Hail & Wind Storms in Wilmington, NC — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Wilmington, North Carolina or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Wilmington
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): August 24, 2026 — 0.75 in. reported 7.3 mi N of Wilmington (2 WSW Castle Hayne), NWS Local Storm Report.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): September 5, 2026 — 48 mph measured 19 mi S of Wilmington (3 SW Kure Beach), NWS Local Storm Report.
- 2026 so far: 1 hail day and 6 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2026 | — | 48 mph measured |
| August 24, 2026 | 0.75 in. reported | — |
| August 21, 2026 | — | 52 mph measured |
| June 19, 2026 | — | 58 mph measured |
| May 28, 2026 | — | 59 mph measured |
| March 16, 2026 | — | 54 mph measured |
| March 12, 2026 | — | 56 mph measured |
Was your address hit on September 5, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Wilmington storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 30 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Wilmington, North Carolina or recorded for New Hanover County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (20 wind, 10 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Wilmington in the last 12 months was 59 mph, measured 3.5 mi NE of Wilmington (Wilmington International Airport) on May 28, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The largest hail reported within 25 miles of Wilmington in the last 12 months was 0.75 in., 7.3 mi N of Wilmington (2 WSW Castle Hayne) on August 24, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report).
- The busiest day by event count near Wilmington was August 21, 2026, with 7 events.
- New Hanover County alone recorded 24 of those wind and hail events (15 wind, 9 hail); the North Carolina page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Wilmington, North Carolina storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Wilmington — home to about 120,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 30 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Wilmington or recorded for New Hanover County in the trailing 12 months — 20 wind and 10 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Wilmington 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.
- August 21, 2026 — 7 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 3 hail
- May 28, 2026 — 3 events incl. warnings · 2 wind · 1 hail
- May 11, 2026 — 3 events incl. warnings · 2 wind · 1 hail
- May 9, 2026 — 3 events incl. warnings · 3 wind
- March 16, 2026 — 3 events incl. warnings · 2 wind · 1 hail
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 within 25 miles of Wilmington 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 latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- 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 NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Wilmington or recorded for New Hanover County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. 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 count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry 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. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Wilmington or in New Hanover County 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.
Wilmington hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
Thunderstorm wind outnumbers hail here: 167 wind reports against 84 hail reports. In all: 299 NCEI Storm Events entries within 25 miles of Wilmington or in New Hanover County, spread over 119 storm days.
The most storm days came in 2011, with 16; the fewest in a full year was 3, in 2022. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 6.3 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 7.6. Storm days fell from an average of 8.6 a year in 2010–2014 to 6.0 in 2020–2024.
On April 5, 2017, 2.00 in. (hen-egg size) hail was reported in Brunswick County — the largest in these records for this area. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in only one year of this record, 2017. The strongest measured thunderstorm gust was 77 mph on March 12, 2022 in New Hanover County. NCEI also lists 48 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in May (36% of all hail reports), while thunderstorm wind reports cluster in June. December through February accounts for 12 storm days.
- Average: 7.6 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- May and June: 56% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 19 in 2012
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in 9 of 15 full years (2010–2024)
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0.75 in. | 71 mph |
| 2011 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 1.75 in. | 75 mph |
| 2012 | 19 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 1.75 in. | 68 mph |
| 2013 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | — | 61 mph |
| 2014 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1.50 in. | 68 mph |
| 2015 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 6 | — | 62 mph |
| 2016 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1.00 in. | 58 mph |
| 2017 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 2.00 in. | 59 mph |
| 2018 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2019 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 1.00 in. | 60 mph |
| 2020 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 5 | — | 64 mph |
| 2021 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1.50 in. | 59 mph |
| 2022 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | — | 77 mph |
| 2023 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 0.75 in. | 67 mph |
| 2024 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 1.75 in. | 72 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0.75 in. | 61 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/nc/wilmington.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).
Wilmington storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
How big did hail get in Wilmington, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2.00 in., hen-egg size, reported on April 5, 2017 in Brunswick County, per NCEI.
Which year had the most storm days near Wilmington, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2011, with 16 storm days (15 hail reports, 19 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 7.6 storm days.
How many hail reports does Wilmington see in a typical year?
About 5.5 hail reports a year (2010–2024 average), with 1-inch or larger hail in 9 of 15 years. Thunderstorm wind averages 11 reports a year.
What month has the most hail near Wilmington?
May has the most hail reports (30, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by June (17) and July (11).
What is the strongest measured thunderstorm gust near Wilmington, 2010–Oct. 2025?
77 mph, measured on March 12, 2022 in New Hanover 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.
Wilmington hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Wilmington? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across North Carolina, including the Wilmington metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through New Hanover County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Wilmington weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Wilmington address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Wilmington wind history and free Wilmington hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
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.
Free Wilmington storm data download
The Wilmington storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/nc/wilmington.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Wilmington or recorded for New Hanover County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the North Carolina storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
- Myrtle Beach, SC hail & wind history
- Fayetteville hail & wind history
- Apex hail & wind history
- Raleigh hail & wind history
- Cary hail & wind history
- Durham hail & wind history
- North Carolina statewide storm data
Guides for reading this data
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. "Wilmington, NC Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated September 18, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc/wilmington
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/nc/wilmington">Wilmington, NC Hail & Wind Storm History — 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.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.