Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Martin; Pitt; Washington; Tyrrell; Mainland Dare; Greene; Beaufort; Mainland Hyde; Duplin; Lenoir; Jones; Pamlico; Northern Craven; Southern Craven; West Carteret; East Carteret; Inland Onslow; Coastal Onslow
Carteret County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 461 recorded events between 1963 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,014 nationally and #35 in North Carolina.
461
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$17.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Carteret County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Carteret County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 132 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 45 events fall before 1990 and 416 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Carteret County, North Carolina record is rip current, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $16.0M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Carteret County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 208 | 0 | $1.4M | 91 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 88 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1978–2024 |
| Tornado | 80 | 0 | $16.0M | F2 | 1963–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 53 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2007–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 1998–2012 |
| Waterspout | 5 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $5K | 0 | 1998–2007 |
| Rip Current | 3 | 3 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2004 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
Decade by decade
Carteret 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
67 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 63 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-09-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-12-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-11-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Carteret County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2004 | Rip Current | ATLANTIC BEACH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2002 | Rip Current | ATLANTIC BEACH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2002 | Rip Current | ATLANTIC | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 23, 1998 | Lightning | DAVIS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2004 | Tornado | STELLA | 0 | 3 | $284K |
| Nov 27, 2013 | Tornado | CAMP GLENN | 0 | 2 | $2.5M |
| May 23, 1998 | Lightning | ATLANTIC BEACH | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 27, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A waterspout moved ashore off Bogue Sound and produced a 200 yard wide EF1 tornado that tracked rapidly northeast across parts of Morehead City. The tornado first impacted the Carteret Community College with moderate structural damage to several buildings and numerous trees damaged. The tornado then lifted northeast producing minor damage to the Carteret General Hospital with several vehicles in the parking lot damaged. The tornado continued to track rapidly northeast across residential areas snapping or uprooting numerous trees, many that fell on homes producing minor to moderate damage. The tornado caused damage at Crab Point north of Morehead City before apparently moving over the Newport River and dissipating. There were no injuries reported from this tornado and damage was estimated at 4 million dollars.
A waterspout moved ashore on Bogue banks and produced a 200 yard wide EF2 tornado with winds estimated at 125 mph. The tornado did significant damage at the Ocean Sands condominiums ripping the roof off several units. Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from the local hospital. The tornado then tracked rapidly across Bogue Banks causing EF1 damage with numerous trees snapped with minor to moderate damage to several structures. The tornado then apparently moved back over water on Bogue Sound. Total damage on Bogue Banks was estimated at 2.5 million dollars.
Confirmed EF1 tornado with winds of 110 mph touched down 1.5 miles west of Peletier. The tornado tracked west-northwest for about 1/2 mile then lifted near the White Oak River. Approximately 67 homes were damaged, most minor, however 3 mobile homes and a garage were completely destroyed. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
69,148
Population (ACS)
$333K
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 Carteret County, North Carolina?
461 events are on record between 1963 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $17.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Carteret County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 208 recorded events — 45.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Carteret County?
67 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 63 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Carteret County?
30 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Carteret County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Carteret County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carteret County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 93 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Carteret 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
- Camden County 122
- Caswell County 376
- Caldwell County 374
- Catawba County 549
- Cabarrus County 456
- Chatham County 450
Cite this page
“Carteret County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/carteret-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.