Burke County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Burke County, NC right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,110 alerts that included Burke County, roughly 111 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (227 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 10, 2026. 10 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Burke County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Cleveland County, Caldwell County, Lincoln County, Rutherford County.
Burke County alert history
Alert events that included Burke County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 227 | 40 | September 21, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 171 | 8 | October 11, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 119 | 4 | October 10, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 97 | 3 | August 27, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 54 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 53 | 3 | October 11, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 52 | 3 | October 10, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 50 | 7 | November 9, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 46 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Freeze Watch | 37 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Flood Warning | 33 | 3 | October 11, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 29 | 4 | September 5, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 27 | 1 | July 10, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 18 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 17 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 17 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 17 | 0 | December 29, 2024 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 13 | 2 | February 1, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 10 | 1 | March 28, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 8 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 5 | 3 | July 4, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | September 25, 2024 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 3 | 0 | March 1, 2025 |
| Tropical Storm Watch | 2 | 0 | September 25, 2024 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 1 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
Tornado history in Burke County
10 tornadoes have been recorded in Burke County since 1950, injuring 8 people. That ranks 63 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on October 23, 2017 (rated EF2).
Strongest tornadoes in Burke County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 23, 2017 | EF2 | Burke County | 4.9 mi | 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| January 11, 2012 | EF2 | Burke County | 4.2 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 8 |
| May 24, 1979 | F2 | Burke County | 0.3 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 3, 1974 | F1 | Burke County | 6.9 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 27, 2010 | EF1 | Burke County | 2.6 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 23, 2017 | EF2 | Burke County | 4.9 mi | 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 8, 2017 | EF1 | Burke County | 2.2 mi | 250 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 8, 2017 | EF0 | Cleveland County | 13.5 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| January 11, 2012 | EF2 | Burke County | 4.2 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 8 |
| September 27, 2010 | EF1 | Burke County | 2.6 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Burke County
- Population: 88,545 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Carolina
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 037023 (how to use it)