Iredell County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 569 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #666 nationally and #14 in North Carolina.
569
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$8.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Iredell County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Iredell County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 8.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 183 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 55 events fall before 1990 and 514 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Iredell County, North Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $4.9M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Iredell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 327 | 2 | $1.7M | 70 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 163 | 0 | $12K | 2.75 | 1983–2026 |
| Lightning | 24 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 23 | 1 | $4.9M | F2 | 1957–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $499K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $58K | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $21K | 0 | 2004–2017 |
| Strong Wind | 2 | 1 | $5K | 40 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Iredell 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
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-26 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-07-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-01-09 | EF1 | 1 | 4 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-11-15 | EF1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 36.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-08-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Iredell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $0 | |
| Nov 16, 2006 | Tornado | STATESVILLE | 1 | 1 | $110K |
| Aug 18, 2000 | Strong Wind | MOORESVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jul 17, 2010 | Lightning | MOORESVILLE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Lightning | NEW HOPE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 26, 2022 | Tornado | STATESVILLE RHYNE AR | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jun 25, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | STATESVILLE | 0 | 1 | $1K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
NWS survey found an intermittent damage track consistent with a tornado. Damage was mainly limited to trees, although fallen trees severely damaged several mobile homes on Bell Farm Rd at Dogwood Estates. A metal garage was also destroyed on highway 64. The most significant damage occurred near the end of the track, on Fraley Rd.|One mobile home was completely destroyed. Another mobile home was flipped off its foundation and another shifted several feet. A 62-year-old man was severely injured in one of the homes when a refigerator fell on him. He died on December 3 due to complications from the injuries.
This tornado touched down in the Houstonville Rd area and tracked almost due north. Extensive damage was done to a dairy farm in the Houstonville community, with damage to several other agricultural buildings in the area. In the Misty Rd, Anthony Rd area, the roof was torn off a mobile home as well as another home. The tornado continued to track north, crossing into Yadkin County around Tobacco Rd. At least 13 structures were damaged or destroyed in the county. In addition to the structural damage, damage to tobacco and corn crops was extensive. In addition, numerous trees were blown down along highway 21 and Hunting Creek Rd west of the tornado track. It is unclear whether this was a secondary spin-up or straight-line wind.
An F1 tornado cut a path from just north of Harmony to near the Davie county line, but caused substantial damage. Forty-six houses and 6 poultry houses were damaged with one poultry house destroyed. Several barns were damaged as well and numerous trees were downed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
196,544
Population (ACS)
$321K
Median home value
23
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 |
| Mar 3, 2021 | Severe Storm | TROPICAL STORM ETA | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Statesville 148
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Iredell County, North Carolina?
569 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $8.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Iredell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 327 recorded events — 57.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Iredell County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Iredell County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Iredell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Iredell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Iredell County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 81 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Iredell 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
- Hyde County 156
- Jackson County 223
- Hoke County 231
- Johnston County 750
- Hertford County 190
- Jones County 208
Cite this page
“Iredell County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/iredell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.