Thunderstorm Wind in North Carolina
Every thunderstorm wind event the National Weather Service has filed in North Carolina, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant thunderstorm wind episodes in North Carolina.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 20,476
- Deaths
- 46
- Injuries
- 355
- Damage
- $149 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, March 28, 1984
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, April 16, 2011Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a cold front produced damaging winds, large hail, and several tornadoes across portions of northeast North Carolina.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, November 28, 1988
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, May 5, 1989
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, April 8, 1957
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, April 16, 2011One of the largest tornado outbreaks ever observed across eastern North Carolina occurred during the afternoon and evening of April 16th 2011. Several powerful super-cell thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, November 16, 2006A fast moving tornadic thunderstorm moved ashore on the coast of Brunswick County. There was no damage found until the storm moved across extreme eastern Columbus County and then extreme western Pender County.
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, March 17, 1965
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, August 17 to 18, 2021Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on the 16th and lifted steadily north through Georgia and into the southern Appalachians during the 16th and throughout the 17th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, July 6 to 7, 2025Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall over northeastern South Carolina during the morning hours of July 6.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, February 22, 1971
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, March 20, 1998Severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on the 20th produced two tornadoes, damaging winds and hail to golf ball size.A supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes in North Carolina and a third one just over the Virginia border.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, January 7, 1995Fallen trees caused damage to several buildings in Laurel Hills.
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, April 16, 2011A powerful storm system that had moved across the deep south during previous days, swept across the eastern Carolinas during the afternoon and evening hours. Instability and shear values were highly supportive of super-cell thunderstorms.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 1, 2012Convection developed across the Piedmont of North Carolina during the afternoon hours of July 1st. The storms formed into a line of severe thunderstorms similar to a derecho which caused numerous downed trees, hail, and damage to structures across eastern North Carolina.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 2004In response to persistent moderate to heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, severe flooding developed across the mountains for the second time in 9 days.
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, July 1, 1990
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, February 15 to 16, 2021Strong low pressure and a cold front produced an EF-3 tornado.
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, July 2, 1986
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, March 28 to 29, 2010Convection developed ahead of an amplified upper trough across the Tennessee Valley|while a strong southerly mid and upper level jet provided strong shear across the region.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, November 15, 2008Two mini-supercells tracked northeast along a warm front during the early morning hours of the 15th. The two supercells spawned several tornadoes in Samspon, Johnston, and Wilson counties, two of which resulted in two fatalities.
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, April 25, 2014A cold front approached eastern North Carolina during the afternoon of April 25th 2014. Warm southerly winds ahead of the front produced good instability over the region and numerous showers and thunderstorms crossed during the afternoon and evening.
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, May 7, 1998Supercell thunderstorms developed in a highly sheared atmosphere in eastern Tennessee then moved east across the mountains, foothills and western piedmont of North Carolina.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, May 8 to 9, 2008A strong upper level low moving east-northeast across Kentucky and Tennessee, triggered several instances of severe damaging winds and two tornadoes across the Triad region in the northwest piedmont of North Carolina.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in North Carolina, July 19, 2023An old thunderstorm complex moving across the area from the prior evening of the 18th entered a more favorable environment by midday and developed a tornado that tracked several miles over the northern Coastal Plain of central NC.
More
Thunderstorm Wind everywhereEvery kind of event in North Carolina
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.