Polk County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Polk County, NC right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 785 alerts that included Polk County, roughly 79 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (197 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on December 29, 2024. 4 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 Polk County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Greenville County, Rutherford County, Spartanburg County, Henderson County.
Polk County alert history
Alert events that included Polk County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 197 | 28 | September 6, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 84 | 3 | August 27, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 74 | 4 | October 10, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 53 | 2 | October 10, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 52 | 6 | October 11, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 44 | 2 | October 18, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 40 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 38 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 32 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 29 | 5 | September 6, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 27 | 3 | October 11, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 19 | 0 | December 29, 2024 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 14 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 13 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 13 | 1 | October 11, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 10 | 1 | March 28, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 10 | 2 | February 1, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 9 | 3 | July 4, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 8 | 0 | December 29, 2024 |
| High Wind Watch | 5 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 5 | 1 | February 7, 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 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
Tornado history in Polk County
4 tornadoes have been recorded in Polk County since 1950. That ranks 87 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on December 29, 2024 (rated EF0).
Strongest tornadoes in Polk County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 17, 1977 | F1 | Henderson County | 11.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 8, 2017 | EF1 | Polk County | 0.6 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| December 29, 2024 | EF0 | Polk County | 1 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 26, 2010 | EF0 | Polk County | 0.5 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 29, 2024 | EF0 | Polk County | 1 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 8, 2017 | EF1 | Polk County | 0.6 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 26, 2010 | EF0 | Polk County | 0.5 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 17, 1977 | F1 | Henderson County | 11.5 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Polk County
- Population: 20,320 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Carolina
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 037149 (how to use it)