115
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$366K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Martin County, North Carolina: 115 recorded events between 1969 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 70. That places the county #2,006 nationally and #71 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Martin County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Martin County is the 2010s, when 31 of the county's 115 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 Martin County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 47.7% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,006 for this hazard and #71 within North Carolina, putting it in the 36.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Martin County with 22 recorded events, while Dec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2021 | GOLD PT | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | WILLIAMSTON HRRS ARP | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | JAMESVILLE | 55 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | BEAR GRASS | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2026 | WILLIAMSTON | 60 | $0 |
| May 27, 2024 | WILLIAMSTON | 50 | $0 |
| May 27, 2024 | HAMILTON | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 2023 | OAK CITY | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2023 | BEAR GRASS | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2023 | BEAR GRASS | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2023 | BEAR GRASS | 70 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Martin County
- Hail 77
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees were blown down just south of Williamston, closing Highway 17 for a period of time. A potion of a barn was also destroyed near Williamston. High winds forced an SUV off of the road and into a ditch just south of Williamston. Nickel size hail was also reported.
A NWS Storm Survey found evidence consistent with straight line winds of 70 to 90 mph in the Smithwick area of southeast Martin County. Numerous softwood and hardwood trees were damaged, uprooted, or snapped, and several structures were damaged, along with significant crop damage.
An area of significant wind damage stretched from the Martin County Airport eastward to the intersection of Hopkins Rd and Highway 125. The damage included trees down, some on cars and homes, damage to lightweight structures and sheds, and damage to a solar farm. The estimated wind gusts were between 75 and 80 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Martin County, North Carolina?
115 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Martin County between 1969 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Martin County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Martin County measured 70.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Martin 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 Martin County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/martin-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.