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Tornadoes in North Carolina

North Carolina has recorded 1,533 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 30.9 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 124 people and injured 2,435. May is the most active month.

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Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 54965497: 10971098: 65986599: 37993700: 23002301: 13011302: 11021103: 36033604: 66046605: 23052306: 31063107: 14071408: 56085609: 33093310: 27102711: 65116512: 23122313: 10131014: 31143115: 915916: 16161617: 28172818: 37183719: 46194620: 46204621: 19211922: 19221923: 22232224: 43244325: 152515
North Carolina tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 7050s7060s: 7860s7870s: 17970s17980s: 14280s14290s: 30290s30200s: 30600s30610s: 29210s29220s: 16420s164
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in North Carolina

Jan: 35Jan35Feb: 63Feb63Mar: 148Mar148Apr: 238Apr238May: 266May266Jun: 136Jun136Jul: 125Jul125Aug: 152Aug152Sep: 188Sep188Oct: 95Oct95Nov: 68Nov68Dec: 19Dec19
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 665EF0665EF1: 607EF1607EF2: 211EF2211EF3: 38EF338EF4: 7EF47EF5: 0EF5
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in North Carolina

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
March 28, 1984F4Lenoir County28 mi1,223 yd16153
March 28, 1984F3Bladen County40 mi1,407 yd12101
April 16, 2011EF3Bertie County17.9 mi1,300 yd1258
November 16, 2006F3Columbus County2.2 mi300 yd820
March 28, 1984F3Bertie County6 mi880 yd619
April 16, 2011EF3Moore County65.2 mi500 yd6103
November 27, 1988F4Wake County83 mi400 yd4154
May 5, 1989F4Cleveland County14 mi800 yd452
March 28, 1984F4Sampson County21 mi1,407 yd3149
February 15, 2021EF3Brunswick County21.9 mi275 yd310

Strongest tornadoes in North Carolina

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
March 28, 1984F4Lenoir County28 mi1,223 yd16153
November 27, 1988F4Wake County83 mi400 yd4154
May 5, 1989F4Cleveland County14 mi800 yd452
March 28, 1984F4Sampson County21 mi1,407 yd3149
May 5, 1989F4Union County13 mi500 yd16
May 7, 1998F4Caldwell County4 mi1,320 yd02
April 8, 1957F4Robeson County0.8 mi150 yd021
March 28, 1984F3Bladen County40 mi1,407 yd12101
April 16, 2011EF3Bertie County17.9 mi1,300 yd1258
November 16, 2006F3Columbus County2.2 mi300 yd820

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
July 6, 2025EF1Orange County0.3 mi250 yd00
July 6, 2025EF1Alamance County0.6 mi175 yd00
July 6, 2025EF1Chatham County1.4 mi100 yd00
July 6, 2025EF1Lee County1 mi150 yd00
July 6, 2025EF0New Hanover County1.7 mi30 yd00
May 15, 2025EF0Dare County0.8 mi100 yd00
May 13, 2025EF1Edgecombe County2.2 mi120 yd00
May 13, 2025EF1Edgecombe County1.7 mi115 yd00
May 12, 2025EF1Edgecombe County2.2 mi100 yd00
May 5, 2025?Martin County0.3 mi50 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
Carteret County81412972440.9
Onslow County49166548556.4
Pender County48142732491.4
Robeson County46125807814.1
Brunswick County44134070588.2
Duplin County42133472392.6
Dare County41277258485.6
Craven County40146534653.5
Wake County40124071856.3
Beaufort County40124369747.9
Pitt County33131088957.1
New Hanover County33445156250
Columbus County3185597014.9
Lenoir County30194736842.1
Wayne County30140252707.6
Bertie County30111158798.3
Bladen County2985840000
Harnett County27117529411.8
Mecklenburg County26128511450.4
Cleveland County25139547413.8

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.