Tornado season in North Carolina
Tornado season in North Carolina peaks from March to May, when 43% of its tornadoes touch down; April is the busiest month. North Carolina averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025.
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). All states
Tornadoes in North Carolina by month
All tornadoes recorded in North Carolina, 1996–2025, by the month they touched down.
| Month | Tornadoes, 1996–2025 | Average a year | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20 | 0.7 | 2% |
| February | 30 | 1 | 3% |
| March | 63 | 2.1 | 7% |
| April (busiest) | 183 | 6.1 | 20% |
| May | 155 | 5.2 | 17% |
| June | 57 | 1.9 | 6% |
| July | 77 | 2.6 | 8% |
| August | 90 | 3 | 10% |
| September | 158 | 5.3 | 17% |
| October | 62 | 2.1 | 7% |
| November | 25 | 0.8 | 3% |
| December | 13 | 0.4 | 1% |
Is there a second tornado season in North Carolina?
Not a distinct one. November to February brought 9% of North Carolina's tornadoes in 1996–2025, so the risk outside the main season is lower, but tornadoes in the cool months do happen.
What time of day tornadoes hit North Carolina
The most common hour for a tornado to touch down in North Carolina is 4 pm to 5 pm (local standard time). 36% came between 6 pm and 6 am, when it is dark for much of the year and many people are asleep. A weather radio or phone alerts that can wake you matter most where night tornadoes are common.
How strong: the EF-scale mix
Ratings of North Carolina's tornadoes, 1996–2025. Wind speeds are the EF scale's estimated 3-second gusts. 11% of rated tornadoes were EF2 or stronger.
| Rating | Estimated wind | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 / F0 | 65–85 mph | 514 | 55% |
| EF1 / F1 | 86–110 mph | 310 | 33% |
| EF2 / F2 | 111–135 mph | 86 | 9% |
| EF3 / F3 | 136–165 mph | 17 | 2% |
| EF4 / F4 | 166–200 mph | 1 | under 1% |
| EF5 / F5 | over 200 mph | 0 | 0% |
| Unrated (EFU) | — | 5 | 1% |
Strongest tornadoes in North Carolina since 1950
Highest rating first; ties by deaths, injuries and path length.
| Date | Rating | Deaths | Injuries | Path | First county |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 1984 | F4 | 16 | 153 | 28 mi, 1,223 yd wide | Lenoir County |
| November 27, 1988 | F4 | 4 | 154 | 83 mi, 400 yd wide | Wake County |
| April 8, 1957 | F4 | 4 | 54 | 65.9 mi, 150 yd wide | Scotland County |
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 4 | 52 | 14 mi, 800 yd wide | Cleveland County |
| April 3, 1974 | F4 | 4 | 26 | 18.9 mi, 10 yd wide | Cherokee County |
Deadliest tornadoes in North Carolina since 1950
Deaths in North Carolina only; a tornado that crossed a state line may have killed people elsewhere too. 52 people died in tornadoes in North Carolina in 1996–2025.
| Date | Deaths | Rating | Injuries | Path | First county |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 1984 | 16 | F4 | 153 | 28 mi | Lenoir County |
| March 28, 1984 | 12 | F3 | 101 | 40 mi | Bladen County |
| April 16, 2011 | 12 | EF3 | 58 | 17.9 mi | Bertie County |
| November 16, 2006 | 8 | F3 | 20 | 2.2 mi | Columbus County |
| April 16, 2011 | 6 | EF3 | 103 | 65.2 mi | Moore County |
Tornadoes per year in North Carolina
The busiest year in 1996–2025 was 2004, with 67 tornadoes; the quietest was 2015, with 9. 1,551 tornadoes are recorded in North Carolina since 1950. The last 10 years:
| Year | Tornadoes |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2024 | 43 |
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2020 | 46 |
| 2019 | 46 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2017 | 31 |
| 2016 | 16 |
Tornado risk in North Carolina right now
This page is history. For today, check tornado warnings in force now and the severe weather and tornado outlook for the next three days, or all weather alerts in North Carolina. How exposed each county is: natural disaster risk in North Carolina.
Tornado watch or tornado warning?
- Tornado watch: conditions are right for tornadoes in and near the watch area, often parts of several states, for several hours. Issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Be ready and know where you would shelter.
- Tornado warning: a tornado has been seen or is shown by radar and threatens the warned area now. Issued by the local National Weather Service office, usually for less than an hour. Go to shelter at once: a basement, or an inside room with no windows on the lowest floor.
- Tornado emergency: the most serious wording the Weather Service can put in a warning, used when a confirmed, damaging tornado is heading for a town or city.
Right now: tornado warnings in force · severe weather and tornado outlook for today to day 3 · all US weather alerts by state
About this data
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). Source: the tornado file of the NOAA Storm Prediction Center's Severe Weather Database (1950-2025_all_tornadoes.csv), a US Government work in the public domain, spc.noaa.gov/wcm. Built 2026-10-18.
- Months, times of day, averages and the EF-scale mix cover the latest 30 full years in the database. The strongest and deadliest lists go back to 1950, when the database starts.
- A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in every state it touched, with the deaths and injuries in each state, as the Storm Prediction Center advises. National totals count each tornado once.
- Ratings before February 2007 are on the Fujita (F) scale and later ones on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. "EFU" means the tornado could not be rated, usually because it hit nothing that could be surveyed.
- Times are local standard time; the county is the first county on the tornado's path. More tornadoes are reported now than in the 1950s because of radar, spotters and phone cameras, so old and new counts are not directly comparable.
- This is history, not a forecast. Any month can bring a tornado; follow your local National Weather Service office.
Questions
When is tornado season in North Carolina?
Tornado season in North Carolina peaks from March to May, when 43% of its tornadoes touch down; April is the busiest month. North Carolina averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025.
How many tornadoes does North Carolina get a year?
North Carolina averaged 31 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025 (933 tornadoes in all). The busiest year was 2004, with 67 tornadoes. A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in each state it touched.
What was the deadliest tornado in North Carolina?
The deadliest tornado in North Carolina since 1950 was the F4 tornado of March 28, 1984, starting in Lenoir County, which killed 16 people in North Carolina. Records before 1950 are not in this database.
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form in and near the watch area, which often covers parts of several states for several hours; it is issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Stay alert and know where you would shelter. A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or shown by radar and is a threat to the warned area now; it is issued by the local National Weather Service office for a much smaller area, usually for less than an hour. A warning is the more serious of the two: go to your shelter at once.
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