340
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$2.8M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Rowan County, North Carolina: 340 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 84. That places the county #328 nationally and #11 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Rowan County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Rowan County is the 2010s, when 105 of the county's 340 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 Rowan County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 65.6% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #328 for this hazard and #11 within North Carolina, putting it in the 89.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Rowan County with 81 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 2, 2003 | SALISBURY | 65 | 0 | 3 | $10K |
| Jul 5, 1997 | SALISBURY | 50 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | SALISBURY | 50 | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Jun 19, 2004 | SALISBURY | 50 | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Aug 18, 2000 | SALISBURY | 70 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | ROWAN CO ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 1, 2025 | TRADING FORD | 60 | $250K |
| Jun 26, 2025 | ENOCHVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| May 8, 2025 | CHINA GROVE ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| May 4, 2025 | FRANKLIN | 50 | $0 |
| May 3, 2025 | GOLD HILL | 50 | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | FAITH | 50 | $50K |
| Dec 29, 2024 | ENOCHVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | LIBERTY | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | LANDIS | 50 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Rowan County
- Hail 111
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Significant microburst damage occurred in the China Grove area, with major structural damage occurring to two buildings at a business on North Main St. The roof was blown off one building and a brick warehouse behind the business collapsed.
Spotters and utility company reported multiple trees blown down east through south of Spencer, including on Cranford Rd and Long Ferry Rd, where a tree was down on a house. Emergency manager reported numerous trees down on the south side of High Rock Lake, including at Saint Matthews Church Rd and Lakeshore Dr. Several trees were down on houses and manufactured homes in this area, with some receiving extensive damage.
County comms reported multiple trees blown down across the west and north side of downtown Salisbury, with trees on homes on Main St, Craige St, and Ellis St. The Ellis St house was destroyed. Additional trees were down in Spencer.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Rowan County, North Carolina?
340 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Rowan County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Rowan County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Rowan County measured 84.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Rowan 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 Rowan County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/rowan-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.