446
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$27.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Johnston County, North Carolina: 446 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 75. That places the county #156 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Johnston County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Johnston County is the 2010s, when 148 of the county's 446 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 Johnston County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 59.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #156 for this hazard and #3 within North Carolina, putting it in the 95.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Johnston County with 120 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2023 | BENSON | 50 | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| May 29, 2021 | LOWELL MILL | 50 | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| Aug 23, 2017 | SMITHFIELD | 50 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| May 27, 1998 | BENSON | 50 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | BLACKMAN XRDS | 50 | $10K |
| Sep 25, 2025 | FOUR OAKS | 50 | $5K |
| Sep 25, 2025 | BENSON | 50 | $4K |
| Aug 1, 2025 | DRUG STORE | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | PINE LEVEL | 50 | $2K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | BROGDEN | 50 | $2K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | COATS XRDS | 50 | $1K |
| Jul 18, 2025 | FOUR OAKS | 50 | $5K |
| Jul 18, 2025 | PARKERS MILL | 50 | $15K |
| Jul 13, 2025 | ARCHERS LODGE | 50 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Johnston County
- Hail 173
- Flash Flood 69
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Amateur radio operators and trained spotters reported wind damage throughout the county with numerous trees and power-lines blown down. Some of the downed trees fell onto some homes including a tin roof blown off of an automotive dealership in Smithfield.
A severe thunderstorm produced a swath of straight line wind damage between Highway 96 and Highway 701 in the vicinity of Stricklands Crossroads Road. Multiple trees and power lines were downed across the area of Highway 701 and Stricklands Crossroads Road. In addition, a steeple was blown off of the Cornerstone Baptist Church on Highway 701. A barn door was also blown off.
A microburst resulted in isolated wind damage along Raynor Road near Benson. A barn roof was blown off, an RV was rolled onto its side and debris was scattered along the road. A portion of a field of corn was also blown down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Johnston County, North Carolina?
446 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Johnston County between 1958 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Johnston County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Johnston County measured 75.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Johnston 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 Johnston County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/johnston-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.