North Carolina, 1959

Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, January 21, 1959

January 21, 1959 · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

2 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Davie

When
January 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Davie County
Coordinates
35.880, -80.500

Tornado, Iredell

When
January 21, 7:45 PM CST
Where
Iredell County
Rating
F1
Path length
5.2 mi
Path width
300 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
35.950, -80.900

Tornado, Surry

When
January 21, 8:15 PM CST
Where
Surry County
Rating
F1
Path length
0.3 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
36.300, -80.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Cumberland

When
January 21, 11:58 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
35.080, -79.000

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 1959Every state in 1959This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 1959

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10078112, 10078113, 10078114, 10078115.