Alleghany County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 143 recorded events between 1973 and 2024. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 38.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,732 nationally and #91 in North Carolina.
143
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$7.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Alleghany County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Alleghany County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 2.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 67 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 141 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $5.6M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Alleghany County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $21K | 1.5 | 1991–2022 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 42 | 0 | $207K | 73 | 1985–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $5.6M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $61K | 0 | 2011–2024 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $857K | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $455K | F1 | 1973–2009 |
Decade by decade
Alleghany County, North Carolina severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Alleghany County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2009 | Tornado | BLEVINS XRDS | 0 | 6 | $200K |
| May 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Runoff from continued heavy rain resulted in numerous roads becoming flooded and impassible across Alleghany County per reports from the public and from the Alleghany County 911 Dispatch Center. Rainfall totals ranging from seven to locally ten inches were observed across much of the county on the 26th, resulting in numerous flooded creeks and roads that were covered by several inches of flowing water. After a brief lull in rainfall as the Predecessor Rainfall Event concluded, allowing flooding to subside briefly, heavy rain associated with the arrival of Tropical Storm Helene moved across the county, falling at rates of one to two inches per hour. Reports include Saddle Mountain Road being washed out and destroyed near its intersection with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the New River, the Farmers Fish Camp Road Bridge was completely submerged by the New River, with significant damage observed on the bridge once the flooding receded.
Runoff from very heavy rain produced two feet of flowing water across Highway 21 just south of Sparta. The road had to be closed. Also, a portion of Halsey Street in Sparta was destroyed by the flood waters. Extensive damage occurred to one business. Damage values are estimated.
A low end EF-2 tornado touched down on Osee Road and was intermittently on the ground approximately 5 miles moving east-southeast, finally lifting between Old Barrett Road and Glade Valley Road. ||A single wide mobile home was destroyed on Osee Road, causing four injuries. Along the track, cement silos were collapsed, 5 other homes were damaged, and several other structures were heavily damaged. Two people received minor injuries when struck by debris after winds blew out windows in their home. Monetary damages are estimates.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,174
Population (ACS)
$215K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 28, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | EM |
| Aug 6, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | EM |
| Mar 3, 2021 | Severe Storm | TROPICAL STORM ETA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Alleghany County, North Carolina?
143 events are on record between 1973 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths and $7.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Alleghany County?
Hail, with 55 recorded events — 38.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Alleghany County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Alleghany County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Alleghany County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Alleghany County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alleghany County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Alleghany County, North Carolina severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Alexander County 228
- Anson County 297
- Alamance County 414
- Ashe County 283
- Avery County 154
- Beaufort County 397
Cite this page
“Alleghany County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/alleghany-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.