Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ash, NC

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Longwood, NC, 6 miles southwest of Ash at 40 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 34°F. September is the wettest at 7.5 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 61% of the year's precipitation (34.8 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 111 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (41); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 7.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 55 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.2 inches is more than at 115 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (82%). Shallotte, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Shallotte Ag, NC): 56.7 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 51 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ash: 29 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 floods, 9 flash floods and 3 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on February 15, 2021. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Ash.

Flood insurance policyholders in Ash's ZIP code 28420 have filed 40 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 22 claims (55% of all) and $1.3 million. 93% 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, 114 have fewer than Ash.