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Richmond County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 221 recorded events between 1964 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,314 nationally and #75 in North Carolina.
221
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$23.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Richmond County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Richmond County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 85 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 21 events fall before 1990 and 200 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $21.8M 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 Richmond County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 154 | 0 | $730K | 60 | 1970–2025 |
| Hail | 38 | 0 | $250K | 1.75 | 1980–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $350K | F3 | 1964–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2006 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $21.8M | 0 | 2010–2018 |
Decade by decade
Richmond 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: 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-08-29 | EF3 | 0 | 15 | 21.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-05-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-09-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Torrential rainfall of 10 to 15 inches caused widespread flooding across the county. Additional rainfall upstream resulted in major flooding at the Blewett Falls Dam along the Pee Dee River. Flooding damaged approximately 160 structures throughout the county, destroying 25 and resulting in over $21.8 million in property damage. Crop damage was at least $30 million. Numerous streets and roads were reported flooded.
Torrential rainfall of 15 to 20 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county. The heavy rains caused flash flooding on several creeks. Numerous roads were closed throughout the county, including U.S. 1 from U.S. 74 to the South Carolina state line and from Marston through Hoffman. There was also several flooded or washed out areas, including along Blewett Falls Road and Osborne Road.
Heavy rain resulted in minor flooding across the county. Flood waters resulted in the closure of several roads including Grassy Island Road, Peedee Church Road, John Ussery Road, Highway 1 at Bear Branch Road, and Mill Road near Hannah Pickett Avenue.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
42,344
Population (ACS)
$128K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| 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 |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Richmond County, North Carolina?
221 events are on record between 1964 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $23.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Richmond County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 154 recorded events — 69.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Richmond County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Richmond County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Richmond County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Richmond County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Richmond County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Richmond 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
- Randolph County 622
- Robeson County 643
- Polk County 236
- Rockingham County 745
- Pitt County 554
- Rowan County 518
Cite this page
“Richmond County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/richmond-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.