Graham County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 136 recorded events between 1974 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 67.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,756 nationally and #92 in North Carolina.
136
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$648K
Property damage
The record
What the Graham County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Graham County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 53 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 134 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Graham County, North Carolina record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $350K in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Graham County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 92 | 0 | $48K | 65 | 1990–2025 |
| Hail | 34 | 0 | $0 | 3 | 1974–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $350K | 0 | 1997–2009 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2013 |
| Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | F2 | 1974–1974 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–1999 |
Decade by decade
Graham 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
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 2 | 11 | 24.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Graham County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 11 | $250K | |
| Jul 4, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROBBINSVILLE | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Another round of heavy rain-producing thunderstorms caused a second consecutive day of flash flooding across the county. Several roads were closed due to flooded creeks and streams, as well as due to rock and mud slides. Portions of highways 28 and 129 were closed. Rock and mudslides caused some homes and trailers to be swept away. Yellow Creek flooded several homes. Numerous bridges were washed out.
Flooding resulting from persistent overnight rainfall worsened during the morning hours, as numerous thunderstorms produced intense rainfall rates. By late afternoon, 24-hour rainfall totals averaged around 6 inches across the county. The result was numerous washed out or submerged bridges, as well as widespread rock and mud slides.
Video showed about 12 inches of fast moving water flowing across a low bridge over Springwood Lake Road where it meets Long Creek Road. However, the water was in its channel below the bridge and it appeared that debris had blocked the channel, causing the flooding. County Communications reported a few other private bridges also had water over them that afternoon in the Robbinsville area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,072
Population (ACS)
$171K
Median home value
17
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 |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | EM |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRED | DR |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Graham County, North Carolina?
136 events are on record between 1974 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $648K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Graham County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 92 recorded events — 67.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Graham County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Graham County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Graham County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Graham County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Graham County as very low risk, placing it in the 20 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Graham 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
- Gates County 176
- Granville County 297
- Gaston County 498
- Greene County 213
- Franklin County 379
- Guilford County 795
Cite this page
“Graham County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/graham-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.