284
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$2.3M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Catawba County, North Carolina: 284 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #511 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Catawba County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Catawba County is the 2010s, when 97 of the county's 284 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Catawba County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 51.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #511 for this hazard and #20 within North Carolina, putting it in the 83.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Catawba County with 82 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2011 | HICKORY | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 26, 1998 | CLAREMONT | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | CONOVER | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2025 | NEWTON | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 19, 2025 | PROPST XRDS | 50 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | PLATEAU | 50 | $1K |
| Aug 18, 2024 | CHRONICLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2024 | OYAMA | 50 | $50K |
| May 27, 2024 | CLAREMONT | 50 | $0 |
| May 27, 2024 | PROPST XRDS | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 13, 2023 | CONOVER | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | CLAREMONT | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Catawba County
- Hail 177
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees were blown down across the north side of Conover, with County Home Rd and the area near the highway 16, Thornburg Drive intersection being the hardest hit. Several trees fell on and damaged homes in these areas, with one home destroyed. A brick chimney was also blown over.
NWS storm survey found a swath of intense straight line wind damage across central Catawba County, from Mountain View and Hickory to Conover and Newton. Large numbers of trees were snapped and/or uprooted with numerous large tree branches downed. Several power poles were snapped and a few structures were damaged, including a building at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds and a greenhouse that was destroyed.
Storm Survey team found an area of downburst damage between Maiden and Catawba. Numerous trees were blown down through the area, with some falling on homes. Two small areas of tornadic damage were found embedded within the larger damage path.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Catawba County, North Carolina?
284 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Catawba County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Catawba County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Catawba County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Catawba County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Catawba County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/catawba-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.