Rutherford County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 453 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,051 nationally and #38 in North Carolina.
453
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$44.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Rutherford County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Rutherford County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 165 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 26 events fall before 1990 and 427 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Rutherford County, North Carolina record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $41.5M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Rutherford County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 253 | 4 | $1.2M | 70 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 131 | 0 | $25K | 2.75 | 1979–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 1 | $41.5M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 15 | 0 | $343K | 0 | 1997–2017 |
| Tornado | 12 | 0 | $448K | F4 | 1973–2024 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $81K | 0 | 2001–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2002–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $500K | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Rutherford 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
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-05-05 | EF4 | 2 | 35 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 40 | 60.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-01-11 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-10-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 21.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-07-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-09-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-04-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Rutherford County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | WHITEHOUSE | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 1, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | GILKEY | 1 | 1 | $15K |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | CHIMNEY ROCK | 1 | 0 | $35.0M |
| Apr 5, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | RUTHERFORDTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 11, 2012 | Tornado | ELLENBORO | 0 | 10 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2009 | Lightning | CLIFFSIDE | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | CAROLEEN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2001 | Flash Flood | FOREST CITY | 0 | 2 | $100K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Historic, catastrophic flash flooding developed along the Broad River during the overnight and early morning hours as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening. The most intense rainfall occurred around sunrise, as the tropical rain bands near the center of Helene swept across the area. Dozens of structures were swept downstream and dozens more damaged during this time. Much of the Chimney Rock community was destroyed, with considerable debris swept downstream and deposited into Lake Lure. Dozens of landslides also occurred across this part of Rutherford County, especially in the upper part of the Hickory Nut Gorge. This contributed further to structural damage. Almost all of the residents of the community evacuated well before the worst of the flooding developed, but one 53-year-old woman died when her home was swept away.
Several trees were blown down in the Green Hill community. One large tree fell on a vehicle traveling along highway 64/74 near Green Hill, destroying the vehicle and causing serious injuries to the two occupants. The 66-year-old male driver died from his injuries several days later.
Flash flooding developed across northwest Rutherford County after 3 to 6 inches of rain fell across the area in just a few hours. Flash flooding first developed along the Broad River near the Henderson County line, where a stream gauge in the Bat Cave community indicated flooding of campgrounds and a few structures between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. In addition, emergency management reported significant flash flooding along Cedar Creek in the Single Hollow community, particularly along Bills Creek Rd, where a camping trailer and a vehicle were swept down the creek, requiring swift water rescues of the occupants. Around a dozen homes were also damaged in this area. A debris flow may also have been responsible for some of the damage in the Cedar Creek basin.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
64,930
Population (ACS)
$202K
Median home value
22
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 |
| May 8, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Rutherfordton 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Rutherford County, North Carolina?
453 events are on record between 1964 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $44.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Rutherford County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 253 recorded events — 55.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Rutherford County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Rutherford County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Rutherford County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Rutherford County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rutherford County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 73 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Rutherford 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
- Rowan County 518
- Sampson County 544
- Rockingham County 745
- Scotland County 237
- Robeson County 643
- Stanly County 393
Cite this page
“Rutherford County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/rutherford-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.