Union County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 502 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #866 nationally and #30 in North Carolina.
502
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
31
Direct injuries
$32.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Union County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Union County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 6.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 154 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 63 events fall before 1990 and 439 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Union County, North Carolina record is flash flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $29.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Union County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 255 | 0 | $1.5M | 100 | 1966–2026 |
| Hail | 129 | 0 | $0 | 2.25 | 1982–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 55 | 2 | $290K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $29.4M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Lightning | 18 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 1996–2012 |
| Flood | 16 | 1 | $59K | 0 | 1999–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Union 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
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 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 | 1 | 6 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-10-18 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 9 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-24 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 30.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 27.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-05-14 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-02-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 17.2 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Union County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1989 | Tornado | 1 | 6 | $25.0M | |
| Sep 17, 2018 | Flood | OLIVE BRANCH | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Sep 16, 2018 | Flash Flood | OLIVE BRANCH | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Jul 11, 2003 | Flash Flood | WEST PORTION | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| May 14, 1950 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Aug 16, 2003 | Lightning | INDIAN TRAIL | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
EM reported severe flash flooding developed across Union County after 7 to 13 inches of rain fell across the county in about 24 hours. Dozens of roads were closed at the height of the event during the afternoon of the 16th, some due to poor drainage flooding in urban areas, and others due to small stream flooding, including Goose Creek in the Indian Trail area, where a stream gauge exceeded its established flood stage. Multiple water rescues were necessary, and some homes were isolated by flood waters. A one-year-old boy drowned when his parent drove a vehicle around a barricade and into a swollen creek on Highway 218.
Although heavy rain ended across Union County during the evening, EM reported high water conditions continued through the overnight, as waters were slow to recede in light of the 7 to 13 inches that fell across the county in about 24 hours. During the morning of the 17th, an 88 year-old man drowned when he drove his vehicle through a swollen tributary on Landsford Dr.
Slow-moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall that resulted in rapid development of urban flooding. West of Monroe, a 17-year-old man drowned when he jumped into a flooded drainage ditch, and was swept into a storm drain. Urban flooding was more severe in the towns of Indian Trails, Unionville, and Stallings, where several people required rescue from automobiles trapped by rising water.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
250,958
Population (ACS)
$417K
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 |
| Aug 6, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IAN | EM |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Monroe 119
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Union County, North Carolina?
502 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $32.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Union County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 255 recorded events — 50.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Union County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Union County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Union County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Union County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 89 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Union 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
- Tyrrell County 86
- Vance County 209
- Transylvania County 276
- Wake County 1,516
- Swain County 134
- Warren County 216
Cite this page
“Union County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/union-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.