20,231
Recorded events
100
Counties affected
43
Direct deaths
$144.7M
Property damage
North Carolina thunderstorm wind history: 20,231 recorded events across 100 counties between 1955 and 2026.
Decade by decade
North Carolina thunderstorm wind history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 6,895 reported thunderstorm wind events across North Carolina. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most thunderstorm wind events in North Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wake County | 727 | 2 | $5.1M | 1958–2026 |
| #2 | Surry County | 476 | 0 | $3.3M | 1974–2025 |
| #3 | Rockingham County | 446 | 0 | $3.7M | 1958–2026 |
| #4 | Johnston County | 446 | 0 | $27.0M | 1958–2026 |
| #5 | Mecklenburg County | 429 | 1 | $2.9M | 1957–2026 |
| #6 | Randolph County | 425 | 0 | $1.2M | 1961–2026 |
| #7 | Guilford County | 425 | 2 | $2.0M | 1956–2026 |
| #8 | Forsyth County | 399 | 1 | $1.6M | 1958–2026 |
| #9 | Wilkes County | 381 | 1 | $1.7M | 1976–2025 |
| #10 | Robeson County | 363 | 0 | $4.4M | 1956–2026 |
| #11 | Stokes County | 340 | 0 | $1.4M | 1964–2025 |
| #12 | Rowan County | 340 | 0 | $2.8M | 1957–2026 |
| #13 | Moore County | 331 | 0 | $1.5M | 1959–2026 |
| #14 | Iredell County | 327 | 2 | $1.7M | 1964–2026 |
| #15 | Sampson County | 315 | 0 | $4.8M | 1966–2025 |
| #16 | Cumberland County | 313 | 0 | $1.7M | 1957–2026 |
| #17 | Chatham County | 312 | 0 | $1.2M | 1957–2026 |
| #18 | Davidson County | 304 | 2 | $2.1M | 1964–2026 |
| #19 | Wayne County | 290 | 1 | $4.0M | 1957–2026 |
| #20 | Catawba County | 284 | 0 | $2.3M | 1957–2026 |
| #21 | Bladen County | 284 | 0 | $2.0M | 1964–2026 |
| #22 | Craven County | 281 | 0 | $277K | 1959–2026 |
| #23 | Orange County | 278 | 2 | $820K | 1975–2026 |
| #24 | Cleveland County | 276 | 0 | $876K | 1960–2025 |
| #25 | Duplin County | 272 | 0 | $1.0M | 1970–2026 |
Significant events
Deadliest thunderstorm wind events in North Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 1990 | Tyrrell County | — | 4 | 0 |
| Mar 23, 2012 | Gaston County | — | 2 | 1 |
| Jul 1, 2012 | Beaufort County | — | 2 | 0 |
| May 6, 1989 | Iredell County | — | 2 | 0 |
| May 11, 2011 | Rutherford County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Apr 14, 1984 | Chowan County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2015 | Lincoln County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 1, 2013 | Rutherford County | — | 1 | 1 |
| May 27, 2024 | Clay County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 5, 2020 | Gaston County | — | 1 | 0 |
All hazards in North Carolina · Thunderstorm Wind across the U.S.