NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Advance, NC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Advance, North Carolina since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 65
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Advance
The strongest storm to pass near Advance was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 82 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Advance begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 48 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 24 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 65% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Advance. The highest rating among the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 28, 2010, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on November 16, 2011, killed 2 people. Of the 65, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on April 11, 2024. Advance has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 57% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1970, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Advance has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Advance
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 70 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Advance: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Advance
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s6
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF3 | 23 mi | 3.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 4 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 5, 1989 | F3 | 15 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 30 |
| May 22, 1985 | F3 | 14 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 12.51 mi | 2 / 15 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 3.85 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 11 mi | 5.94 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF2 | 16 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 3 mi | 0.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Advance
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Advance since 1970, made on 69 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on June 4, 1993. The most recent report is from August 15, 2023. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Advance
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mocksville 5SE, NC, 8 miles south of Advance at 680 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 25°F. August is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 47.0 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 47.0 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 41 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 116 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.0 inches is more than at 32 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (23%). Clemmons, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Yadkinville 6 E, NC): 46.7 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 25 | 3.8 | 6 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 53 | 27 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 61 | 33 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 71 | 42 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 44 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Year | 70 | 45 | 47.0 | 73 | 4.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mocksville 5SE, NC (680 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Advance
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 188 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Advance: 169 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on May 20, 2000. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 201 have had fewer than Advance.
May 3, 2016: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Advance — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
April 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Advance — $950,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread trees and power lines were blown down across the entire county. Falling trees caused substantial damage to many homes, vehicles and outbuildings throughout the county.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Advance's ZIP code 27006 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $147,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 25% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 263 North Carolina cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 19 have fewer than Advance.
Davie County, which includes Advance, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Eta, on March 3, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Davie County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.1 million a year, the 74th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.7 million (66%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Advance
- Clemmons, NC6 mi
- Mocksville, NC8 mi
- Lewisville, NC10 mi
- Winston Salem, NC14 mi
- Lexington, NC14 mi
- Woodleaf, NC14 mi
- Linwood, NC14 mi
- Yadkinville, NC16 mi
- Pfafftown, NC16 mi
- East Bend, NC18 mi
- Spencer, NC18 mi
- Harmony, NC19 mi
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