North Carolina tornado watches
There are no tornado watches in North Carolina right now. The last one was issued on October 11, 2026.
Conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form in and near the watch area over the next several hours.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
Active tornado watches in North Carolina
None right now. Other active alerts in North Carolina: 6 (see the North Carolina alerts page).
Tornado Watches in North Carolina by year
North Carolina averaged 30.5 tornado watches per year from 2016 to 2025, and has had 12 so far in 2026. The most recent was issued on October 11, 2026.
Counties with the most tornado watches
| County | 2016–2025 |
|---|---|
| Onslow County | 50 |
| Jones County | 50 |
| Craven County | 49 |
| Carteret County | 49 |
| Duplin County | 49 |
| Pamlico County | 47 |
| Lenoir County | 46 |
| Sampson County | 46 |
| Brunswick County | 46 |
| Columbus County | 46 |
What a tornado watch means
A tornado watch means the ingredients for tornadoes are in place: unstable air, moisture, lift and wind shear. It does not mean a tornado is occurring. Watches are issued by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, usually for large areas covering parts of several states, and typically last four to eight hours.
More about tornado watches and the national map →
What to do
- Review where you would shelter at home, at work and at school.
- Make sure your phone has Wireless Emergency Alerts on and is charged.
- Keep an eye on the sky and on local warnings, especially in the evening and at night.
- Postpone outdoor plans if storms are developing nearby.
More North Carolina alerts
- Tornado Warnings
- Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
- Flash Flood Warnings
- Flood Warnings
- Flood Watches
- Winter Storm Warnings
- Winter Storm Watches
- Winter Weather Advisories
- Cold Weather Advisories
- Freeze Warnings
- Frost Advisories
- Heat Advisories
- Extreme Heat Warnings
- High Wind Warnings
- Wind Advisories
- Red Flag Warnings
- Dense Fog Advisories
- Tropical Storm Warnings
- All North Carolina alerts