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Onslow County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 542 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #751 nationally and #21 in North Carolina.
542
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
61
Direct injuries
$19.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Onslow County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Onslow County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 7.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 178 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 66 events fall before 1990 and 476 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Onslow County, North Carolina record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $15.4M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Onslow County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 229 | 0 | $287K | 78 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 193 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1974–2025 |
| Tornado | 50 | 3 | $15.4M | F2 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 47 | 0 | $2.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 13 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2006–2018 |
| Lightning | 6 | 2 | $2.0M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2012 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–1999 |
| Waterspout | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Onslow 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
49 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 48 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-16 | EF3 | 0 | 30 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-07-02 | EF2 | 3 | 10 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-09-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-10-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Onslow County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 1986 | Tornado | 3 | 10 | $250K | |
| Apr 12, 2025 | Lightning | MIDWAY PARK | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2017 | Lightning | (NCA)MCAS NEW RIVER | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2011 | Tornado | MIDWAY PARK | 0 | 30 | $9.4M |
| Apr 16, 1999 | Tornado | RICHLANDS | 0 | 7 | $2.0M |
| May 11, 2008 | Tornado | BELGRADE | 0 | 6 | $150K |
| Apr 19, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 9, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tornado spun up near Tarawa Terrace and quickly increased to EF2 intensity with winds to 125 mph and a damage width of 100 yards. Many residences were damaged severely. The tornado continued to track northeast and crossed Highway 24 and the Holiday City Subdivision at EF2 intensity with many homes severely damaged. The tornado widened to about 450 yards as it crossed the Colonial Heights Subdivision with winds around 100 mph. The tornado narrowed to about 100 yards and increased to EF3 intensity with winds to 145 mph as it crossed Piney Green Road and impacted the Montclair Subdivision. Severe damage to many homes with some totally destroyed. Several vehicles were picked up and tossed. The tornado then appeared to weaken and lift as it moved northeast of Piney Green. Total damage was estimated at 9.4 million dollars. There were 30 injuries directly related to the tornado, 3 critical. No fatalities occurred.
Torrential rain moved across most of Onslow County during the late afternoon and evening of September 30th as the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole moved north across the region. This rain fell on saturated ground from very heavy rain the previous few days. Significant flash flooding developed especially for areas from Jacksonville to Swansboro. Several cars were swept off Highway 24 due to the flooding. Many homes and businesses were flooded with a few destroyed. Some roads were also completely washed out and will need to be rebuilt.
Between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. up to 6 to 11 inches of rain fell across Onslow county. Eleven inches of rain fell over Camp Lejeune causing major flooding in hte French Creek area. About 12 cars were flooded along with some residenaces nd the fire station. By 340 p.m. most major roads in central and eastern Onslow county were closed and impassable due to flooding. A 40 foot section of Turkey Creek Road was washed away, prompting the rescue of several residents by local fire fighters. Up to 62,000 gallons of waste water spilled out of the treatment plant in Swansboro due to the flooding rain.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
207,906
Population (ACS)
$236K
Median home value
30
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 19, 2024 | Tropical Storm | POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE EIGHT | 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 |
| Oct 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Onslow County, North Carolina?
542 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $19.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Onslow County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 229 recorded events — 42.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Onslow County?
49 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 48 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Onslow County?
30 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Onslow County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Onslow County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Onslow County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 95 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Onslow 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
- Northampton County 239
- Orange County 464
- New Hanover County 605
- Pamlico County 130
- Nash County 429
- Pasquotank County 209
Cite this page
“Onslow County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/onslow-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.