Storms in North Carolina in 2003

1,939 events in 866 episodes

Every storm the National Weather Service filed in North Carolina in 2003, with each episode’s narrative and every event in it. 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.

North Carolina in 2003 on the map

Every episode with a place to put it, 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

Open the live radar over North Carolina

The year

Events: 1,939
Deaths: 15
Injuries: 39
Damage: $524 million
Episodes: 866

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 kind of event

Kind of event	Events	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
Thunderstorm Wind	415	0	15	$2.6 million
Hail	411	1	2	$15 million
Flash Flood	243	7	2	$13 million
Winter Weather	220	0	0
Winter Storm	126	0	0	$150,000
Flood	118	0	0	$9.7 million
Heavy Snow	106	0	0	$1,000
High Wind	87	0	0	$91,000
Lightning	48	4	18	$866,000
Hurricane (Typhoon)	40	2	0	$478 million
Tornado	36	0	2	$4.5 million
Heavy Rain	26	0	0	$160,000
Sleet	18	0	0
Strong Wind	13	0	0	$32,000
Ice Storm	9	0	0	$6,000
Frost/Freeze	9	0	0
Tropical Storm	6	0	0	$300,000
Cold/Wind Chill	5	0	0
Storm Surge/Tide	1	0	0
Funnel Cloud	1	0	0
Rip Current	1	1	0

Every episode, month by month

January 2003

February 2003

March 2003

April 2003

May 2003

June 2003

July 2003

August 2003

September 2003

October 2003

November 2003

December 2003

Every year in North Carolina Every state in 2003 Tornadoes in North Carolina in 2003 Warnings in North Carolina in 2003 2002 2004

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.