Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, May 5, 1989

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, May 5, 1989
Start: 1989-05-05T13:15
End: 1989-05-05T21:05
Location: North Carolina

May 5, 1989 · 56 events in 40 counties and zones

39 thunderstorm wind, 13 tornado, 4 hail, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 5
Injuries: 108
Property damage: $161 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 56

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

39 thunderstorm wind, 13 tornado, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: May 5, 1:15 PM CST
Where: Union County
Coordinates: 34.980, -80.370

Hail, Union

When: May 5, 2:45 PM CST
Where: Union County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.150, -80.370

Hail, Durham

When: May 5, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Durham County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.080, -78.870

Tornado, Rutherford

When: May 5, 4:35 PM CST
Where: Rutherford County
Rating: F4
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.180, -81.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 5, 4:40 PM CST
Where: Henderson County
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 35.320, -82.600

Tornado, Cleveland

When: May 5, 4:54 PM CST
Where: Cleveland County
Rating: F4
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 800 yd
Injuries: 30 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 35.470, -81.580

Tornado, Lincoln

When: May 5, 5:06 PM CST
Where: Lincoln County
Rating: F4
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 800 yd
Deaths: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 19 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 35.530, -81.480

Hail, Orange

When: May 5, 5:08 PM CST
Where: Orange County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 35.930, -79.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Chatham

When: May 5, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Chatham County
Coordinates: 35.720, -79.230

Tornado, Catawba

When: May 5, 5:11 PM CST
Where: Catawba County
Rating: F4
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 800 yd
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 35.580, -81.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: May 5, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Cleveland County
Coordinates: 35.330, -81.550

Tornado, Durham

When: May 5, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Durham County
Rating: F2
Path length: 8.7 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 35.920, -78.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Gaston

When: May 5, 5:20 PM CST
Where: Gaston County
Coordinates: 35.270, -81.180

Tornado, Caldwell

When: May 5, 5:28 PM CST
Where: Caldwell County
Rating: F2
Path length: 15 mi
Path width: 73 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.950, -81.680

Tornado, Forsyth

When: May 5, 6:43 PM EST
Where: Forsyth County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 8 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 36.020, -80.380

Tornado, Forsyth

When: May 5, 6:50 PM EST
Where: Forsyth County
Rating: F3
Path length: 10.5 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Injuries: 30 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 36.100, -80.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Alexander

When: May 5, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Alexander County
Coordinates: 35.930, -81.170

Tornado, Stanly

When: May 5, 7:00 PM EST
Where: Stanly County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.3 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.300, -80.300

Tornado, Union

When: May 5, 6:01 PM CST
Where: Union County
Rating: F4
Path length: 13 mi
Path width: 500 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.980, -80.730

Tornado, Granville

When: May 5, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Granville County
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.5 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 36.120, -78.680

Tornado, Forsyth

When: May 5, 7:05 PM EST
Where: Forsyth County
Rating: F2
Path length: 5.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 10 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 36.130, -80.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Iredell

When: May 5, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Iredell County
Coordinates: 35.830, -80.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When: May 5, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Wilkes County
Coordinates: 36.250, -81.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: May 5, 6:18 PM CST
Where: Union County
Coordinates: 34.880, -80.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When: May 5, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Rowan County
Coordinates: 35.730, -80.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabarrus

When: May 5, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Cabarrus County
Coordinates: 35.370, -80.530

Hail, Anson

When: May 5, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Anson County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 35.000, -80.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Davie

When: May 5, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Davie County
Coordinates: 36.020, -80.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Stanly

When: May 5, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Stanly County
Coordinates: 35.370, -80.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg

When: May 5, 6:32 PM CST
Where: Mecklenburg County
Coordinates: 35.450, -80.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Yadkin

When: May 5, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Yadkin County
Coordinates: 36.070, -80.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When: May 5, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Rowan County
Coordinates: 35.570, -80.600

Tornado, Anson

When: May 5, 6:52 PM CST
Where: Anson County
Rating: F1
Path length: 4.6 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.830, -80.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg

When: May 5, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Mecklenburg County
Coordinates: 35.230, -80.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When: May 5, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County
Coordinates: 35.370, -79.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When: May 5, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County
Coordinates: 35.220, -80.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Stokes

When: May 5, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Stokes County
Coordinates: 36.300, -80.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Davidson

When: May 5, 7:07 PM CST
Where: Davidson County
Coordinates: 35.950, -80.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Guilford

When: May 5, 7:10 PM CST
Where: Guilford County
Coordinates: 36.180, -79.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Davidson

When: May 5, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Davidson County
Coordinates: 35.670, -80.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Randolph

When: May 5, 7:17 PM CST
Where: Randolph County
Coordinates: 35.820, -79.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockingham

When: May 5, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Rockingham County
Coordinates: 36.400, -79.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Stanly

When: May 5, 7:27 PM CST
Where: Stanly County
Coordinates: 35.350, -80.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Guilford

When: May 5, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Guilford County
Coordinates: 36.230, -79.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Alamance

When: May 5, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Alamance County
Coordinates: 36.100, -79.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Chatham

When: May 5, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Chatham County
Coordinates: 35.600, -79.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Bladen

When: May 5, 8:05 PM CST
Where: Bladen County
Coordinates: 34.480, -78.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When: May 5, 8:08 PM CST
Where: Caswell County
Coordinates: 36.420, -79.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbus

When: May 5, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Columbus County
Coordinates: 34.420, -78.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When: May 5, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Lee County
Coordinates: 35.430, -79.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Wake

When: May 5, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Wake County
Coordinates: 35.630, -78.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Sampson

When: May 5, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Sampson County
Coordinates: 34.720, -78.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When: May 5, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Harnett County
Coordinates: 35.500, -78.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Duplin

When: May 5, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Duplin County
Coordinates: 34.730, -78.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Pender

When: May 5, 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pender County
Coordinates: 34.530, -78.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Brunswick

When: May 5, 9:05 PM CST
Where: Brunswick County
Coordinates: 34.080, -78.200

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Union	1989-05-05				Direct

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

Every storm in North Carolina in 1989 Every state in 1989 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Carolina, 1989 Warnings in North Carolina, May 1989

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: 10091693, 10091694, 10091695, 10091696, 10091697, 10091698, 10091699, 10090357, 10090358, 10090359, 10090360, 10090573, 10090574, 10090575, 10090590, 10090591, 10090576, 10090594, 10090577, 10090578, 10090596, 10090579, 10090580, 10090581, 10090582, 10090583, 10090584, 10090585, 10090586, 10090587, 10090588, 10090589, 10090592, 10090593, 10090595, 10090597, 10090598, 10090599, 10090600, 10090601, and more.