North Carolina tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 99 counties with a record
North Carolina has recorded 1,551 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 29 a year since 2000, with 53 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the March 28, 1984 Greenville tornado (16 deaths in North Carolina). North Carolina ranks 20th of 52 states and territories by count and 21st of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in North Carolina, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 1,5511950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 29average
- Deaths
- 1342,808 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 533% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 200467 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in North Carolina?
North Carolina averages about 29 tornadoes a year since 2000, 20th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (67). Per 10,000 square miles of land, North Carolina records 319 tornadoes since 1950, 21st of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in North Carolina have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, New Hanover County leads North Carolina: 23 days with a tornado record since 1950, 119.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Carteret County has the most tornado records (80 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in North Carolina?
North Carolina's tornadoes by month. The busiest month is May (271 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 63 · Mar 153 · Apr 241 · May 271 · Jun 136 · Jul 125 · Aug 152 · Sep 190 · Oct 97 · Nov 68 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in North Carolina?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 | Greenville · Lenoir, Greene, Pitt | F4 | 28 mi | 16 | 153 |
| 1984-03-28 | Salemburg · Bladen, Cumberland, Sampson | F3 | 40 mi | 12 | 101 |
| 2011-04-16 | Askewville · Bertie, Hertford | EF3 | 17.88 mi | 12 | 58 |
| 2006-11-16 | Riegelwood · Columbus | F3 | 2.15 mi | 8 | 20 |
| 2011-04-16 | Raleigh · Moore, Lee, Chatham, Wake | EF3 | 65.23 mi | 6 | 103 |
| 1984-03-28 | Lewiston Woodville · Bertie | F3 | 6 mi | 6 | 19 |
| 1988-11-27 | Raleigh · Wake, Franklin, Nash, Halifax | F4 | 83 mi | 4 | 154 |
| 1957-04-08 | Laurinburg · Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland, SampsonWhole track: NC, SC; 4 deaths | F4 | 65.9 mi | 4 | 54 |
| 1989-05-05 | Belwood · Cleveland, Lincoln, Catawba | F4 | 14 mi | 4 | 52 |
| 1974-04-03 | Murphy · CherokeeWhole track: GA, NC; 4 deaths | F4 | 18.9 mi | 4 | 26 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside North Carolina), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in North Carolina?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in North Carolina
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-03-28 | Greenville · Lenoir, Greene, Pitt | F4 | 28 mi | 1,223 yd | 16 |
| 1988-11-27 | Raleigh · Wake, Franklin, Nash, Halifax | F4 | 83 mi | 400 yd | 4 |
| 1957-04-08 | Laurinburg · Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson | F4 | 65.9 mi | 150 yd | 4 |
| 1974-04-03 | Murphy · Cherokee | F4 | 18.9 mi | 10 yd | 4 |
| 1989-05-05 | Belwood · Cleveland, Lincoln, Catawba | F4 | 14 mi | 800 yd | 4 |
| 1984-03-28 | Mount Olive · Sampson, Duplin, Wayne | F4 | 21 mi | 1,407 yd | 3 |
| 1984-03-28 | Red Springs · Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland | F4 | 35 mi | 2,640 yd | 2 |
| 1989-05-05 | Indian Trail to Fairview · Union | F4 | 13 mi | 500 yd | 1 |
| 1989-05-05 | Chesnee · Rutherford | F4 | 6 mi | 400 yd | 0 |
| 1998-05-07 | Caldwell | F4 | 4 mi | 1,320 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in North Carolina
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-23 | Wilson to Elizabeth · Harnett, Johnston, Wilson, Edgecombe | F3 | 160 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1971-02-22 | Fayetteville · Cumberland, Sampson, Greene, Edgecombe | F3 | 85.7 mi | 500 yd | 2 |
| 1988-11-27 | Raleigh · Wake, Franklin, Nash, Halifax | F4 | 83 mi | 400 yd | 4 |
| 1963-09-29 | Newton Grove · Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson | F2 | 70.3 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1957-04-08 | Laurinburg · Scotland, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson | F4 | 65.9 mi | 150 yd | 4 |
| 2011-04-16 | Raleigh · Moore, Lee, Chatham, Wake | EF3 | 65.23 mi | 500 yd | 6 |
| 1966-11-02 | Raleigh · Harnett, Wake, Franklin, Warren | F2 | 64.5 mi | 77 yd | 0 |
| 1962-04-08 | Sampson, Wayne, Greene, Pitt | F0 | 64.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1971-03-15 | Cumberland, Sampson, Duplin | F1 | 64 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1956-04-06 | Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union | F1 | 56.4 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every North Carolina county
