McDowell County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 415 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,196 nationally and #43 in North Carolina.
415
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$110.6M
Property damage
The record
What the McDowell County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, McDowell County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 8.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 184 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 406 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the McDowell County, North Carolina record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $106.7M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in McDowell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 201 | 0 | $757K | 87 | 1977–2025 |
| Hail | 141 | 0 | $2.3M | 2.5 | 1974–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 1 | $106.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $304K | 0 | 2013–2024 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $523K | F2 | 1996–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2019 |
| Debris Flow | 4 | 1 | $20K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
| Wildfire | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
McDowell 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
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 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 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-04-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-10-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in McDowell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | GRAPHITE | 1 | 0 | $100.0M |
| May 6, 2013 | Debris Flow | GRAPHITE | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Aug 4, 2003 | Lightning | MARION | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2019 | Lightning | MARION | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 17, 2016 | Lightning | EAST MARION | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Stream gauges and emergency management reported catastrophic flash flooding developed along the Catawba River basin after 15-22 inches of rain fell across the western half of the county over three days. Dozens of structures were damaged or destroyed in the Old Fort area alone. Hundreds were damaged throughout the entire basin, with some structures being completely swept away. A 33-year-old woman was killed in one of these homes. Hundreds of roads were also damaged, with multiple roads completely washed out. The extreme rainfall triggered hundreds of landslides across the higher terrain in the western third of the county.
A stream gauge on the North Fork Catawba River in the North Cove community exceeded its established flood stage and indicated significant flash flooding developed after 10-17 inches fell over the watershed in about three days. Dozens of structures, roads, and campgrounds were inundated and damaged. Dozens of landslides occurred throughout the watershed, mainly in secluded areas of the Pisgah National Forest.
Emergency manager reported flash flooding developed along multiple creeks and other small streams, especially across central and southern portions of the county after 3 to 6 inches of rain fell in just a couple of hours from a slow-moving cluster of thunderstorms. Numerous roads and multiple homes were inundated. A number of water rescues occurred, primarily to motorists trapped in flood water. A few roads and multiple culverts and private bridges were washed out while numerous small landslides were also reported throughout the area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
44,817
Population (ACS)
$171K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
| Mar 25, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Marion 113
- Old Ft 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in McDowell County, North Carolina?
415 events are on record between 1974 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $110.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in McDowell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 201 recorded events — 48.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed McDowell County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover McDowell County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include McDowell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is McDowell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McDowell County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 59 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the McDowell 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
- Lincoln County 374
- Macon County 211
- Lenoir County 373
- Madison County 236
- Lee County 250
- Martin County 241
Cite this page
“McDowell County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/mcdowell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.