40
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Dare County, North Carolina: 40 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #620 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Dare County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Dare County is the 1990s, when 12 of the county's 40 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 Dare County archive, tornado makes up 12.3% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #620 for this hazard and #6 within North Carolina, putting it in the 78.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for tornado in Dare County with 9 recorded events, while Dec 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-07-31 | EF2 | 0.2 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-11-10 | EF2 | 12.0 mi | 40 yd | Touched down here |
| 1987-03-31 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 1982-09-28 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-16 | EF1 | 0.7 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2004-08-14 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-08-18 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-29 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-04 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1959-07-10 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 1978 | F2 | 1 | 4 | $250K | |
| Mar 31, 1987 | F2 | 0 | 7 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 3, 2016 | (HAT)CAPE HATTERAS | EF0 | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Sep 29, 1982 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Sep 17, 1996 | NAGS HEAD | F0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 22, 1994 | F0 | 0 | 1 | $50K | |
| Nov 10, 1990 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| May 29, 1990 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | WANCHESE | EF0 | $0 |
| Sep 3, 2016 | (HAT)CAPE HATTERAS | EF0 | $250K |
| May 11, 2015 | MANTEO | EF0 | $5K |
| Aug 19, 2012 | RODANTHE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2012 | WANCHESE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2012 | WANCHESE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2011 | DUCK | EF1 | $767K |
| Jul 15, 2007 | RODANTHE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2006 | FRISCO | F0 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2004 | NAGS HEAD | F1 | $225K |
Other hazards here
More from Dare County
- Thunderstorm Wind 171
- Hail 54
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado developed near the sound in the Four Seasons subdivision, then moved northeast across the community of Duck before exiting into the ocean. The tornado was estimated to be an EF1 with winds around 90 mph. About 75 structures were damaged mostly minor to roofs and siding. Several large pines were toppled and damaged homes.
The Hatteras Island Rescue and National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City NC have confirmed a weak tornado briefly touched down at the Hatteras Sands RV resort near Hatteras Village in Dare County, North Carolina, around 1:02 am EDT on September 3rd, 2016. The EF0 tornado had winds estimated at 80 mph, a path width of 25 yards and path length of 100 yards. The tornado damaged or destroyed approximately 5 travel trailers and camping cabins, some which were not attached to the ground. Three injuries were reported from this tornado.
A waterspout developed over the Croatan Sound and lifted northeast moving onshore over parts of Roanoke Island as a weak EF0 tornado producing minor damage. Winds were estimated at 80 mph with a few small trees blown down. One house on Vista Lake Drive had a portion of the roof partially removed. There were no injuries or fatalities. This water spout/weak tornado developed along a band of showers occurring on the backside of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ana.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Dare County, North Carolina?
40 tornado events are recorded in Dare County between 1952 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Dare County?
The strongest tornado on record in Dare County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Dare 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
“Tornado in Dare County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/dare-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.