106
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$538K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Jackson County, North Carolina: 106 recorded events between 1969 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 65. That places the county #2,137 nationally and #75 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Jackson County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Jackson County is the 2000s, when 34 of the county's 106 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 Jackson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 47.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,137 for this hazard and #75 within North Carolina, putting it in the 32.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Jackson County with 29 recorded events, while Nov 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2024 | WILMOT | 40 | 0 | 1 | $1K |
| Jul 5, 1997 | CASHIERS | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 19, 1995 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $80K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | CASHIERS | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | BARKERS CREEK | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 2025 | SAVANNAH | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | DICKS CREEK | 50 | $0 |
| May 17, 2025 | CULLOWHEE | 50 | $10K |
| Aug 16, 2024 | EAST LAPORT | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | WILMOT | 40 | $1K |
| May 27, 2024 | BETA | 50 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | DICKS CREEK | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | CASHIERS | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jackson County
- Hail 61
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Trees and power lines were blown down across the county as a squall line raced across the higher terrain of North Carolina. A small plane tied down at the Jackson County airport was flipped and heavily damaged. Some trees fell onto roads. Trees were also blown down at Western Carolina University and in the Fairview area. A large amount of hail was also reported, but no size was known. About 4500 customers lost power.
The roof was torn off of a manufactured home and blown 250 feet into another home along Caney Fork 3 ESE of Cullowhee. In addition, trees were reported down in Webster, and several power lines were blown down in Cullowhee.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county. Multiple trees fell on homes and vehicles, especially in Sylva and Cullowhee. For the second time in a little over two months, part of the roof was peeled off of Smoky Mountain High School.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Jackson County, North Carolina?
106 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Jackson County between 1969 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Jackson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Jackson County measured 65.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Jackson 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 Jackson County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/jackson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.