Orange County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37135 · population 148,579 · 398 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 584 records for Orange County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 397 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (284 records). The deadliest single record is the November 23, 1992 tornado: 2 deaths and 10 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1977, 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
- 584on 397 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 718 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $100Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest F3
- 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 Orange County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 284 since 1975. 52% 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 | 284 | 191 | 1975-2026 | 2 | 3 | $1.0M | 11 of 100 |
| Hail | 84 | 65 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 31 of 100 |
| Floods | 79 | 47 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $84M | 18 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | 33 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 19 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 2 | $1.6M | 37 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 12 | 1975-2025 | 2 | 11 | $3.6M | 45 of 100 |
| Lightning | 10 | 10 | 1997-2022 | 2 | 1 | $3.5M | 21 of 100 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 6 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 47 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 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 Orange County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Orange County from 1975 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 11 injuries recorded in the county. That is 45th 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Orange County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-23 00:20, as SPC files it | Hillsborough | F3 | 5.5 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Orange County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-06 | Miles, Orange County | EF1 0.25 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2022-05-06 | Miles, Orange County | EF1 3.55 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $252K |
| 2021-03-18 | Carr, Orange County | EF1 4.25 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $163K |
| 2019-04-19 | Teer, Orange County | EF2 10.1 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2010-10-27 | Carr, Orange County | EF1 2.87 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2005-01-14 | Schley, Orange County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-09-08 | Carrboro, Orange County | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-06-19 | Carrboro, Orange County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-01-28 | Orange County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-11-23 | Orange County | F3 5.5 mi x 1,200 yd | 2 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1991-03-29 | Orange County | F2 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-07-13 | Orange County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 Orange County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMc Dade, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindSchley, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindCalvander, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindGlenn, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindOcconeechee, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindSchley, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindCalvander, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-29 | HailChapel Hill, Orange County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-29 | HailChapel Hill, Orange County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormOrange County · forecast zone Orange | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormOrange County · forecast zone Orange | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | Thunderstorm WindChapel Hill Wllms Ar, Orange County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-23 | TornadoOrange County | F3 5.5 mi x 1,200 yd | 2 | 10 | $250K step |
| 2025-07-06 | Flash FloodMc Dade, Orange County The vehicle of a 58 year old female on her way to work was submerged in flood waters. The victim was swept away upon trying to exit the vehicle. | 1 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2020-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindChapel Hill Wllms Ar, Orange County One tree fell on a mobile home in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard, resulting in a fatality. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $57K |
| 2013-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindChapel Hill, Orange County A large tree was blown down on the 300 Block of East Franklin Street killing a 20 year old female. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $4K |
| 2006-06-11 | LightningHillsborough, Orange County Tree fell on Interstate 85 near mile marker 168 when lightning struck a tree. One fatality when a motorcyclist struck the down tree. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-08-22 | LightningCedar Grove, Orange County A man was struck and killed by lightning. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-09 | Strong WindOrange County · forecast zone Orange Strong wind gusts between 45 and 55 mph resulted in numerous trees being blown down along resutling in power outages. Two people were injured when a tree fell on their vehicle in Chapel Hill on Estes Drive. | 40 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $41K |
| 2000-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindChapel Hill, Orange County A Piper Cherokee crashed while trying to land at the Horance Williams Airport due to strong winds. | 60 kt wind | 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-17 | FloodTeer, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $37M | |
| 2025-07-06 | Flash FloodChapel Hill Wllms Ar, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $30M | |
| 2000-07-23 | Flash FloodChapel Hill, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2013-06-30 | Flash FloodChapel Hill Wllms Ar, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $4.6M | |
| 2014-03-06 | Ice StormOrange County · forecast zone Orange | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2019-04-19 | TornadoTeer, Orange County | EF2 10.1 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2008-12-11 | LightningChapel Hill, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2002-07-02 | LightningChapel Hill, Orange County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
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, Orange County, 2 killed).
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 Orange 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 | 1 | 15 | 31 | 53 | 99 | 85 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 15 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 9 | 22 | 44 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 27 | 34 | 13 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% 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 53 · Feb 36 · Mar 35 · Apr 39 · May 84 · Jun 106 · Jul 125 · Aug 42 · Sep 22 · Oct 13 · Nov 7 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Orange County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Orange County: 12 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (12) and severe ice storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-09-11 | DR-4889 | Tropical Depression | Tropical Depression Chantal |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2016-10-07 | EM-3380 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2014-03-31 | DR-4167 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-18 | DR-1490 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1457 | Severe Ice Storm | Ice Storm |
| 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 |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-08-11 | EM-3049 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3033 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
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 Orange County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 79 flood or flash flood records for Orange County from 1996 to 2025, on 47 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Orange County ranks 464th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression Chantal | 2025-07-06 | 13 | 1 |
| Hurricane Ian | 2022-09-30 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-08 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $36.4 million on 568 claims filed in Orange County; the most in one year was 177 in 2025. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 1 · 1982: 8 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 2 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1993: 7 · 1995: 16 · 1996: 49 · 1998: 4 · 1999: 5 · 2000: 54 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 4 · 2008: 10 · 2009: 3 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 75 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 9 · 2016: 15 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 89 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 177; 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 Orange County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orange County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $49.7 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 | $373K | 7.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.2M | 47 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $33M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.2M | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $906K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 1.6 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 Orange 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 Orange CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Orange County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis