NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Burlington, 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
35 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Burlington, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 46 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 46
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Burlington
The strongest storm to pass near Burlington was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 92 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 17 miles. The record near Burlington begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 35 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Burlington. The strongest of the 46 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on November 23, 1992; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 46, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on July 6, 2025. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Burlington. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 80 times since 1983, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Burlington has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
Compare Burlington's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Burlington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 64 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 17 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 55 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Burlington: 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 Burlington
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s6
- 2000s6
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s5
- 1960s6
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 15 mi | 5.5 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 15 mi | 32.75 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F2 | 24 mi | 26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 1991 | F2 | 19 mi | 28 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | F2 | 21 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 22 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 17, 1954 | F2 | 23 mi | 2.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1954 | F2 | 16 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 6, 2025 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 6, 2025 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 46, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Burlington
The Storm Prediction Center has 80 hail reports within 10 miles of Burlington since 1983, made on 54 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 2, 1983. The most recent report is from August 3, 2024. May has the most reports, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Burlington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Burlington Alamance Airport, NC, 4 miles southwest of Burlington at 617 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 30°F. July is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.4 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (23.3 of 43.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 35 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (12); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. That 43.4 inches is more than at 7 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (5%). Mc Leansville, 13 miles west, has its own station (Greensboro Wtp, NC): 45.9 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.8 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 43.4 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Burlington Alamance Airport, NC (617 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 Burlington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 213 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Burlington: 180 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 25, 2000. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 29. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 373 have had fewer than Burlington.
June 15, 2010: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Burlington — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “A 19 year old male was struck by lightning and killed while taking shelter under a tree. It was not raining at the time.”
July 27, 2012: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Burlington — $313,000 damage.
July 13, 2005: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Burlington — $150,000 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 Burlington's 2 ZIP codes have filed 87 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from 2025 July TS Chantal in 2025: 16 claims (18% of all) and $733,000, then Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 11. 41% 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, 177 have fewer than Burlington.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 July TS Chantal2025 | 16 | $733,000 |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 11 | $401,000 |
Alamance County, which includes Burlington, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Depression Chantal, on September 11, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Alamance County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.4 million a year, the 31st highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.7 million (64%), 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.