Martin County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37117 · population 21,994 · 456 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 322 records for Martin County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 233 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (116 records). The deadliest single record is the February 2, 1996 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Martin, which covers the county: 1 death, 10 injuries and $75,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1968, 21 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
- 322on 233 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 124 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $78Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Martin County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 116 since 1969. 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 | 116 | 83 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 1 | $636K | 80 of 100 |
| Hail | 77 | 52 | 1967-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | 63 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 38 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 14 | $75K | 71 of 100 |
| Floods | 25 | 19 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $347K | 85 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 21 | 1964-2025 | 0 | 9 | $5.2M | 16 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 18 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $67M | 16 of 100 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 100 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2023-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2010-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 95 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 2 | 1997-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1998-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 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 Martin County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Martin County from 1964 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 16th 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 Martin 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 Martin County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-05 | Jamesville, Martin County | EFU 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-03 | Jamesville, Martin County | EF1 0.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-13 | Williamston, Martin County | EF1 0.28 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2014-07-03 | Hamilton, Martin County | EF1 1.13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2011-04-28 | Darden, Martin County | EF0 0.07 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | Williamston, Martin County | EF0 0.11 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $656 |
| 2011-04-16 | Williamston Airport, Martin County | EF0 0.11 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-11-15 | Parmele, Martin County | EF1 1.72 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2008-02-18 | Williamston, Martin County | EF1 6.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $137K |
| 2006-05-14 | Robersonville, Martin County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-27 | Oak City, Martin County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-06-04 | Jamesville, Martin County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-05-13 | Williamston, Martin County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 2000-02-14 | Williamston, Martin County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-01 | Williamston, Martin County | F0 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 1992-11-23 | Martin County | F3 11 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1982-09-26 | Martin County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-11-17 | Martin County | F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-05-23 | Martin County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-10-04 | Martin County | F2 54.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-08-31 | Martin County | F1 2.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Martin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 4, 2021 thunderstorm wind (1 injury).
A tree fell across a truck while traveling along NC HWY 903.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 950775)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamston Hrrs Arp, Martin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindJamesville, Martin County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindBear Grass, Martin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamston, Martin County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Winter StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-13 | DroughtMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 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 StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin 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 | |
| 1992-11-23 | TornadoMartin County | F3 11 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $250K step |
| 1998-01-19 | Winter StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin Low pressure intensifying off the South Carolina coast produced snow across much of east central North Carolina. Totals ranged from 4 inches in Martin and Pitt counties to a trace along the coast. Numerous accidents were reported as vehicles slid into ditches. A mother and her son were killed in a head-on collision on ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2021-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindGold Pt, Martin County A tree fell across a truck while traveling along NC HWY 903. | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-09-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Martin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | $39M | |
| 2011-08-26 | Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 1999-09-01 | Tropical StormMartin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1998-06-03 | HailOak City, Martin County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.4M |
| 1996-09-04 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Martin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2001-06-15 | Flash FloodCountywide, Martin County | 0 | 0 | $333K | |
| 2004-08-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Martin County · forecast zone Martin | 0 | 0 | $273K | |
| 2004-09-27 | TornadoOak City, Martin County | F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
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 23, 1992 (tornado, Martin County); October 4, 1964 (tornado, Martin County); May 23, 1973 (tornado, Martin 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 Martin 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 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 32 | 30 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 28 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 12 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Martin County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 23 · Mar 18 · Apr 36 · May 52 · Jun 53 · Jul 38 · Aug 26 · Sep 24 · Oct 10 · Nov 7 · Dec 5 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Martin County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Martin County: 9 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (16) 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 |
| 2010-10-14 | DR-1942 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-06 | DR-1134 | Hurricane | Hurricane Fran |
| 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 Martin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Martin County from 1996 to 2025, on 19 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Martin County ranks 1748th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene | 2011-08-26 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dennis | 1999-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-04 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $621,000 on 42 claims filed in Martin County; the most in one year was 9 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1991: 2 · 1996: 2 · 1999: 5 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2010: 8 · 2011: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2024: 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 Martin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Martin County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $20.9 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 Moderate | $11M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $179K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $786K | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $427K | 7.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $186K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $40K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Martin 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 Martin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Martin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis