Yancey County, North Carolina severe weather history spans 106 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 38.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,865 nationally and #98 in North Carolina.
106
Recorded events
14
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$96.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Yancey County, North Carolina severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Yancey County, North Carolina severe weather history averages 1.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 35 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 10 events fall before 1990 and 96 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Yancey County, North Carolina record is flash flood, responsible for 13 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $95.6M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Yancey County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 41 | 0 | $42K | 60 | 1967–2025 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1969–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 13 | $95.6M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $250K | F1 | 1956–2023 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2016 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $101K | 0 | 2014–2024 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Yancey 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
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-06 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 18.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-03-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Yancey County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | LUNDAY | 9 | 0 | $75.0M |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | CAVE RIVER | 4 | 0 | $20.0M |
| Jul 16, 2016 | Lightning | ESKOTA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 8, 1998 | Lightning | NEWDALE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Extensive flooding of the North Toe and Nolichucky Rivers as well as the lower portion of the Cane River developed during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurred just after sunrise, as the tropical rain bands near the center of Helene swept across the area. Dozens of homes were inundated and numerous roads were inundated and damaged or destroyed including portions of Highways 19 and 80. Several fatalities occurred, mostly in flooded homes. Several dozen landslides also occurred across this part of Yancey County, with some of those causing further damage and destruction. Storm total rainfall across this part of Yancey County was generally between 6-11 inches. A family of four was swept down the Toe River after abandoning their submerged vehicle in the Green Mountain area.
While occurring over a small area geographically, flash flooding affected the Jacks Creek community during the evening of the 19th. Watered entered the Jacks Creek Presbyterian Church to a depth of a few inches. Water also entered a few private residences in the area. A washed out culvert caused the road to collapse in front of the church, resulting in a 20 foot wide sink hole. Private bridges along the creek were swept away, isolating some residents and businesses. Residents said it was the worst flooding at this location since 1977.
Heavy rainfall produced by slow-moving thunderstorms caused flooding to develop rapidly on several creeks in the northwest part of the county, including Bald Mountain Creek. Water from these overflowing creeks caused several roads to be washed away. The underpinning of a bridge was washed away on highway 19 at the Yancey/Madison county line.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,797
Population (ACS)
$243K
Median home value
23
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 |
| Sep 8, 2021 | Hurricane | REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRED | DR |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ISAIAS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Yancey County, North Carolina?
106 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 14 direct deaths and $96.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Yancey County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 41 recorded events — 38.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Yancey County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Yancey County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Yancey County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Yancey County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yancey County as very low risk, placing it in the 42 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Yancey 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
- Yadkin County 338
- Wilson County 354
- Wilkes County 651
- Wayne County 518
- Watauga County 345
- Washington County 133
Cite this page
“Yancey County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/yancey-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.