54,523
Recorded events
100
Counties covered
657
Direct deaths
$14.5B
Property damage
North Carolina severe weather history covers 54,523 recorded events across 100 counties between 1950 and 2026.
The North Carolina severe weather history record is dominated by thunderstorm wind, which accounts for 37.1% of everything logged statewide across 100 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 657 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
North Carolina severe weather history by hazard
| Hazard | Events | Counties | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 20,231 | 100 | 43 | $144.7M | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 9,890 | 100 | 0 | $165.3M | 1955–2026 |
| Winter Weather | 4,302 | 2 | 6 | $871K | 1996–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 4,032 | 100 | 141 | $2.5B | 1996–2025 |
| Winter Storm | 2,297 | 0 | 12 | $35.0M | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Snow | 1,724 | 0 | 4 | $4.0M | 1996–2026 |
| High Wind | 1,711 | 0 | 13 | $141.1M | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 1,688 | 99 | 134 | $2.0B | 1950–2026 |
| Drought | 1,563 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1998–2026 |
| Flood | 1,184 | 95 | 36 | $1.1B | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 818 | 94 | 0 | $11.3M | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 810 | 90 | 41 | $54.8M | 1996–2025 |
| Strong Wind | 771 | 2 | 24 | $42.3M | 1996–2026 |
| Tropical Storm | 644 | 2 | 15 | $613.3M | 1996–2025 |
| Ice Storm | 486 | 0 | 1 | $301.4M | 1996–2026 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 470 | 0 | 9 | $275K | 1996–2026 |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | 424 | 0 | 31 | $7.1B | 1996–2019 |
| Excessive Heat | 227 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2011–2025 |
| Frost/Freeze | 184 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 2000–2025 |
| Rip Current | 155 | 6 | 100 | $0 | 1997–2026 |
| Sleet | 137 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2013 |
| Coastal Flood | 128 | 0 | 0 | $18.9M | 2006–2026 |
| Heat | 126 | 0 | 16 | $0 | 1996–2016 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 117 | 0 | 2 | $0 | 2000–2026 |
| Funnel Cloud | 93 | 42 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2025 |
| Debris Flow | 63 | 17 | 20 | $39.0M | 1996–2024 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 61 | 5 | 0 | $252.8M | 1996–2025 |
| Dense Fog | 50 | 0 | 1 | $54K | 1997–2015 |
| Waterspout | 37 | 12 | 0 | $100K | 1996–2001 |
| Wildfire | 33 | 5 | 0 | $3.2M | 1998–2021 |
| Blizzard | 19 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2001–2018 |
| Freezing Fog | 18 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2005–2005 |
| High Surf | 17 | 0 | 8 | $0 | 2004–2019 |
| Dust Devil | 8 | 6 | 0 | $25K | 1996–2007 |
| Astronomical Low Tide | 3 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2019–2025 |
| Tropical Depression | 1 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 2023–2023 |
| Dense Smoke | 1 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2008–2008 |
County index
Most active counties
| County | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 1,516 | 14 |
| Mecklenburg County | 889 | 10 |
| Guilford County | 795 | 4 |
| Surry County | 758 | 0 |
| Johnston County | 750 | 10 |
| Rockingham County | 745 | 2 |
| Wilkes County | 651 | 1 |
| Robeson County | 643 | 9 |
| Randolph County | 622 | 1 |
| New Hanover County | 605 | 10 |
| Forsyth County | 590 | 1 |
| Cumberland County | 589 | 7 |
| Burke County | 588 | 0 |
| Iredell County | 569 | 4 |
| Columbus County | 568 | 11 |
| Bladen County | 556 | 7 |
| Pitt County | 554 | 11 |
| Craven County | 553 | 3 |
| Catawba County | 549 | 1 |
| Sampson County | 544 | 14 |
| Onslow County | 542 | 5 |
| Moore County | 532 | 2 |
| Brunswick County | 532 | 4 |
| Cleveland County | 521 | 0 |
| Davidson County | 518 | 5 |
Full index
Every county in North Carolina
- Wake County
- Mecklenburg County
- Guilford County
- Surry County
- Johnston County
- Rockingham County
- Wilkes County
- Robeson County
- Randolph County
- New Hanover County
- Forsyth County
- Cumberland County
- Burke County
- Iredell County
- Columbus County
- Bladen County
- Pitt County
- Craven County
- Catawba County
- Sampson County
- Onslow County
- Moore County
- Brunswick County
- Cleveland County
- Davidson County
- Wayne County
- Rowan County
- Durham County
- Duplin County
- Union County
- Gaston County
- Stokes County
- Buncombe County
- Orange County
- Carteret County
- Harnett County
- Cabarrus County
- Rutherford County
- Chatham County
- Pender County
- Henderson County
- Nash County
- McDowell County
- Alamance County
- Beaufort County
- Stanly County
- Franklin County
- Caswell County
- Lincoln County
- Caldwell County
- Lenoir County
- Halifax County
- Wilson County
- Watauga County
- Person County
- Yadkin County
- Dare County
- Granville County
- Anson County
- Edgecombe County
- Ashe County
- Transylvania County
- Montgomery County
- Cherokee County
- Lee County
- Davie County
- Martin County
- Northampton County
- Scotland County
- Polk County
- Madison County
- Hoke County
- Alexander County
- Jackson County
- Bertie County
- Richmond County
- Warren County
- Greene County
- Macon County
- Pasquotank County
- Vance County
- Jones County
- Currituck County
- Hertford County
- Haywood County
- Gates County
- Hyde County
- Avery County
- Chowan County
- Perquimans County
- Alleghany County
- Graham County
- Swain County
- Washington County
- Pamlico County
- Clay County
- Camden County
- Yancey County
- Mitchell County
- Tyrrell County
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events are recorded in North Carolina?
54,523 events are on record across North Carolina, covering 100 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Which county in North Carolina has the most severe weather on record?
Wake County leads North Carolina with 1,516 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.
Where does the North Carolina severe weather history data come from?
Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“North Carolina Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/north-carolina/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.