312
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Chatham County, North Carolina: 312 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 60. That places the county #414 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Chatham County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Chatham County is the 2020s, when 103 of the county's 312 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 Chatham County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 69.3% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #414 for this hazard and #17 within North Carolina, putting it in the 86.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Chatham County with 67 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2005 | HARPERS XRDS | 60 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2026 | FARRINGTON | 50 | $1K |
| Apr 29, 2026 | FARRINGTON | 50 | $15K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | SEAFORTH | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | TERRELLS | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | TERRELLS | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | SILK HOPE | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | SILER CITY | 50 | $2K |
| Mar 16, 2026 | HARPERS XRDS | 50 | $1K |
| Dec 19, 2025 | SILER CITY ARPT | 50 | $5K |
| Dec 19, 2025 | CRUTCHFIELD XRDS | 50 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Chatham County
- Hail 82
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Emergency management reported 4 homes were damaged by falling trees in and to the north of Pittsboro. Numerous trees were blown down in a corridor from Pittsboro north and east to Ferrington. Several cars were damaged by falling trees with one person trapped in a vehicle just north of Pittsboro on NC Highway 87. Wind speeds were estimated to be near 70 mph.
Scattered damage throughout the county from trees being downed. Several trees fell on houses, mobile homes, outbuildings, pasture fences and utility lines. Between 500 and 1000 people were without power shortly after the event.
Multiple trees were blown down, with some snapped and some uprooted. Also, some minor property damage was caused to a fence and a pool by falling trees. Photos and radar analysis confirmed that the cause of this wind damage was a microburst. Monetary damage was estimated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Chatham County, North Carolina?
312 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Chatham County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Chatham County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Chatham County measured 60.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Chatham 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 Chatham County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/chatham-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.