Rockingham County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37157 · population 91,080 · 566 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 867 records for Rockingham County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 475 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (449 records). The deadliest single record is the March 20, 1998 tornado: 2 deaths, 27 injuries and $61.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1977, 23 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
- 867on 475 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 442 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $106Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Rockingham County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 449 since 1958. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 | 449 | 253 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | 17 of 100 |
| Hail | 164 | 105 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $265K | 24 of 100 |
| Floods | 101 | 60 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | 23 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 47 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $339K | 72 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 31 | 30 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $1.8M | 34 of 100 |
| Drought | 24 | 24 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 38 of 100 |
| Lightning | 14 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 5 | $4.7M | 29 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 8 | 2018-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 12 | 1967-2024 | 2 | 36 | $72M | 64 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 5 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | $345K | 45 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2003-2020 | 0 | 0 | $278K | 74 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 100 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 19 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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Rockingham County from 1967 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 36 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Rockingham County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 14:25, as SPC files it | Eden | F3 | 12 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Rockingham County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Leaksville Airport, Rockingham County | EF1 0.35 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2022-05-06 | Bakers Xrds, Rockingham County | EF1 7.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $718K |
| 2018-04-15 | Benaja, Rockingham County | EF1 17.6 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 7 | $2.6M |
| 2017-05-05 | Eden, Rockingham County | EF0 3.26 mi x 375 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2009-05-03 | Mayodan, Rockingham County | EF0 1.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $138K |
| 2004-09-17 | Ellisboro, Rockingham County | F1 9.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-08-12 | Mayfield, Rockingham County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-03-20 | Mayodan, Rockingham County | F3 12 mi x 300 yd | 2 | 27 | $62M |
| 1996-05-06 | Monroeton, Rockingham County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1981-06-06 | Rockingham County | F1 9 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-02-18 | Rockingham County | F1 5.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1967-05-15 | Rockingham County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $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 Rockingham County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,500 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMayodan Mayo Airport, Rockingham County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindMayfield, Rockingham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindBoulevard, Rockingham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-05-21 | LightningSpray, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindThompsonville, Rockingham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindReidsville Airport, Rockingham County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-04-21 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter StormRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | DroughtRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 | TornadoMayodan, Rockingham County Severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on the 20th produced two tornadoes, damaging winds and hail to golf ball size.A supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes in North Carolina and a third one just over the Virginia border. The first tornado developed near Pine Hall in Stokes County around 314 PM EST ... | F3 12 mi x 300 yd | 2 | 27 | $62M |
| 2024-08-08 | Strong WindRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham Numerous trees were blown down throughout the county due to a combination of strong winds and wet ground. One tree fell onto a mobile home three miles south-southwest of Reidsville, directly causing one fatality. Damage values are estimated. | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $28K |
| 2009-11-12 | Strong WindRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham A tree fell onto a car, resulting in one fatality. This occurred 3 miles south of Bethany, on Witty Road. | 26 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoBenaja, Rockingham County A tornado touched down southeast of Greensboro in Guilford County shortly after 4:00 PM EST. This tornado later entered Rockingham County about one mile southeast of Haw River near Chrismon Road at 4:25 PM EST. The tornado damaged numerous buildings, outbuildings, and barns. At least twenty homes and farms suffered ... | EF1 17.6 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 7 | $2.6M |
| 2006-06-02 | LightningWentworth, Rockingham County A lightning strike on Friday afternoon derailed the Rockinham County 911 Center and caused $500,000 worth of damage. The strike damaged phones, computers, switchboards and other circuits. | 0 | 5 | $732K | |
| 1976-02-18 | TornadoRockingham County | F1 5.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2015-04-23 | Strong WindRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham Strong winds with gusts between 35 and 40 mph impacted Rockingham County on April 22nd. The next day, winds were not quite as strong with gusts in the 25 to 30 mph range. While not overly impressive gusts, the combination of the gusts on the 22nd and the 23rd, combined with recent rains softening the ground a few days ... | 26 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $93K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-03-20 | TornadoMayodan, Rockingham County | F3 12 mi x 300 yd | 2 | 27 | $62M |
| 2017-05-05 | TornadoEden, Rockingham County | EF0 3.26 mi x 375 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 1997-07-04 | LightningEden, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoBenaja, Rockingham County | EF1 17.6 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 7 | $2.6M |
| 2018-10-11 | Flash FloodPrice, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2006-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Rockingham County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Rockingham County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1996-09-05 | High WindRockingham County · forecast zone Rockingham | 0 | 0 | $941K |
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, Rockingham County); June 6, 1981 (tornado, Rockingham 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 Rockingham 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 | 2 | 6 | 24 | 40 | 91 | 215 | 70 |
| Hail | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 39 | 53 | 42 | 15 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 22 | 50 | 21 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 15 | 18 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 11 | 10 | 7 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 12 | 0 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 36 · Mar 51 · Apr 66 · May 126 · Jun 199 · Jul 132 · Aug 95 · Sep 57 · Oct 30 · Nov 17 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rockingham County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Rockingham County: 11 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (11) and snowstorm (4).
| 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 |
| 2019-01-31 | DR-4412 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2018-05-08 | DR-4364 | Severe Storm | Tornado and Severe Storms |
| 2016-10-07 | EM-3380 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-03-27 | DR-1457 | Severe Ice Storm | 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 |
| 1998-03-22 | DR-1211 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1977-08-11 | 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 Rockingham County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 101 flood or flash flood records for Rockingham County from 1996 to 2024, on 60 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rockingham County ranks 1272nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Michael | 2018-10-11 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $725,000 on 108 claims filed in Rockingham County; the most in one year was 29 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 29 · 1980: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 6 · 1987: 18 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 5 · 1996: 8 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 2 · 2003: 6 · 2004: 3 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2020: 7 · 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 Rockingham County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rockingham County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $25.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $18M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $401K | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $481K | 46 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $880K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $116K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $341K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $578K | once in about 750 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rockingham 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 Rockingham CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rockingham County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis