North Carolina, 1994

Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, August 17, 1994

August 17, 1994 · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

2 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
$550,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Iredell

When
August 17, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Iredell County, Statesville
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
35.807, -80.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Six mobile homes were damaged. A wall was blown down at a home under construction. Trees and power lines were damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wake

When
August 17, 7:15 PM EST
Where
Wake County, Holly Springs
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
35.790, -78.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A home anemometer of a spotter in Holly Springs recorded a wind gust of 56 knots. Two large oak trees were blown down.

Tornado, Harnett

When
August 17, 8:10 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, Buies Creek
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$500,000
Coordinates
35.369, -78.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Harnett county officials reported a tornado touched down near Buies Creek. The Emergency Management Team at the sight reported numerous trees down along with several mobile homes damaged to the point that people were trapped inside.

What these are

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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 1994Every state in 1994This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 1994Warnings in North Carolina, August 1994

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: 10338315, 10337558, 10338617.