Wayne County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37191 · population 116,680 · 554 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 657 records for Wayne County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 393 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (297 records). The deadliest single record is the March 28, 1984 tornado: 3 deaths and 59 injuries. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1968, 26 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
- 657on 393 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 17172 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $507Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Wayne County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 297 since 1957. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 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 | 297 | 193 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 10 | $7.0M | 35 of 100 |
| Hail | 124 | 86 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5.2M | 37 of 100 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 52 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 1 | $41K | 62 of 100 |
| Floods | 56 | 43 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 0 | $239M | 41 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 29 | 16 | 1997-2020 | 1 | 0 | $4.1M | 62 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 24 | 1955-2019 | 4 | 159 | $151M | 18 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 11 | 1996-2022 | 2 | 1 | $100M | 38 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 6 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 100 |
| Lightning | 11 | 11 | 1997-2006 | 1 | 1 | $663K | 33 of 100 |
| Heat | 7 | 6 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 2 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Wayne County from 1955 to 2019, the strongest rated F4, with 4 deaths and 159 injuries recorded in the county. That is 18th 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 Wayne County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 19:15, as SPC files it | Mount Olive | F4 | 21 mi | 3 |
| 1955-03-16 14:30, as SPC files it | Black Creek | F2 | 6.6 mi | 1 |
| 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 Wayne County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-05 | Genoa, Wayne County | EF0 0.63 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $173K |
| 2018-09-17 | Goldsboro-Wayne, Wayne County | EF0 0.37 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $88K |
| 2016-10-08 | Bests, Wayne County | EF0 0.93 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2016-02-24 | Seven Spgs, Wayne County | EF0 1.01 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2014-02-21 | Dobbersville, Wayne County | EF1 0.83 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2011-04-16 | Bests, Wayne County | EF0 2.76 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2008-08-27 | Fremont, Wayne County | EF0 0.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2008-04-12 | Belfast, Wayne County | EF0 0.92 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-04-12 | Stevens Mill, Wayne County | EF0 0.44 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2004-06-04 | Nahunta, Wayne County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-01 | Goldsboro, Wayne County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 1998-03-08 | Goldsboro, Wayne County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 1995-01-07 | Seven Springs, Wayne County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 22 | $2.9M |
| 1993-08-06 | Grantham, Wayne County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1992-11-04 | Wayne County | F1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-11-04 | Wayne County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-08-20 | Wayne County | F2 1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1984-03-28 | Wayne County | F4 8 mi x 1,407 yd | 3 | 59 | $25M step |
| 1984-03-28 | Wayne County | F3 5 mi x 527 yd | 0 | 74 | $25M step |
| 1980-07-03 | Wayne County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-26 | Wayne County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-03-04 | Wayne County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1977-03-04 | Wayne County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1975-05-23 | Wayne County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-03-15 | Wayne County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-06-21 | Wayne County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1956-03-18 | Wayne County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-03-16 | Wayne County | F2 6.6 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 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.
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 Wayne County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindGrantham, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindMt Olive Airport, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAdamsville, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindSeymour Johnson, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindGoldsboro-Wayne, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindNahunta, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindBests, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-01-31 | Winter StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-11 | Frost/FreezeWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-11 | Flash FloodGoldsboro, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-08-01 | Flash FloodGoldsboro, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-08-01 | Flash FloodMt Olive, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $20K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 | TornadoWayne County | F4 8 mi x 1,407 yd | 3 | 59 | $25M step |
| 2016-10-09 | FloodPinkney, Wayne County Torrential rainfall of 12 to 15 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county. Additional rainfall upstream caused all-time record major flooding along the Neuse River near Goldsboro. Flooding damaged approximately 5,092 structures throughout the county, resulting in $120.8 million in property damage and ... | 2 | 0 | $179M | |
| 2007-01-18 | Winter WeatherWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Snow moved into Central North Carolina just prior to sunrise on January 18th impacting local schools and morning communters. Between one to two inches of snow fell across the area resulting in numerous accidents. About eight children were injured in Asheboro when a school bus over turned and two indirect deaths were ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-09-15 | Flash FloodCountywide, Wayne County Rainfall associated with Hurricane Floyd produced unprecedented flash flooding across the eastern half of the state. Every river and stream flooded nearby roads and communities. Several lives were lost due to people driving into flooded roadways or directly into streams where roads and bridges were washed out. Several ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1995-01-07 | Thunderstorm WindJohnston, Wayne County A family was attempting to leave their mobile home when a downburst blew their home into the highway on State Road 1003, one-hafl mile north of Highway 42. The man of the house was covered with debris from the mobile home. He died later at Duke Hospital. Wife and daughter were also injured. Over 40 structures were ... | 1 | 2 | $2.9M | |
| 2010-01-29 | Winter StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Between 3 to 4 inches of snow fell across the county. A few vehicle accidents and some power outages were reported. One man was killed while walking along Highway 70 near Goldsboro when he was struck by a DOT snow plow. Due to the cold temperatures icy road conditions persisted for several days resulting in the ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1996-09-05 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Wayne County · forecast zone Wayne Hurricane FRAN was the worst natural economic disaster to occur in North Carolina history. In the RAH county warning area along, the damage exceeded 2 billion dollars. Damage to crops, livestock, farm equipment/buildings was over 400 million. The agricultural damage was the greatest in Sampson, Johnston, and Wayne ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1955-03-16 | TornadoWayne County | F2 6.6 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-09 | FloodPinkney, Wayne County | 2 | 0 | $179M | |
| 1998-08-27 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Wayne County and Wilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | $91M | |
| 2018-09-17 | FloodSeven Spgs, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $60M | |
| 1997-07-05 | HailGoldsboro, Wayne County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
| 1995-01-07 | Thunderstorm WindJohnston, Wayne County | 1 | 2 | $2.9M | |
| 1995-01-07 | TornadoSeven Springs, Wayne County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 22 | $2.9M |
| 2006-09-01 | Tropical StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2003-09-18 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Wayne County and Wilson County · forecast zone Wilson | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
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, Wayne County, 3 killed); March 28, 1984 (tornado, Wayne 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 Wayne 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 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 70 | 67 | 71 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 26 | 50 | 17 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 29 | 25 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 13 | 11 | 19 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 7 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 55 · Feb 50 · Mar 38 · Apr 56 · May 72 · Jun 82 · Jul 122 · Aug 86 · Sep 47 · Oct 14 · Nov 16 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wayne County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Wayne County: 14 major disasters, 14 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) 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 |
| 2020-05-08 | DR-4543 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-12-12 | DR-1448 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 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 |
| 1984-03-30 | DR-699 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1977-08-11 | EM-3049 | Drought | Drought |
| 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 56 flood or flash flood records for Wayne County from 1996 to 2025, on 43 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wayne County ranks 288th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew | 2016-10-08 | 2 | 3 |
| Hurricane Floyd | 1999-09-15 | 1 | 2 |
| Hurricane Florence | 2018-09-13 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-05 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Ian | 2022-09-30 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isaias | 2020-08-03 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Dorian | 2019-09-05 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Bonnie | 1998-08-27 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $47.0 million on 1,193 claims filed in Wayne County; the most in one year was 456 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 4 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 9 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 13 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 71 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 16 · 1999: 394 · 2000: 3 · 2001: 6 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 7 · 2006: 10 · 2008: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2016: 456 · 2017: 5 · 2018: 161 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2026: 2; 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 Wayne County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $66.3 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 | Very High | $1.2M | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $24M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $659K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $28M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 8.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $349K | 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 Wayne 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 Wayne CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wayne County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis