NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Andrews, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Andrews, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 22
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Andrews
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Andrews; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Andrews begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 2 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 96% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Andrews. The strongest of the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 8 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 22, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Andrews. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1991, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Andrews.
Compare Andrews's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Andrews
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Andrews: 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 Andrews
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5
- 2000s1
- 1990s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 8 mi | 24 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 21 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 7 mi | 24.1 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 7 mi | 21.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 22 mi | 14.31 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 9 mi | 2.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF1 | 8 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 23 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 28, 1994 | F1 | 23 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 20 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 22, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Andrews
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Andrews since 1991, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Andrews
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Murphy 4ESE, NC, 12 miles southwest of Andrews at 1,600 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 25°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 59.5 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in December. That 59.5 inches is more than at 123 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (88%). Robbinsville, 10 miles north, has its own station (Robbinsville Ag 5 NE, NC): 63.8 inches a year, 4.3 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 25 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 28 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 71 | 41 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 51 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 6.0 | 10 | 1.9 |
| Year | 70 | 44 | 59.5 | 97 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, NC (1,600 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 Andrews
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Andrews: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 8, 2024. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Andrews.
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Andrews — 3 injured.
July 21, 2022: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Andrews — $1.0 million damage.
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
Cherokee County, which includes Andrews, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cherokee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 69th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (63%), 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 Andrews
- Marble, NC8 mi
- Robbinsville, NC10 mi
- Hayesville, NC11 mi
- Murphy, NC17 mi
- Young Harris, GA17 mi
- Hiawassee, GA20 mi
- Bryson City, NC24 mi
- Franklin, NC24 mi
- Otto, NC25 mi
- Blairsville, GA25 mi
- Tellico Plains, TN28 mi
- Rabun Gap, GA29 mi
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