NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bryson City, 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 Bryson City, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Bryson City
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bryson City; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Bryson City begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 21 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 Bryson City. The highest rating among the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 28, 1976, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on April 3, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 15, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 4. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bryson City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1993, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bryson City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bryson City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 48 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 Bryson City: 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 Bryson City
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1970s9
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 6 mi | 24.1 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Jun 28, 1976 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 9.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF1 | 4 mi | 0.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 1976 | F1 | 13 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 12 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 1975 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 25, 1974 | F1 | 24 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1974 | F1 | 22 mi | 16.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bryson City
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Bryson City since 1993, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on August 24, 2007. The most recent report is from April 25, 2020. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bryson City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cherokee, NC, 11 miles northeast of Bryson City at 1,965 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. March is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 56.6 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 6.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 56.6 inches is more than at 110 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (79%). Sylva, 15 miles east, has its own station (Cullowhee, NC): 54.1 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 4.7 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 5.7 | 8 | 2.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 56.6 | 91 | 6.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cherokee, NC (1,965 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 Bryson City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 96 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bryson City: 70 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 9 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 15, 2011. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 186 have had fewer than Bryson City.
July 27, 2014: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bryson City — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
June 17, 2024: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bryson City — 1 injured, $1,000 damage.
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Bryson City — 1 injured.
NWS: “One person was injured when a tree fell on a camper. The Smoky Mountain Railroad train became trapped when trees fell across the tracks ahead of and behind it.”
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 Bryson City's ZIP code 28713 have filed 41 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1994, and were paid $931,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 10. 20% 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, 118 have fewer than Bryson City.
Swain County, which includes Bryson City, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Swain County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.8 million a year, the 85th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 million (62%), 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 Bryson City
- Whittier, NC9 mi
- Cherokee, NC12 mi
- Sylva, NC15 mi
- Franklin, NC15 mi
- Robbinsville, NC18 mi
- Cullowhee, NC21 mi
- Gatlinburg, TN23 mi
- Maggie Valley, NC23 mi
- Andrews, NC24 mi
- Otto, NC24 mi
- Townsend, TN25 mi
- Highlands, NC27 mi
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