NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Benson, 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
70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Benson, North Carolina since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 7
- Tropical storms
- 63
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Benson
The strongest storm to pass near Benson was Hazel in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Benson begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 7 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 70 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Benson has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 16, 2011, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 12 people. Of the 78, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 4, 2025. Benson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 74% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Benson has more hail reports within 10 miles than 72% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
Compare Benson's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Benson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 58 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 8 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 5 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 43 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | overhead | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 58 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 62 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Benson: 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 Benson
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s13(1 EF3+)
- 2000s23
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 23 mi | 40 mi | 12 / 101 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | in town | 52.86 mi | 2 / 176 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 8 mi | 85.7 mi | 2 / 60 |
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 8 mi | 160 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | F2 | 14 mi | 85.8 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 10 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1982 | F2 | 18 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 5, 1971 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 1966 | F2 | 14 mi | 64.5 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 6, 1956 | F2 | 20 mi | 14.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Benson
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Benson since 1982, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 50 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 5, 1997. The most recent report is from May 14, 2025. May has the most reports, 32.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Benson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dunn 4 NW, NC, 10 miles southwest of Benson at 200 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 32°F. July is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February and October the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.7 of 50.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 70 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (30); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 5.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.2 inches is more than at 69 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (49%). Four Oaks, 6 miles east, has its own station (Smithfield, NC): 49.5 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 5.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.2 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 50.2 | 75 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dunn 4 NW, NC (200 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 Benson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 182 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Benson: 157 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $26.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 71 mph, on May 18, 2006. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 231 have had fewer than Benson.
May 26, 1998: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Benson — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
September 8, 2023: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Benson — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree was down on a car at East Main Street and North Lee Street.”
August 15, 2019: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Benson — $25.0 million damage.
NWS: “More than forty trees were reported down, along with multiple power lines down and several homes damaged due to trees falling on them and the wind around Benson.”
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
Johnston County, which includes Benson, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Johnston County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $61.5 million a year, the 20th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $31.7 million (52%), 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.