Storms of 1996
Every storm the National Weather Service filed in 1996, month by month, kind by kind and state by state. From 1996 the record holds 48 kinds of event with each office’s narrative; before that, tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, and before 1955 tornadoes alone.
1996 on the map
The 600 most significant episodes of 1996, colored by kind of event.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The year
- Events
- 48,534
- Deaths
- 522
- Injuries
- 2,700
- Damage
- $7.8 billion
- Episodes
- 31,689
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.
By month
By kind of event
Deaths, injuries and damage are counted under the kind that heads each episode.
| Kind of event | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 10,826 | 1 | 82 | $794 million |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 10,084 | 23 | 324 | $432 million |
| Heavy Snow | 4,301 | 26 | 130 | $134 million |
| High Wind | 3,818 | 24 | 110 | $218 million |
| Flash Flood | 3,325 | 94 | 46 | $1.2 billion |
| Winter Storm | 3,028 | 24 | 250 | $41 million |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 2,578 | 62 | 31 | $189 million |
| Flood | 2,218 | 37 | 51 | $1.4 billion |
| Blizzard | 1,431 | 22 | 170 | $41 million |
| Tornado | 1,240 | 26 | 705 | $732 million |
| Lightning | 917 | 53 | 313 | $34 million |
| Drought | 772 | 0 | 0 | $639 million |
| Ice Storm | 722 | 11 | 122 | $95 million |
| Winter Weather | 641 | 1 | 25 | $488,000 |
| Heavy Rain | 635 | 9 | 5 | $50 million |
| Heat | 348 | 36 | 129 | |
| Funnel Cloud | 290 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dense Fog | 272 | 2 | 42 | $1.0 million |
| Coastal Flood | 201 | 4 | 3 | $35 million |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | 174 | 17 | 18 | $1.6 billion |
| Waterspout | 150 | 0 | 0 | $7,000 |
| Strong Wind | 120 | 7 | 0 | $268,000 |
| Tropical Storm | 116 | 1 | 3 | $47 million |
| High Surf | 73 | 8 | 5 | $440,000 |
| Frost/Freeze | 72 | 0 | 0 | $95 million |
| Wildfire | 62 | 0 | 33 | $77 million |
| Rip Current | 31 | 25 | 65 | |
| Debris Flow | 24 | 1 | 2 | $570,000 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 20 | 0 | 0 | $7.6 million |
| Freezing Fog | 20 | 1 | 0 | |
| Dust Devil | 11 | 1 | 1 | $28,000 |
| Avalanche | 7 | 5 | 5 | $50,000 |
| Dust Storm | 6 | 0 | 28 | $30,000 |
| Marine High Wind | 1 | 1 | 2 | $50,000 |
The deadliest
- Flooding in Oregon, February 6 to 15, 1996
- Blizzard in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Heat in Oklahoma, July 1 to 7, 1996
- Hurricane in North Carolina, September 5 to 6, 1996
- Flash Flood in New York, January 19 to 20, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, January 19, 1996
- Heat in Texas, July 1 to 9, 1996
- Flooding in Oregon, November 17 to 21, 1996
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 14, 1996
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 2 to 5, 1996
- Strong Wind in South Carolina, March 27 to 28, 1996
- Heat in Illinois, August 5 to 7, 1996
- Hurricane in North Carolina, September 4 to 6, 1996
- Flooding in Virginia, January 19 to 22, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Heavy Rain in West Virginia, February 8, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, January 19, 1996
- Cold in Texas, January 22, 1996
- Cold in Wisconsin, February 1 to 4, 1996
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, July 14, 1996
- Heat in California, August 15, 1996
- Flash Flood in Oklahoma, September 26, 1996
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, January 19 to 21, 1996
- Blizzard in New Jersey, January 7 to 8, 1996
- High Wind in Texas, January 17, 1996
The costliest
- Hurricane in North Carolina, September 4 to 6, 1996
- Flooding in Oregon, February 6 to 15, 1996
- Tornadoes in Arkansas, April 21, 1996
- Hurricane in North Carolina, July 12 to 13, 1996
- Hurricane in North Carolina, September 5 to 6, 1996
- Drought in Texas, August 1 to 22, 1996
- Hurricane in North Carolina, September 5 to 6, 1996
- Hail in Texas, April 19, 1996
- Hail in Colorado, May 22, 1996
- Flooding in Virginia, September 6 to 10, 1996
- Tornadoes in Kentucky, May 28, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, August 14, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Cold in Florida, February 5, 1996
- Flooding in Maryland, January 19 to 22, 1996
- Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 1996
- Drought in Texas, June 1 to 30, 1996
- Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 1996
- Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 1996
- High Wind in North Carolina, September 5 to 6, 1996
- Flooding in Wisconsin, June 16 to 20, 1996
- Flooding in Texas, October 28 to 31, 1996
- Cold in Alabama, March 7 to 10, 1996
- Ice Storm in North Carolina, February 2, 1996
By state
Events filed in each state in 1996.
- Alabama921
- Alaska280
- Arizona318
- Arkansas1,198
- California396
- Colorado1,647
- Connecticut292
- Delaware92
- District of Columbia21
- Florida959
- Georgia795
- Hawaii180
- Idaho268
- Illinois1,262
- Indiana1,202
- Iowa1,847
- Kansas2,439
- Kentucky1,078
- Louisiana626
- Maine428
- Maryland522
- Massachusetts542
- Michigan723
- Minnesota1,654
- Mississippi696
- Missouri1,309
- Montana625
- Nebraska1,741
- Nevada127
- New Hampshire257
- New Jersey788
- New Mexico378
- New York1,606
- North Carolina1,725
- North Dakota939
- Ohio1,607
- Oklahoma2,365
- Oregon334
- Pennsylvania1,660
- Puerto Rico111
- Rhode Island142
- South Carolina805
- South Dakota1,262
- Tennessee1,071
- Texas3,966
- Utah186
- Vermont278
- Virginia1,739
- Washington139
- West Virginia867
- Wisconsin1,389
- Wyoming732
Coastal and lake waters
More from this year
Tornadoes in 1996The 1996 hurricane seasonEvery warning issued in 1996This day in weather history
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.