Madison County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 236 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,206 nationally and #70 in North Carolina.
236
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$44.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Madison County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Madison County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 4.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 96 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 16 events fall before 1990 and 220 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Madison County, North Carolina record is flash flood, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $25.0M 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 Madison County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 107 | 0 | $49K | 65 | 1974–2026 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $20K | 2 | 1974–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 6 | $18.7M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $525K | F1 | 1977–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2013 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $210K | 0 | 2000–2010 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $25.0M | 0 | 2024–2024 |
Decade by decade
Madison 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
4 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 28.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 18.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Madison County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | ROLLINS | 5 | 0 | $10.0M |
| Jul 6, 2003 | Flash Flood | PETERSBURG | 1 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 4, 2010 | Lightning | JOE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 6, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Stream gauges indicated devastating flash flooding developed along the French Broad River and some of its tributaries, including Ivy River in Madison County during the morning. A stream gauge on the French Broad at Marshall exceeded major flood stage during this time, with water inundating most structures in downtown Marshall. Some smaller structures, including a manufactured home and some camping vehicles were swept away, especially along Rollins Rd just upstream of Marshall. Numerous roads along the river and its tributaries were inundated. Four people died in Madison County, mostly along the French Broad, but one person died after being swept into the Ivy River.
A section of Petersburg Road was covered with 6 feet of water near Petersburg. Several roads were flooded in and around Marshall. Mudslides also developed, one of which caused a tree to fall onto a vehicle in Grapevine, crushing the vehicle, and killing a 63-year-old woman, and injuring a 12-year-old boy. The flooding also destroyed 300 of the 1800 acres of burley tobacco crop in the county.
Although heavy rain ended across Madison County by early afternoon, flooding continued to steadily worsen along the French Broad River and some tributaries throughout the afternoon and evening. The river crested at 20 feet in Marshall, and just over 20 feet at Hot Springs, which were the highest crests at those gauges since the Great Flood of 1916. Numerous structures in the Marshall area and multiple structures in Hot Springs were inundated and damaged. Otherwise, numerous roads remained inundated, with some damaged throughout the watershed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,867
Population (ACS)
$285K
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 |
| 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 Madison County, North Carolina?
236 events are on record between 1974 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $44.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Madison County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 107 recorded events — 45.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Madison County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Madison County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Madison County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Madison County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County as very low risk, placing it in the 27 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Madison 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
- Macon County 211
- Martin County 241
- McDowell County 415
- Mecklenburg County 889
- Lincoln County 374
- Mitchell County 100
Cite this page
“Madison County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/madison-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.