Tornadoes in North Carolina
The Storm Prediction Center records 1,555 tornadoes that touched North Carolina between 1950 and 2025, and 1,533 of them began there. A tornado that crossed a state line counts in every state it touched. They killed 148 people and injured 3,145. The busiest month is May, with 271 tornadoes.
- 1,555tornadoes
- 148deaths
- 3,145injuries
- 320per 10,000 sq mi of land
- 99counties touched
Tornadoes per 10,000 square miles lets you compare states of different sizes. It counts every tornado that touched the state.
How strong were North Carolina's tornadoes?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 665 | 43% |
| F1 / EF1 | 613 | 39% |
| F2 / EF2 | 218 | 14% |
| F3 / EF3 | 42 | 3% |
| F4 / EF4 | 12 | <1% |
| F5 / EF5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown rating | 5 | <1% |
North Carolina tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1950.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 71 |
| 1960s | 82 |
| 1970s | 181 |
| 1980s | 148 |
| 1990s | 306 |
| 2000s | 307 |
| 2010s | 295 |
| 2020s | 165 |
The record has changed over the decades as detection and reporting improved, so more weak tornadoes show up in recent years than in the 1950s. The year with the most in North Carolina was 2004, with 67.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 35 |
| Feb | 63 |
| Mar | 153 |
| Apr | 242 |
| May | 271 |
| Jun | 136 |
| Jul | 126 |
| Aug | 154 |
| Sep | 190 |
| Oct | 97 |
| Nov | 68 |
| Dec | 20 |
Deadliest tornadoes that touched North Carolina
- Greenville, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 16 deaths, 153 injuries, 28 miles long
- Askewville, North Carolina tornado16 April 2011, EF3, 12 deaths, 58 injuries, 17.9 miles long
- St. Pauls, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F3, 12 deaths, 101 injuries, 40 miles long
- Sandyfield, North Carolina tornado16 November 2006, F3, 8 deaths, 20 injuries, 2.2 miles long
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Raleigh, North Carolina tornado16 April 2011, EF3, 6 deaths, 103 injuries, 65.2 miles long
Strongest tornadoes that touched North Carolina
- Greenville, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 16 deaths, 153 injuries, 28 miles long
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Kershaw, South Carolina tornado8 April 1957, F4, 4 deaths, 70 injuries, 121.4 miles long
- Wake Forest, North Carolina tornado27 November 1988, F4, 4 deaths, 154 injuries, 83 miles long
- Hope Mills, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 4 deaths, 395 injuries, 40 miles long
- McCaysville, Georgia tornado3 April 1974, F4, 4 deaths, 26 injuries, 24 miles long
Most recent tornadoes in North Carolina
- North Carolina tornado6 July 2025, EF1, 0.3 miles long
- North Carolina tornado6 July 2025, EF1, 0.6 miles long
- North Carolina tornado6 July 2025, EF1, 1.4 miles long
- North Carolina tornado6 July 2025, EF1, 1 mile long
- North Carolina tornado6 July 2025, EF0, 1.7 miles long
Notable North Carolina tornadoes with their own pages
- Greenville, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 16 deaths, 153 injuries, 28 miles long
- St. Pauls, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F3, 12 deaths, 101 injuries, 40 miles long
- Askewville, North Carolina tornado16 April 2011, EF3, 12 deaths, 58 injuries, 17.9 miles long
- Sandyfield, North Carolina tornado16 November 2006, F3, 8 deaths, 20 injuries, 2.2 miles long
- Laurinburg, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 7 deaths, 100 injuries, 17 miles long
- Raleigh, North Carolina tornado16 April 2011, EF3, 6 deaths, 103 injuries, 65.2 miles long
- Lewiston Woodville, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F3, 6 deaths, 19 injuries, 6 miles long
- Kershaw, South Carolina tornado8 April 1957, F4, 4 deaths, 70 injuries, 121.4 miles long
- Wake Forest, North Carolina tornado27 November 1988, F4, 4 deaths, 154 injuries, 83 miles long
- Hope Mills, North Carolina tornado28 March 1984, F4, 4 deaths, 395 injuries, 40 miles long
- McCaysville, Georgia tornado3 April 1974, F4, 4 deaths, 26 injuries, 24 miles long
- Belwood, North Carolina tornado5 May 1989, F4, 4 deaths, 52 injuries, 14 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.
North Carolina counties
Every county that a tornado has touched is listed, most tornadoes first. 95 of them have at least 3 tornadoes and their own page.