201
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$757K
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McDowell County, North Carolina: 201 recorded events between 1977 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,021 nationally and #46 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McDowell County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McDowell County is the 2010s, when 98 of the county's 201 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 McDowell County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 48.4% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,021 for this hazard and #46 within North Carolina, putting it in the 67.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McDowell County with 63 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2025 | OLD FT | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | DYSORTVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | MARION ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 2, 2024 | NEBO | 50 | $0 |
| May 8, 2024 | PLEASANT GARDENS | 55 | $10K |
| May 8, 2024 | OLD FT | 55 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | ASHFORD | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2023 | SUNNY VALE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | MARION | 50 | $10K |
| Jul 2, 2023 | AVERY CO ARPT | 40 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from McDowell County
- Hail 141
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in areas from Glenwood, to Marion, to Nebo. Some houses sustained significant damage as a result of fallen trees as well as direct damage from the high winds. One house had about a quarter of its roof removed.
EM reported numerous trees blown down from Old Fort to Marion. Impacted roads included Old Fort Sugar Hill Rd, Bat Cave Rd, Greenlee Rd, and a couple of streets near downtown Marion. A tree fell on a home on Old Fort Sugar Hill Rd, while trees fell on 3 camping trailers and one automobile at Highway 70 and Riverside Park Dr.
Multiple sources reported multiple trees and power lines blown down from southeast of Old Fort through the Sugar Hill community, from along Old Fort Sugar Hill Rd, across Sugar Hill Rd, to almost Highway 221. Trees fell on homes on Summey Rd and at Old Fort Sugar Hill Rd and Parker Padgett Rd.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McDowell County, North Carolina?
201 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McDowell County between 1977 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McDowell County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McDowell County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McDowell 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 McDowell County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/mcdowell-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.