262
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$1.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Durham County, North Carolina: 262 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 80. That places the county #621 nationally and #28 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Durham County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Durham County is the 2010s, when 81 of the county's 262 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 Durham County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 51.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #621 for this hazard and #28 within North Carolina, putting it in the 80.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Durham County with 53 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2014 | HOPE VLY | 50 | 1 | 0 | $8K |
| Aug 11, 1986 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Mar 16, 2026 | HOPE VLY | 50 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Jul 15, 2016 | FEW | 50 | 0 | 1 | $150K |
| Apr 26, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Apr 6, 1986 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | HOPE VLY | 50 | $20K |
| Jul 19, 2025 | EAST DURHAM | 50 | $2K |
| Jul 17, 2025 | NORTH DURHAM | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 10, 2025 | HOPE VLY | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 10, 2025 | HOPE VLY | 50 | $5K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | BAHAMA | 50 | $1K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | HUCKLEBERRY SPG | 50 | $5K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | BRAGGTOWN | 50 | $20K |
| Jun 28, 2025 | HOPE VLY | 50 | $5K |
| Jun 27, 2025 | BRAGGTOWN | 50 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Durham County
- Hail 127
- Flash Flood 91
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees, power lines and power poles were blown down from near Chapel Hill to near Parkwood. A 55-year old man was killed by a falling tree as he was standing on the back deck of his home on Roper Lane in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
In addition to the tornado damage in Durham county, numerous trees were blown down by rear-flank downdraft winds. Downed trees fell onto and damage homes and vehicles, with the damage most extensive along Rose of Sharon Road.
Numerous trees were blown down along the wind swath, including a few uprooted trees that fell onto homes. One person was injured when a tree feel onto a U-Haul vehicle. Firefighters had to cut tree limbs to reach the driver, who sustained head and back injuries. The victim was taken to a hospital. Damages where estimated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Durham County, North Carolina?
262 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Durham County between 1956 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Durham County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Durham County measured 80.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Durham 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 Durham County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/durham-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.