All 99 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in North Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-19 | TornadoDortches, Nash County The remnants of a Mesoscale Convective Vortex initiated a tornadic supercell on its southeastern quadrant as it quickly moved into the northern Coastal Plain early Wednesday morning. The tornado initially touched down southwest of Dortches, NC where power poles were bent and hardwoods snapped at the trunk were ... | EF3 7.19 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 16 | $291M |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoBurt, Wake County The tornado exited Chatham County and entered southwest Wake County as an EF0. There was multiple tree and roof damage along Avent Ferry Road, southwest of Holly Springs. The tornado intensified to an EF1 with winds of 86 mph as it reached Fire Station Number Two and the Holly Glenn Subdivision before crossing highway ... | EF3 37.99 mi x 300 yd | 4 | 67 | $151M |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoFenix, Cumberland County The tornado exited Hoke County and continued to move northeast crossing into Cumberland County, just north of NC Highway 401. EF0 damage continued near the Clifdale community, where the damage was more sporadic across Bones Creek and Stewarts Creek. Strong tornado damage then occurred in and near the Beaver Creek ... | EF3 26.21 mi x 800 yd | 1 | 85 | $131M |
| 1998-05-07 | TornadoClemmons, Forsyth County A large tornado tore through the Waterford Subdivision of Clemmons in southwest Forsyth county. The initial touchdown was at 630 pm local time. Several homes were completely destroyed, several hundred sustained major roof, wall, and window damage. Tree damage was extensive with debris scattered for miles. | F3 2 mi x 1 yd | 0 | 5 | $91M |
| 2018-04-15 | TornadoGreensboro, Guilford County The tornado initially touched down on the north side of I-40 near where Willow Road crosses I-40. Damage at this point consisted of snapped trees and was consistent with 90 mph wind speeds, or EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado remained on the ground as it traveled north toward Peeler Elementary School. ... | EF2 15.15 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 2 | $76M |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoWhite Hill, Lee County The tornado exited Moore County and proceeded to strengthen to an EF1 as it moved into Lee County along Wildlife Road. The tornado blew a single wide trailer off its foundation, while also damaging the home home next door. The tornado continued to intensify to EF3 intensity along Lemon Springs Road striking the St. ... | EF3 19.13 mi x 500 yd | 2 | 36 | $75M |
| 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 |
| 2011-04-16 | TornadoJason, Greene County This is the second segment for the tornado that originally spun up in Lenoir County. The tornado moved into Greene county just west of Highway 903. The tornado produced mainly EF0 and EF1 damage across the southern part of Greene County with damage to trees and a few homes. The tornado intensified to EF3 with winds ... | EF3 15.25 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 60 | $39M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 28, 1988 (tornado, Wake County, 2 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in North Carolina?
North Carolina's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | North Carolina | United States | North Carolina's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 71 | 4,837 | 1.5% |
| 1960s | 81 | 6,863 | 1.2% |
| 1970s | 181 | 8,633 | 2.1% |
| 1980s | 147 | 8,250 | 1.8% |
| 1990s | 305 | 12,205 | 2.5% |
| 2000s | 307 | 12,892 | 2.4% |
| 2010s | 295 | 12,232 | 2.4% |
| 2020-25 | 164 | 8,234 | 2.0% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in North Carolina
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-09 | TornadoDelco, Columbus County | EF1 1.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-03-16 | TornadoCharlotte, Mecklenburg County | EF0 1.44 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-03-16 | TornadoIvy, Madison County | EF0 2.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | TornadoLone Ridge, Madison County | EF0 0.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoBelgrade, Onslow County | EF1 0.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoWhortonville, Pamlico County | EF1 0.32 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoLees Lndg, Pamlico County | EF1 0.6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoFlorence, Pamlico County | EF1 1.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-12 | TornadoJacksonville, Onslow County | EF0 0.14 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-06 | TornadoWilmington Airport, New Hanover County | EF0 1.68 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-07-06 | TornadoMiles, Orange County | EF1 0.25 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-07-06 | TornadoAlamance County | EF1 0.6 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in North Carolina
FEMA has declared 8 disasters in North Carolina for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 8 were major disasters, the latest on May 8, 2020.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-08 | DR-4543 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 19 |
| 2018-05-08 | DR-4364 | Tornado and Severe Storms | 2 |
| 2011-04-19 | DR-1969 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 20 |
| 1998-03-22 | DR-1211 | Severe Storms Tornadoes, and Flooding | 7 |
| 1989-05-17 | DR-827 | Tornadoes | 13 |
| 1988-12-02 | DR-818 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 9 |
| 1984-03-30 | DR-699 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 14 |
| 1974-04-12 | DR-428 | Tornadoes | 6 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- New Hanover County: the county's whole recordThe North Carolina county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in North CarolinaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in North Carolina20,476 records
- Hail in North Carolina9,900 records
- Winter storms in North Carolina8,965 records