NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bladenboro, 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
96 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bladenboro, North Carolina since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 78
- Tornadoes
- 77
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Bladenboro
The strongest storm to pass near Bladenboro was Hazel in 1954, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Bladenboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 49 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems, 4 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 96 systems, 20 have come since 2000. Bladenboro has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 8, 1957; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 4 people. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 12 people. Of the 77, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Bladenboro has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 72% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 86 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Bladenboro has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
Compare Bladenboro's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bladenboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2023 | IdaliaAug 31 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 28 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 66 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 63 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 62 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 22 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 12 | 58 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 73 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 16 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 13 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 11 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 55 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 1 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 38 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 23 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 46 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 68 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 11 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 62 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 8 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 Bladenboro: 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 Bladenboro
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s14
- 2000s15
- 1990s20
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s5
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 24 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 20 mi | 40 mi | 12 / 101 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 21 mi | 29.88 mi | 3 / 13 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | F2 | 17 mi | 85.8 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | in town | 13.13 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 6, 2009 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2009 | EF2 | 6 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 7, 1995 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 122 |
| Jul 1, 1990 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bladenboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 86 hail reports within 10 miles of Bladenboro since 1962, made on 69 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 22, 2000. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. May has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bladenboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Whiteville 7 NW, NC, 10 miles south of Bladenboro at 90 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 32°F. September is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.8 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (29.1 of 50.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 96 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (37); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 6.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 62 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 59 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.8 inches is more than at 75 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (54%). Lumberton, 14 miles northwest, has its own station (Lumberton, NC): 50.8 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 6.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 50.8 | 78 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Whiteville 7 NW, NC (90 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 Bladenboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 134 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bladenboro: 104 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on June 15, 2009. October has had the most flash floods, 10 of 24. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 328 have had fewer than Bladenboro.
August 10, 2024: flood 8 miles from the centre of Bladenboro — 1 killed.
NWS: “An 80 year old male that was swept off the roadway where Old Lumberton Rd crosses the Big Swamp.”
June 15, 2009: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Bladenboro — 1 injured, $48,000 damage.
NWS: “A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded a microburst, with winds up to 90 mph, first impacted the ground just to the west of Oak Grove Church Road and to the north of Highway 242. The microburst moved south across Highway 242 and into a heavily wooded area south of Highway 242.”
October 8, 2016: flash flood in Bladenboro — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A portion of Main Street in Bladenboro was impassable due to flooding. Several adjacent roadways and numerous structures were impacted by the flood waters.”
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 Bladenboro's ZIP code 28320 have filed 55 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 20 claims (36% of all) and $1.1 million. 91% 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, 145 have fewer than Bladenboro.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 20 | $1.1 million |
Bladen County, which includes Bladenboro, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 19 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bladen County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $38.6 million a year, the 34th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $22.0 million (57%), is from hurricanes.
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 Bladenboro
- Clarkton, NC9 mi
- Elizabethtown, NC13 mi
- Lumberton, NC14 mi
- Chadbourn, NC17 mi
- Whiteville, NC17 mi
- Saint Pauls, NC20 mi
- Fairmont, NC21 mi
- Lake Waccamaw, NC22 mi
- Pembroke, NC25 mi
- Garland, NC27 mi
- Lake View, SC27 mi
- Harrells, NC28 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Bladenboro with another place →