Haywood County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 178 recorded events between 1963 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,565 nationally and #85 in North Carolina.
178
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$406.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Haywood County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Haywood County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 2.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 77 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 167 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Haywood County, North Carolina record is flash flood, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $401.6M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Haywood County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 74 | 0 | $153K | 60 | 1963–2026 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | $50K | 1.75 | 1972–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 9 | $401.6M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $113K | 0 | 2000–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $4.0M | 0 | 1997–2002 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 1 | $205K | 0 | 2013–2021 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2013–2024 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $250K | F1 | 1976–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Haywood 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
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-06-13 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-02-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Haywood County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2021 | Flash Flood | BURNETT SIDING | 5 | 0 | $200.0M |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | BURNETT SIDING | 4 | 0 | $200.0M |
| Aug 17, 2021 | Debris Flow | CRUSO | 1 | 0 | $200K |
| Jul 1, 1997 | Heavy Rain | MT STERLING | 0 | 3 | $4.0M |
| Jun 22, 2012 | Lightning | BIG EAST FORK | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | Tornado | MT STERLING | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
North Carolina Geologic Survey surveyed a large debris flow that developed off a ridge just west of Highway 276 in Cruso in conjunction with a major flash flooding event in the East Fork Pigeon River watershed. The debris field swept downslope toward 276, sweeping away and killing a 68-year-old man outside of his home, which was also completely destroyed.
Stream gauge and emergency manager reported flash flooding developed along the East Fork of the Pigeon River in the Cruso area after 4 to 6 inches of rain fell in just a few hours in the headwaters along the northern slopes of the Balsams. More than a dozen homes received some degree of flood damage especially on Hidden Valley Cir and between the river and Max Thompson Rd. Several vehicles were also swept away by flood water. Flash flooding also developed downstream along the Pigeon in the city of Canton with multiple low lying roads along the river inundated.
Two severe thunderstorms moved in succession across central Haywood County, producing 3 to 5 inches of rain in just over an hour in the Cove Creek area. This excessive rainfall caused Cove Creek to expand from its typical width of 3 to 5 feet and depth of 2 feet to a width of 75 to 100 feet and depth of 10 to 12 feet. Several private bridges and roads or driveways were washed out.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
62,662
Population (ACS)
$279K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRED | DR |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Haywood County, North Carolina?
178 events are on record between 1963 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths and $406.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Haywood County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 74 recorded events — 41.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Haywood County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Haywood County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Haywood County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Haywood County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Haywood County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 77 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Haywood 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
- Harnett County 457
- Henderson County 433
- Halifax County 363
- Hertford County 190
- Guilford County 795
- Hoke County 231
Cite this page
“Haywood County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/haywood-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.