155
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$695K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Lee County, North Carolina: 155 recorded events between 1963 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #1,474 nationally and #57 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Lee County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Lee County is the 2010s, when 52 of the county's 155 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 Lee County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 62.0% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,474 for this hazard and #57 within North Carolina, putting it in the 53.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Lee County with 40 recorded events, while Oct 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 2020 | SANFORD | 50 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| May 3, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 2025 | LEMON SPGS | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 28, 2025 | LEMON SPGS | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 16, 2025 | SANFORD | 50 | $10K |
| Jul 10, 2025 | LEMON SPGS | 50 | $10K |
| Jun 26, 2025 | ROSSER | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 26, 2025 | JONESBORO | 50 | $5K |
| Jun 16, 2025 | TRAMWAY | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 16, 2025 | SANFORD MUNI ARPT | 50 | $1K |
| May 9, 2025 | ROSSER | 50 | $1K |
| May 9, 2025 | SANFORD MUNI ARPT | 50 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Lee County
- Hail 58
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An isolated severe thunderstorm produced a downbrust and considerable rainfall near Sandford. T he county Emergency Manager reported that 2 storage buildings were destroyed, 3 mobile homes sustained heavy damage due to falling trees, and a single engine airplane was turned upside down at the local airport. There were numerous trees downed in the same area.
Numerous trees were blown down along a swath from north of Sanford to approximately 3 miles southeast of Sanford. One tree was blown down onto a car and another tree was blown down onto a house. Two additional structures reported damage with a roof collapse.
Several trees and power-lines were blown down in the city limits, resulting in approximately 3,000 customers without power. Vehicles were damaged when a large |tree fell at the 100 block of Carbonton Road. Monetary damages were estimated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Lee County, North Carolina?
155 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Lee County between 1963 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Lee County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Lee County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Lee 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 Lee County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/lee-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.