Forsyth County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 590 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 67.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #614 nationally and #11 in North Carolina.
590
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
61
Direct injuries
$88.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Forsyth County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Forsyth County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 8.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 191 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 68 events fall before 1990 and 522 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Forsyth County, North Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $85.8M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Forsyth County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 399 | 1 | $1.6M | 100 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1970–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 59 | 0 | $435K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 16 | 0 | $85.8M | F3 | 1973–2008 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $235K | 0 | 2003–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2010 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Forsyth 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
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-05-08 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-07 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-05 | EF3 | 0 | 30 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-05-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-06 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 9.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-10-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-22 | EF1 | 0 | 13 | 31.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Forsyth County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | WINSTON-SALEM | 1 | 1 | $20K |
| May 5, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 30 | $25.0M | |
| May 6, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| May 5, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 7, 1998 | Tornado | CLEMMONS | 0 | 5 | $50.0M |
| May 9, 2008 | Tornado | CLEMMONS STATION | 0 | 2 | $2.5M |
| May 28, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| May 3, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLEMMONS | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large tornado tore through the Waterford Subdivision of Clemmons in southwest Forsyth county. The initial touchdown was at 630 pm local time. Several homes were completely destroyed, several hundred sustained major roof, wall, and window damage. Tree damage was extensive with debris scattered for miles.
This tornado originated from the same parent supercell that produced the tornado in Davie County which lifted in Forsyth County just across the Yadkin River. This second tornado touched down just southwest of Hampton Road. Three metal barns sustained major damage around the 4800 block of Hampton Road with minor damage to two homes. The tornado continued northeast through wooded farmland before hitting the Bridgepoint Subdivision where the tornado strengthened to EF-3 intensity. Three homes were destroyed and approximately thirty homes sustained moderate damage. There were only two minor injuries in the subdivision.||The tornado continued to track to the northeast across Frye Bridge Road and through a heavily wooded area. It then dissipated near the intersection of Cooper Road and Fraternity Church Road. A few homes suffered damage, primarily due to fallen trees. Hardwood tree damage in the area was consistent with EF-2 intensity as tree trunks were snapped in a 200 to 300 yard path. The overall path length of the tornado was around 3 miles with a maximum width of 300 yards.
Several trees were blown down along a swath from the intersection of Highway 158 and Serene St to Old Hollow Road near Old Valley School Road. Trees fell onto residences on Sir Issac Drive, Beulah Lane, and on Reidsville Road, causing damage to the roof of the respective homes.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
389,977
Population (ACS)
$250K
Median home value
25
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 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | EM |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
590 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $88.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Forsyth County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 399 recorded events — 67.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Forsyth County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Forsyth County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Forsyth County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Forsyth County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Forsyth County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Forsyth 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
- Edgecombe County 290
- Franklin County 379
- Durham County 512
- Gaston County 498
- Duplin County 507
- Gates County 176
Cite this page
“Forsyth County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/forsyth-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.