North Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010
Deduplicated storm activity for North Carolina, fused from NWS warnings, storm reports, official records, and FEMA declarations.
Latest North Carolina hail and wind storms
- Last reported hail in North Carolina (0.75 in.+, screening): September 11, 2026 — 1.00 in. reported at Wise Forks (Lenoir County), SPC storm report.
- 2026 so far in North Carolina: 22 hail days and 64 wind days statewide (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust | City pages hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 17, 2026 | — | 54 mph measured | — |
| October 10, 2026 | — | 67 mph measured | Asheville |
| September 18, 2026 | — | 69 mph measured | Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville |
| September 11, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | — | — |
| September 6, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | — | — |
| September 5, 2026 | 2.00 in. reported | 73 mph measured | Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Cary, Wilmington |
| September 4, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | 56 mph measured | Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem |
| September 3, 2026 | — | 52 mph measured | Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex |
| August 24, 2026 | 0.75 in. reported | 46 mph reported | Wilmington |
| August 23, 2026 | — | 60 mph measured | — |
North Carolina storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 5,577 deduplicated storm events (wind, hail, tornado, and flood; NWS warning products included) in North Carolina in the 12 months ending October 21, 2026.
- Storm activity touched 100 of 100 North Carolina counties over that period.
- The most impacted county in North Carolina was Wake, with 119 events.
- The busiest day by event count in North Carolina was March 16, 2026, with 300 events.
North Carolina storm activity at a glance (last 12 months)
StormAuditor's consolidated public record currently shows 5,577 storm events impacting 100 of North Carolina's 100 counties in the trailing 12 months: 3,231 wind events, 1,731 hail events, 161 tornado events, 454 flood events. Every count includes NWS warnings as well as observed reports, so tornado events mean tornado warnings and reports, not confirmed tornadoes.
Events are fused from National Weather Service warnings and Special Weather Statements, observed Local Storm Reports, official NCEI storm records, and FEMA disaster declarations, then consolidated into a single event table under the published methodology.
Wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, so these counts measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year. State totals also count NWS Special Weather Statements (radar-indicated hail or gusts below warning level); city pages leave those out.
Busiest days in North Carolina by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- March 16, 2026 — 300 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, tornado, wind)
- August 21, 2026 — 208 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, tornado, wind)
- July 28, 2026 — 194 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, tornado, wind)
- October 11, 2026 — 191 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, tornado, wind)
- September 5, 2026 — 185 events incl. warnings (flood, hail, tornado, wind)
Most impacted counties
Events of every type for each county — wind, hail, tornado and flood, NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements included. City pages count wind and hail events only, so a county number on a city page is never higher than the number here.
- Wake — 119 events
- Surry — 116 events
- Johnston — 100 events
- Dare — 94 events
- Carteret — 93 events
- Chatham — 89 events
- Franklin — 84 events
- Cumberland — 83 events
Additional activity recorded under other NWS area names (forecast zones, tribal lands, and former census areas): Hatteras Island (6) · Ocracoke Island (6) · Mainland Dare (5) · Outer Banks (5).
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report anywhere in North Carolina showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The "City pages hit" column and each city's last reported hail apply the same rule within 25 miles of the city. The statewide columns count reports inside North Carolina only. City pages count reports within 25 miles of each city, which can reach into a neighboring state; those values name the other state, so a border city's value for a day can be higher than the North Carolina value.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count the North Carolina storm log: NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements (a lower-level NWS alert), storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts, NCEI entries and FEMA disaster declarations, for each county affected, floods included. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for each type (wind, hail, tornado, flood). A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements count once per county per day, and NCEI entries and FEMA declarations once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. The most impacted counties list uses this count. City pages count only wind and hail within 25 miles and leave out floods and Special Weather Statements, so city counts do not add up to the state total, and a city page's county count is a wind-and-hail count that is never higher than the same county's number here.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) in North Carolina from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
North Carolina hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 20, 2025. Storms from October 21, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
The National Centers for Environmental Information logged 1,182 storm days in North Carolina in this period — 17,291 NCEI Storm Events entries in all. Wind is the more common entry — 12,983 thunderstorm wind reports to 3,720 hail reports.
Storm days ranged from 58 in 2015 to 103 in 2012. Across 2022–2024, North Carolina averaged 71 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 74.
The largest hail in these records for North Carolina was 4.50 in. (softball size), reported on April 20, 2024 in Robeson County. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 14 different years of this record, the latest being 2025 through Oct. 20. Measured thunderstorm gusts topped out at 94 mph (Dare County, March 5, 2025). NCEI also lists 588 tornado entries in North Carolina — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in May (34% of all hail reports); thunderstorm wind peaks in July. December through February accounts for 61 storm days.
