Clay County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 123 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,805 nationally and #96 in North Carolina.
123
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Clay County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clay County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 2.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 41 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 10 events fall before 1990 and 113 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Clay County, North Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $954K 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 Clay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 86 | 1 | $437K | 65 | 1985–2026 |
| Hail | 19 | 0 | $10K | 1.75 | 1985–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $73K | F1 | 1965–2018 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 5 | 0 | $954K | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2021–2021 |
Decade by decade
Clay 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
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-04-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-12-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-01-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-03-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | SHOOTING CREEK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began north of Hayesville as an EF0 rating with a maximum wind speed of 65 mph and a damage path of 20 yards. It strengthened to an EF1 rating with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph and a damage path of 60 yards. The tornado weakened to an EF0 rating with a maximum wind speed of 65 mph and a damage path of 10 yards before dissipating. The path length was 1.5 miles.
Stamey Cove Road was washed out earlier this morning by the flooded Tusquittee Creek. Water approached at least one house, flooding the front yard. Tusquittee Creek Road is closed along with a reported 7 other roads in Clay County. Creek gauge near Hayesville crested at 19.8 feet at 8:50 AM. Pictures shared via Facebook show Pine Log Creek has also escaped its banks and flooded backyards and low-lying lands along the creek. Water appears to be near at least one house in the photo.
The tornado started approximately near Fires Creek Road and Barlow Fields Drive. This was a non-continuous track more than likely due to the terrain. There was extensive softwood tree damage noted with most trees uprooted. Many trees were snapped in the upper third of their trunks as well. Trees also fell on homes and vehicles along the track. The rear flank downdraft winds were impressive particularly along Lance Cove Road and Sweetwater Bend, just south of the Hiawassee River. The tornado weakened and ended near Poplar Cove just south of the Hiawassee River.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,610
Population (ACS)
$278K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 28, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | HURRICANE HELENE | 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 Clay County, North Carolina?
123 events are on record between 1965 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $1.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clay County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 86 recorded events — 69.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clay County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clay County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County as very low risk, placing it in the 27 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clay 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
- Chowan County 146
- Cleveland County 521
- Cherokee County 256
- Columbus County 568
- Chatham County 450
- Craven County 553
Cite this page
“Clay County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/clay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.