 | Lenoir County | F1 1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 Lenoir County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 14, 2018 tropical storm (1 death).
A 68 year old man was electrocuted while plugging in his generator.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 785740)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindRivermont, Lenoir County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindAlbrittons, Lenoir County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Winter StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-02-02 | Winter StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir 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 | 10 | $75K | |
| 2018-09-14 | Tropical StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir A 68 year old man was electrocuted while plugging in his generator. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-09-13 | Tropical StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir A 77 year old male was killed by tree trauma while checking on his dogs at night. He was checking on his dogs, slipped and fell, causing him to die. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-13 | FloodMays Store, Lenoir County Woman drove around barricades and into washed out road and drowned. The flooding was a result of heavy rain after Hurricane Matthew. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-13 | FloodPink Hill, Lenoir County Man drowned when riding mower tipped over into flood waters from Hurricane Matthew. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-13 | FloodKinston, Lenoir County Mans body found in out-building near Neuse River. Out-building was flooded due to Hurricane Matthew. Autopsy revealed the man had drowned. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-11 | FloodGraingers, Lenoir County Man on horseback was trying to rescue some cattle from flood waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and fell into water and drowned. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-11 | FloodErn Regional Jetpor, Lenoir County Man in Kinston area drove around a barricade into flood waters and was drowning when rescued. He was revived on scene but later passed away in hospital. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Lenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 1 | 0 | $549M | |
| 1996-09-13 | FloodLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $62M | |
| 2018-09-13 | Tropical StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $51M | |
| 2011-08-26 | Tropical StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $39M | |
| 1996-07-12 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Lenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 1996-09-04 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Lenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $9.4M | |
| 1996-09-16 | TornadoSand Hill, Lenoir County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 2006-08-31 | Tropical StormLenoir County · forecast zone Lenoir | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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, Lenoir County); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Lenoir 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 Lenoir 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 | 4 | 12 | 40 | 37 | 51 | 31 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 30 | 47 | 17 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 10 | 18 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 12 | 12 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
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 1968 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 25 · Mar 37 · Apr 36 · May 69 · Jun 78 · Jul 55 · Aug 60 · Sep 34 · Oct 27 · Nov 5 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lenoir County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Lenoir County: 14 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (20) 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1998-08-27 | DR-1240 | Hurricane | Hurricane Bonnie |
| 1998-03-22 | DR-1211 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1984-03-30 | DR-699 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 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 Lenoir County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 51 flood or flash flood records for Lenoir County from 1996 to 2025, on 34 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lenoir County ranks 365th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-11 | 5 | 5 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-13 | 3 | 2 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-14 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-26 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-04 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Bertha | 1996-07-12 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $44.4 million on 835 claims filed in Lenoir County; the most in one year was 271 in 1999. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 58 · 1998: 3 · 1999: 271 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 16 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 16 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 13 · 2016: 266 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 146 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 16 · 2021: 2 · 2024: 1 · 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 Lenoir County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lenoir County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $35.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $500K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.8M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $13M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $767K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $360K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $326K | 7.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $119K | about 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 Lenoir 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 Lenoir CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lenoir County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis