NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Canton, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Canton, 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
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Canton
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Canton; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Canton begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 93% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Canton. The highest rating among the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 28, 1976, came within 22 miles. Of the 15, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Canton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1970, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Canton.
Compare Canton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Canton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Canton: 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 Canton
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s1
- 1970s9
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 1976 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F2 | 21 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 25 mi | 9.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 6, 1999 | F1 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 21 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 17 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 24 mi | 28.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 6 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1975 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.1 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 Canton
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Canton since 1970, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently July 27, 2014. The most recent report is from July 29, 2023. June has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Canton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waynesville 1 E, NC, 7 miles west of Canton at 2,658 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 24°F. December is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.3 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 120 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.9 inches a year, most of it in March. That 50.3 inches is more than at 70 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (50%). Candler, 8 miles east, has its own station (Candler 1 W, NC): 45.0 inches a year, 5.3 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 24 | 4.6 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 50 | 26 | 4.3 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Mar | 57 | 32 | 4.5 | 8 | 3.0 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.4 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 50 | 26 | 4.7 | 8 | 2.5 |
| Year | 65 | 41 | 50.3 | 90 | 10.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waynesville 1 E, NC (2,658 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 Canton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 55 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Canton: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 9 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $401.0 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, 3 of 9. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Canton.
August 17, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Canton — 5 killed, $200.0 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency management and stream gauges reported catastrophic flash flooding developed within the Pigeon River watershed after 6 to 8 inches of rain fell in just a few hours across the northern slopes of the Balsams.”
September 27, 2024: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Canton — 4 killed, $200.0 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency management and stream gauges reported catastrophic flash flooding developed within the Pigeon River watershed for the second time in just over three years after 9 to 15 inches fell across the upper part of the basin in about 48 hours.”
April 13, 2020: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Canton — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Stream gauge and emergency manager reported flash flooding developed along the East Fork of the Pigeon River in the Cruso area after 4 to 6 inches of rain fell in just a few hours in the headwaters along the northern slopes of the Balsams.”
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 Canton's ZIP code 28716 have filed 281 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $18.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 82 claims (29% of all) and $6.0 million, then Tropical Storm Fred in 2021 with 79 and Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 42. 73% 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, 210 have fewer than Canton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 82 | $6.0 million |
| Tropical Storm Fred2021 | 79 | $8.0 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 42 | $1.1 million |
Haywood County, which includes Canton, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Haywood County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.7 million a year, the 41st highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.7 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 Canton
- Clyde, NC8 mi
- Candler, NC8 mi
- Waynesville, NC9 mi
- Leicester, NC13 mi
- Maggie Valley, NC13 mi
- Horse Shoe, NC17 mi
- Asheville, NC17 mi
- Mills River, NC18 mi
- Arden, NC18 mi
- Pisgah Forest, NC19 mi
- Alexander, NC19 mi
- Etowah, NC19 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Canton with another place →