Yancey County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37199 · population 18,463 · 313 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 599 records for Yancey County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 533 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (379 records). 492 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the September 26, 2024 flash flood: 9 deaths and $70.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1977, 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
- 599on 533 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 141 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $105Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF1
- 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 Yancey County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 379 since 1996. 53% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 379 | 360 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 3 of 100 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 41 | 38 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | $116K | 97 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 40 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $840K | 9 of 100 |
| Hail | 36 | 29 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 0 | $44K | 84 of 100 |
| Drought | 35 | 35 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 100 |
| Floods | 30 | 27 | 1996-2024 | 13 | 0 | $92M | 35 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 3 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1956-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 87 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | 69 of 100 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2016 | 1 | 1 | – | 67 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 15 of 100 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 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 Yancey County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Yancey County from 1956 to 2023, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Yancey County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, 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 Yancey County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-07 | Spivey Gap, Yancey County | EF1 6.23 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-06-06 | Yancey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1956-03-08 | Yancey County | F1 0.2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Yancey County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 27, 2024 flash flood (4 deaths and $18.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Extensive flooding of the North Toe and Nolichucky Rivers as well as the lower portion of the Cane River developed during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurred just after sunrise, as the tropical rain bands near the center of Helene swept across the area. Dozens of homes were inundated and numerous roads were inundated and damaged or destroyed including portions of Highways 19 and 80. Several fatalities occurred, mostly in flooded homes. Several dozen landslides also occurred across this part of Yancey County, with some of those causing further damage and destruction. Storm total rainfall across this part of Yancey County was generally between 6-11 inches. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1218191)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HailBald Mtn, Yancey County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | High WindYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-30 | Winter WeatherYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | Flash FloodLunday, Yancey County Historic, catastrophic flash flooding developed along the Cane River and South Toe River basins during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurred just after sunrise, as the tropical rain bands near the ... | 9 | 0 | $71M | |
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodCave River, Yancey County Extensive flooding of the North Toe and Nolichucky Rivers as well as the lower portion of the Cane River developed during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurred just after sunrise, as the tropical ... | 4 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2016-07-16 | LightningEskota, Yancey County Newspaper reported a motorcyclist was killed after being struck by lightning at the intersection of Highway 128 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-05-07 | LightningNewdale, Yancey County Supercell thunderstorms developed in a highly sheared atmosphere in eastern Tennessee then moved east across the mountains, foothills and western piedmont of North Carolina. These long-lived, cyclic supercells produced a considerable amount of large hail and some damaging winds in the mountains. The first tornado of ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-26 | Flash FloodLunday, Yancey County | 9 | 0 | $71M | |
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodCave River, Yancey County | 4 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2024-09-27 | Tropical StormYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2004-09-08 | Debris FlowYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 1998-01-07 | Flash FloodCountywide, Yancey County | 0 | 0 | $362K | |
| 2004-09-17 | FloodYancey County · forecast zone Yancey | 0 | 0 | $314K |
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: June 6, 1977 (tornado, Yancey 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 Yancey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 62 | 154 | 117 | 46 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 29 | 5 | 1 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 7 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 9 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 143 · Feb 106 · Mar 70 · Apr 40 · May 28 · Jun 25 · Jul 16 · Aug 18 · Sep 17 · Oct 18 · Nov 37 · Dec 81 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Yancey County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Yancey County: 14 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (9) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-28 | DR-4827 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3617 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2022-10-01 | EM-3586 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021-09-08 | DR-4617 | Hurricane | Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred |
| 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 |
| 2019-09-03 | EM-3423 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-09-14 | DR-4393 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2013-09-25 | DR-4146 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2010-02-02 | DR-1871 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2004-09-10 | DR-1546 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Frances |
| 1998-01-15 | DR-1200 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1103 | Snowstorm | Winter Storm |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1995-10-23 | DR-1073 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1977-11-09 | DR-542 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Yancey County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 30 flood or flash flood records for Yancey County from 1996 to 2024, on 27 days, with 13 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Yancey County ranks 1101st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-26 | 3 | 13 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-17 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | 2004-09-07 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $8.9 million on 146 claims filed in Yancey County; the most in one year was 76 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 3 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 3 · 1998: 3 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 26 · 2005: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 76; 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 Yancey County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yancey County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $548K | 54 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $164K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $177K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $103K | 28 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $287K | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $449K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Yancey 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
- Winter storms in North CarolinaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Yancey CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Yancey County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis