NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Colfax, 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
24 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Colfax, North Carolina since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 23
- Tornadoes
- 61
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Colfax
The strongest storm to pass near Colfax was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 49 miles away. The record near Colfax begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 69 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 24 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 65% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Colfax. The highest rating among the 61 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on March 28, 2010, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on November 16, 2011, killed 2 people. Of the 61, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2022. Colfax has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 53% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 100 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Colfax has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Colfax
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 49 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Colfax: 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 Colfax
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s13(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s5
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 21 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 27 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF3 | 3 mi | 3.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 19 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 5, 1989 | F3 | 10 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 30 |
| May 22, 1985 | F3 | 12 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 12.51 mi | 2 / 15 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | in town | 3.85 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 14 mi | 32.75 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 23 mi | 0.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 10 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 10 |
The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Colfax
The Storm Prediction Center has 100 hail reports within 10 miles of Colfax since 1967, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 48 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on August 18, 2000. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 35.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Colfax
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC, 4 miles east of Colfax at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (23.7 of 44.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 24 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.1 inches is more than at 11 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (8%). Kernersville, 5 miles northwest, has its own station (Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC): 43.3 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.9 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 62 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Year | 70 | 49 | 44.1 | 74 | 7.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC (890 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 Colfax
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 269 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Colfax: 210 thunderstorm wind reports, 54 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on May 25, 2000. August has had the most flash floods, 22 of 54. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 447 have had fewer than Colfax.
July 13, 2003: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Colfax — $1.4 million damage.
September 29, 2015: flood 9 miles from the centre of Colfax — $500,000 damage.
April 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Colfax — $250,000 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
Guilford County, which includes Colfax, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Guilford County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $134.6 million a year, the 6th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $100.5 million (75%), 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 Colfax
- Kernersville, NC5 mi
- Oak Ridge, NC6 mi
- High Point, NC7 mi
- Jamestown, NC8 mi
- Walkertown, NC10 mi
- Summerfield, NC11 mi
- Greensboro, NC11 mi
- Belews Creek, NC11 mi
- Stokesdale, NC11 mi
- Archdale, NC13 mi
- Winston Salem, NC14 mi
- Thomasville, NC16 mi
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