NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bethel, 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
98 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bethel, North Carolina since 1851, 16 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 16
- Tropical storms
- 82
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Bethel
The strongest storm to pass near Bethel was an unnamed storm in 1879, a Category 3 hurricane with 112 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1876, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Bethel begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 2 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 10 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 98 systems, 17 have come since 2000. Bethel has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 28, 1984; its path came within 13 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 76, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 13, 2025. Bethel has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 71% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bethel.
Compare Bethel's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bethel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 64 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 9 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 19 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 32 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 71 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 59 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 47 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 58 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 53 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormOct 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 7 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 2 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 25 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 11 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 62 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 26 | 61 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 60 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 64 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 21 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 2 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 13 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 Bethel: 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 Bethel
By decade
- 2020s5(1 EF3+)
- 2010s12(2 EF3+)
- 2000s23
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 13 mi | 28 mi | 16 / 153 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 25 mi | 6 mi | 6 / 19 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 14 mi | 85.7 mi | 2 / 60 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 13.53 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF3 | 25 mi | 20.99 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 20.42 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 8 mi | 160 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 4, 1977 | F3 | 20 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1972 | F3 | 14 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 8, 1957 | F3 | 3 mi | 46.9 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 15, 1953 | F3 | 11 mi | 30.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bethel
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Bethel since 1963, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 15, 2025, the most recent report. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bethel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tarboro 1 S, NC, 11 miles northwest of Bethel at 35 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (27.3 of 47.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 98 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (41); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 6.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 70 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.8 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 47.6 inches is more than at 38 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (27%). Robersonville, 7 miles east, has its own station (Williamston 1 E, NC): 53.2 inches a year, 5.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 6.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Year | 71 | 50 | 47.6 | 77 | 4.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tarboro 1 S, NC (35 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 Bethel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 43 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bethel: 39 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $260,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 8, 2016.
May 4, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bethel — 1 injured.
September 30, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Bethel — $200,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Bethel's ZIP code 27812 have filed 21 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1991, and were paid $196,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 71% 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, 67 have fewer than Bethel.
Pitt County, which includes Bethel, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 20 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Isaias, on October 14, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pitt County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $81.1 million a year, the 15th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $31.1 million (38%), 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 Bethel
- Robersonville, NC7 mi
- Tarboro, NC12 mi
- Greenville, NC14 mi
- Pinetops, NC15 mi
- Macclesfield, NC15 mi
- Williamston, NC17 mi
- Farmville, NC18 mi
- Winterville, NC18 mi
- Grimesland, NC21 mi
- Scotland Neck, NC23 mi
- Ayden, NC23 mi
- Washington, NC25 mi
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