- Average: 74 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- May and June: 53% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 568 in 2012
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 154 | 852 | 28 | 82 | 1.75 in. | 72 mph |
| 2011 | 537 | 1,140 | 82 | 101 | 2.75 in. | 76 mph |
| 2012 | 568 | 867 | 24 | 103 | 2.75 in. | 84 mph |
| 2013 | 121 | 464 | 10 | 62 | 1.75 in. | 71 mph |
| 2014 | 268 | 521 | 37 | 70 | 2.75 in. | 86 mph |
| 2015 | 157 | 468 | 9 | 58 | 2.00 in. | 74 mph |
| 2016 | 291 | 626 | 17 | 78 | 3.00 in. | 83 mph |
| 2017 | 139 | 557 | 41 | 66 | 2.75 in. | 82 mph |
| 2018 | 89 | 630 | 38 | 80 | 2.00 in. | 77 mph |
| 2019 | 172 | 791 | 51 | 67 | 4.00 in. | 90 mph |
| 2020 | 83 | 580 | 50 | 72 | 2.25 in. | 72 mph |
| 2021 | 258 | 706 | 42 | 61 | 2.75 in. | 68 mph |
| 2022 | 320 | 1,672 | 42 | 77 | 2.75 in. | 86 mph |
| 2023 | 320 | 1,702 | 52 | 66 | 2.75 in. | 76 mph |
| 2024 | 104 | 696 | 49 | 70 | 4.50 in. | 81 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 20 | 139 | 711 | 16 | 69 | 2.50 in. | 94 mph |
Counties with the most NCEI storm reports, 2010–Oct. 2025
| County | All entries | Hail | Thunderstorm wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 768 | 193 | 563 |
| Surry County | 449 | 80 | 363 |
| Wilkes County | 400 | 79 | 312 |
| Guilford County | 386 | 77 | 303 |
| Rockingham County | 386 | 68 | 313 |
| Randolph County | 374 | 40 | 332 |
| Forsyth County | 366 | 44 | 322 |
| Johnston County | 349 | 47 | 295 |
| Burke County | 336 | 132 | 199 |
| Stokes County | 324 | 41 | 279 |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/nc.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
North Carolina storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
What is the largest hail reported in North Carolina, 2010–Oct. 2025?
4.50 in., softball size, reported on April 20, 2024 in Robeson County, per NCEI. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 14 years of this record in all, most recently 2022, 2023 and 2025 through Oct. 20.
What was North Carolina's most active storm year, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2012, with 103 storm days (568 hail reports, 867 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 74 storm days.
How often does North Carolina get hail?
NCEI's records average 239 hail reports a year here over 2010–2024, alongside 818 thunderstorm wind reports. Hail of 1 inch or larger was reported in every one of those years.
When is hail season in North Carolina?
May has the most hail reports (1,260, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by June (693) and April (597).
How strong were measured thunderstorm winds in North Carolina, 2010–Oct. 2025?
94 mph, measured on March 5, 2025 in Dare County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Storm professionals: restoration and exterior contractors, public adjusters, and crews and teams on one Organization plan work from this same public record — see StormAuditor for professionals.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Download the North Carolina dataset (free)
The full consolidated North Carolina event list for the trailing 12 months — dates, counties, hazard types, severities, measured gusts and hail sizes, with coordinates; source records deduplicated, and each NWS warning product listed per affected county — downloads free and stays current with the live record: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/nc.json. Free to reuse under the data license; the JSON file carries a field dictionary and provenance notes.
Research a specific North Carolina address
Statewide counts tell you where activity concentrated; they do not tell you what happened at one property. For an individual address:
- Run the Free Report Snapshot — an instant YES/NO against StormAuditor's screening thresholds (wind ≥ 45 mph, hail ≥ 0.75 in., deliberately below the official NWS severe criteria).
- Use the Address Lookup for warnings, storm reports, and station observations at the address.
- Buy a full Weather Report for $2.99 covering every qualifying storm date at the address.
Browse day-by-day activity on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher) or compare states on the Storm Data hub.
All values are derived from public NOAA and NWS data under StormAuditor's published methodology (see Limitations). Data last refreshed October 21, 2026.
See where recent storms tracked on the statewide North Carolina hail map and wind map (the Hail and Wind Explorers, included with Pro+ and Organization plans), or check the county impact heatmap (free with an account).
North Carolina cities A–Z: last reported hail
- Apex hail & wind history — last hail July 8, 2026 (1.25 in. reported)
- Asheville hail & wind history — last hail July 4, 2026 (0.75 in. reported)
- Cary hail & wind history — last hail September 5, 2026 (1.50 in. reported)
- Charlotte hail & wind history — last hail August 11, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Concord hail & wind history — last hail August 11, 2026 (1.00 in. reported)
- Durham hail & wind history — last hail September 5, 2026 (1.75 in. reported)
- Fayetteville hail & wind history — no 0.75 in.+ hail reported within 25 miles in 12 months
- Gastonia hail & wind history — no 0.75 in.+ hail reported within 25 miles in 12 months
- Greensboro hail & wind history — last hail September 4, 2026 (0.75 in. reported)
- Hickory hail & wind history — last hail August 11, 2026 (1.25 in. reported)
- Raleigh hail & wind history — last hail September 5, 2026 (2.00 in. reported)
- Wilmington hail & wind history — last hail August 24, 2026 (0.75 in. reported)
- Winston-Salem hail & wind history — last hail September 4, 2026 (0.75 in. reported)
Neighboring states: Georgia storm data · South Carolina storm data · Tennessee storm data · Virginia storm data
Guides for reading this data
Storm-day records in North Carolina
The newest storm-date pages for North Carolina cities: a report or station gust within 25 miles of the city met NWS severe criteria (hail 1.00 in.+ or wind 58 mph+), with at least two separate observations. Each page lists the reports, station gusts and a free way to check one address:
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "North Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010." Updated October 20, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc">North Carolina Storm Data: Hail & Wind History Since 2010 — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.