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Orange County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 464 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,006 nationally and #34 in North Carolina.
464
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$74.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Orange County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Orange County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 6.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 140 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 35 events fall before 1990 and 429 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Orange County, North Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $41.7M 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 Orange County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 278 | 2 | $820K | 69 | 1975–2026 |
| Hail | 84 | 0 | $3K | 2.75 | 1956–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 74 | 1 | $41.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 12 | 2 | $2.9M | F3 | 1975–2025 |
| Lightning | 10 | 2 | $2.4M | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $26.4M | 0 | 2018–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2020 |
Decade by decade
Orange 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
11 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-23 | EF3 | 2 | 10 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-07-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-10-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-01-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-06-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Orange County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 23, 1992 | Tornado | 2 | 10 | $250K | |
| Jul 7, 2025 | Flash Flood | MC DADE | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 28, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHAPEL HILL WLLMS AR | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Jun 13, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHAPEL HILL | 1 | 0 | $3K |
| Jun 11, 2006 | Lightning | HILLSBOROUGH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2003 | Lightning | CEDAR GROVE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 25, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | CHAPEL HILL | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2022 | Flash Flood | CHAPEL HILL WLLMS AR | 0 | 1 | $2K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
There were numerous reports of stranded/submerged vehicles, washed out roadways, apartments and residential homes flooded, and law enforcement performed multiple water rescues, including one at Camelot Village. Total estimated damages may have exceeded 30 million across Orange County.
Torrential rainfall of 6 to 10 inches caused widespread flooding across the county, which caused flooding along the Eno River and other creeks and streams throughout the county. Additionally, water held in Jordan Lake from rainfall in its headwaters resulted in flooding along the lake into far southeast portions of the county. Flooding damaged approximately 276 structures throughout the county, destroying 1 and resulting in $26.4 million in property damage. Numerous roads were closed due to flooding. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded as well. While final losses on crops are not yet tallied, estimates around $5 million or more are possible.
Flooding of streets and buldings was reported countywide, especially in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The Eastgate Shopping center was damaged, as well as several apartments and homes. A bridge was washed out on Piney Mountain Rd.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
149,678
Population (ACS)
$460K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Tropical Depression | TROPICAL DEPRESSION CHANTAL | 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 |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Chapel Hill 129
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Orange County, North Carolina?
464 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $74.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Orange County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 278 recorded events — 59.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Orange County?
11 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Orange County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Orange County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Orange County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orange County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 79 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Orange 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
- Onslow County 542
- Pamlico County 130
- Northampton County 239
- Pasquotank County 209
- New Hanover County 605
- Pender County 444
Cite this page
“Orange County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/orange-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.