1,688
Recorded events
99
Counties affected
134
Direct deaths
$2.0B
Property damage
North Carolina tornado history: 1,688 recorded events across 99 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
North Carolina tornado history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 335 reported tornado 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 tornado events in North Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carteret County | 80 | 0 | $16.0M | 1963–2024 |
| #2 | Onslow County | 50 | 3 | $15.4M | 1955–2026 |
| #3 | Robeson County | 49 | 6 | $9.6M | 1957–2024 |
| #4 | Pender County | 47 | 3 | $4.9M | 1951–2025 |
| #5 | Brunswick County | 45 | 3 | $4.2M | 1951–2024 |
| #6 | Wake County | 40 | 7 | $371.3M | 1950–2024 |
| #7 | Dare County | 40 | 1 | $5.4M | 1952–2025 |
| #8 | Duplin County | 39 | 0 | $34.6M | 1957–2023 |
| #9 | Craven County | 39 | 0 | $8.1M | 1965–2024 |
| #10 | Beaufort County | 38 | 1 | $23.2M | 1954–2023 |
| #11 | Pitt County | 33 | 9 | $30.0M | 1950–2017 |
| #12 | New Hanover County | 33 | 0 | $2.4M | 1954–2025 |
| #13 | Bertie County | 32 | 20 | $34.3M | 1952–2023 |
| #14 | Columbus County | 32 | 8 | $6.6M | 1950–2024 |
| #15 | Lenoir County | 30 | 0 | $57.8M | 1961–2023 |
| #16 | Cleveland County | 28 | 0 | $27.5M | 1973–2024 |
| #17 | Wayne County | 28 | 4 | $53.7M | 1955–2019 |
| #18 | Mecklenburg County | 28 | 0 | $6.1M | 1960–2026 |
| #19 | Bladen County | 27 | 5 | $30.5M | 1960–2024 |
| #20 | Harnett County | 25 | 1 | $17.5M | 1960–2022 |
| #21 | Johnston County | 24 | 1 | $28.9M | 1973–2025 |
| #22 | Cumberland County | 23 | 5 | $132.1M | 1957–2014 |
| #23 | Lincoln County | 23 | 4 | $27.7M | 1968–2025 |
| #24 | Sampson County | 23 | 14 | $66.1M | 1957–2024 |
| #25 | Iredell County | 23 | 1 | $4.9M | 1957–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in North Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2011 | Bertie County | EF3 | 12 | 55 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Sampson County | F3 | 10 | 90 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Pitt County | F4 | 9 | 153 |
| Nov 16, 2006 | Columbus County | F3 | 8 | 20 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Greene County | F4 | 7 | 0 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Bertie County | F3 | 6 | 19 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Cherokee County | F4 | 4 | 26 |
| Apr 9, 1957 | Sampson County | F4 | 4 | 32 |
| May 5, 1989 | Lincoln County | F4 | 4 | 19 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | Wake County | EF3 | 4 | 67 |