Heavy Rain in North Carolina

Events

821

Deaths

2

Injuries

7

Damage

$11 million

• Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, September 25 to 28, 20245 deaths · 4 injured · $414 million · EF1 · 15 eventsHurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane late Thursday, September 26, and moved quickly northward into the southeastern states, and then turned slightly northwestward towards the southern Appalachian Mountains overnight into Friday morning,…
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, September 27 to 30, 20105 deaths · $72 million · EF0 · 28 eventsA stalled front across eastern North Carolina combined with a deep southerly flow of very moist air led to several days of torrential rain across eastern North Carolina from September 27th through the 30th.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, August 31, 20202 deaths · $190,000 · 20 eventsWarm moist air lifted along a wavy stationary front. This combined with slow moving and merging thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding, including a dam break in Johnston County and two fatalities.
• Heavy Rain in North Carolina, May 28, 20182 deaths · 1 eventVery wet soil conditions resulting from periods of heavy rainfall that began during the middle part of May and continued through the end of the month, producing more than a foot of rain in many locations caused a tree to fall on a vehicle on Highway 176, which resulted in two…
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, November 11 to 13, 20201 death · $480,000 · 50 kt wind · 76 eventsMoisture from Tropical Storm Eta was drawn northward into the Mid Atlantic during the day of Wednesday November 11th.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, January 24 to 26, 20101 death · $175,000 · 22 eventsWidespread heavy rain affected the region ahead of a slow moving cold front. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 4 inches were common across western North Carolina. Quite a bit of flash flooding developed as a result of the heavy rain falling on already saturated ground.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, September 1, 20201 death · $60,000 · 14 eventsFlash flooding that originated on August 31st continued across portions of the northeast Piedmont and central Coastal Plain of central North Carolina during the early morning hours of September 1st.
• Tropical Storm and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, August 3 to 4, 2020$7.8 million · 70 eventsHurricane Isaias made landfall in southeast North Carolina, then moved north through coastal North Carolina.
• Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, May 19 to 22, 20201 death · $35,000 · 5 eventsAn upper-level low became cut-off over the southern Appalachian region for several days leading to persistent rainfall and eventually some flooding.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 16, 20161 death · $1,000 · 55 kt wind · 9 eventsScattered thunderstorms developed near the Blue Ridge during the afternoon and moved slowly east some of the storms produced heavy rainfall, brief damaging winds, and intense lightning, with a fatality linked to one lightning strike at the entrance to Mount Mitchell State Park.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, August 26 to 27, 2008$15 million · 16 eventsThe remnants of Tropical Storm Fay stalled just west of the Appalachian mountains, resulting in a prolonged, moist south to southeasterly flow over western North Carolina.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, October 10 to 13, 2018$5.6 million · 70 kt wind · 26 eventsAs the direct storm circulation from Michael approached in the early morning hours of October 11, rainfall and strong winds began first in Watauga County in northwest NC, and progressed north and east through the day.
• Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, January 14 to 19, 2013$8.8 million · 16 eventsA deep long wave trough developed over the western states around January 10th. The trough gradually moved east over a period of several days.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, January 3, 2022$1.6 million · EF1 · 22 eventsA strong upper level low moved from the Midwest into the Mid Atlantic from January 2nd into the 3rd.
• Heavy Rain in North Carolina, July 1, 19973 injured · $4.0 million · 1 eventRepeated heavy rain over the past couple of days caused a major rock slide that blocked and subsequently closed Interstate 40 at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. Three people were injured when their cars were hit by the tumbling rocks.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, February 5 to 8, 2020$1.6 million · 29 eventsA deep upper-level trough moved slowly across the central and eastern U.S. bringing abundant moisture northward and combined with a complex frontal boundary with several waves of low pressure to bring repeated rounds of heavy rainfall.
• Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, October 28 to 30, 2020$1.3 million · 23 eventsWidespread amounts of three to five inches of rainfall were observed across the mountains and foothills during the 24-hour period ending with the passage of Tropical Storm Zeta across the lower mid-Atlantic region.
• Tornado and Flooding in North Carolina, May 30, 2012$600,000 · EF1 · 14 eventsTropical Depression Beryl tracked northeast just offshore of the North Carolina coast on May 30th 2012. Beryl produced widespread heavy rain across the region with some flooding. One tornado also touched down in Carteret county damaging many homes.
• Lightning Strike and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, December 11, 2008$3.0 million · 4 eventsA powerful upper level disturbance with associated cold front pushed across the region the afternoon and evening of December 11. Over 2 inches of rain fell in many locations with several reports of minor urban flooding. One house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
• Heavy Rain in North Carolina, October 6 to 9, 2005$2.6 million · 4 eventsThe remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy, in conjunction with a weak upper level disturbance in the Caribbean set up an unusually long and sustained fetch of tropical moisture over the area.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, April 12 to 13, 20201 injured · $573,000 · 55 kt wind · 23 eventsA strong cold front extending from a complex surface low pressure system, |brought intense thunderstorms which produced damaging winds and very heavy rain on April 12-13. The heavy rains resulted from a deep plume of tropical moisture lifted northward ahead of the cold front.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, May 18 to 19, 2018$1.4 million · 12 eventsThe synoptic pattern remained little changed from the previous day with deep moisture in place. An axis of very heavy rainfall pushed north across the Carolinas in the late afternoon and evening as the weak area of low pressure over the southeast lifted slowly northward.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, September 27, 2010$950,000 · 19 eventsA nearly stationary upper low over northern Alabama, combined with a plume of tropical moisture, produced record rainfall over portions of Brunswick and New Hanover Counties.
• Flash Flood and Hail in North Carolina, June 2, 2010$1.1 million · 50 kt wind · 8 eventsStrong to severe slow moving storms and merging storms resulted in severe damaging winds and flash flooding across portions of Central North Carolina. Frequent to excessive lightning resulted in property damage across the area to homes and businesses.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, July 20, 2012$1.1 million · 4 eventsSlow moving showers and thunderstorms produced locally very heavy rain over the western Piedmont of North Carolina. Heavy rain caused a mix of flash flooding and less significant poor drainage issues. A local mall was also damaged after a partial roof collapse.

Heavy Rain everywhereEvery kind of event in North Carolina

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.