NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cleveland, 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
19 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cleveland, North Carolina since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 70
- 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 Cleveland
The strongest storm to pass near Cleveland was an unnamed storm in 1893, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Cleveland begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 54 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 4 systems. Of the 19 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 65% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Cleveland. The strongest of the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on May 8, 2008; its path came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF1 on January 9, 2024, killed 1 person. Of the 70, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on April 11, 2024. Cleveland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cleveland.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cleveland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 21 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cleveland: 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 Cleveland
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s12
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s4
- 1970s11
- 1960s2
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 25 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 26, 2022 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.97 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | EF2 | 18 mi | 6.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.94 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 6 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 2010 | EF2 | 24 mi | 2.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF2 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 23 mi | 0.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 2005 | F2 | 18 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 14, 2005 | F2 | 21 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 9.02 mi | 1 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cleveland
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Cleveland since 1985, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently June 26, 2023. The most recent report is from June 26, 2023. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cleveland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Salisbury 9 WNW, NC, 5 miles southeast of Cleveland at 725 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 27°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 44.2 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (22.4 of 44.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 19 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 93 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.2 inches is more than at 13 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (9%). Troutman, 11 miles west, has its own station (Statesville 2 NNE, NC): 46.7 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 3.6 | 6 | 1.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 36 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Year | 70 | 47 | 44.2 | 74 | 3.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Salisbury 9 WNW, NC (725 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 Cleveland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 125 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cleveland: 107 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes, 4 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $761,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on November 19, 2003. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 59 have had fewer than Cleveland.
July 12, 2010: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Cleveland — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
June 24, 2019: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Cleveland — 1 injured, $1,000 damage.
May 16, 2010: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Cleveland — 1 injured.
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
Rowan County, which includes Cleveland, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Rowan County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $48.0 million a year, the 28th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.8 million (52%), 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 Cleveland
- Mount Ulla, NC5 mi
- Woodleaf, NC7 mi
- Troutman, NC11 mi
- Statesville, NC12 mi
- China Grove, NC13 mi
- Salisbury, NC14 mi
- Mooresville, NC14 mi
- Mocksville, NC14 mi
- Landis, NC14 mi
- Spencer, NC15 mi
- Harmony, NC17 mi
- Kannapolis, NC17 mi
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