NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Columbia, 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
115 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Columbia, North Carolina since 1851, 30 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 40 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 30
- Tropical storms
- 85
- Tornadoes
- 40
- 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 Columbia
The strongest storm to pass near Columbia was an unnamed storm in 1944, a Category 3 hurricane with 119 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Connie in 1955, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Columbia begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 62 miles away. Of the 115 systems, 20 have come since 2000. Columbia has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 87% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 40 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 7 times; the most recent, on April 25, 2014, came within 20 miles. Of the 40, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on March 17, 2025. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Columbia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 21 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Columbia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Columbia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | FayJul 9 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | DorianSep 6 | 59 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 35 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 6 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 9 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | AlexAug 3 | 69 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 38 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 12 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 23 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 15 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | ArthurJun 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 25 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 11 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 46 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 27 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1962 | AlmaAug 28 | 70 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1962 | Unnamed 1962 stormJun 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 9 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 12 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 2 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | CarolAug 31 | 71 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 15 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormOct 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 26 | 35 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 14 | 65 mi | Category 3 (119 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormOct 12 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 31 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 8 | 66 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormSep 16 | 59 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 28 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 70 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 3 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 25 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 15 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 29 | 58 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 11 | 13 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 16 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 26 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 23 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 26 | 33 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 18 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 6 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 44 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 61 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 20 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 11 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Columbia: 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 Columbia
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s8
- 2000s8
- 1990s11
- 1980s6
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 20 mi | 35.48 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F2 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Aug 26, 2011 | EF2 | 2 mi | 0.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1999 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 1988 | F2 | 4 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 14, 1973 | F2 | 20 mi | 11.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1964 | F2 | in town | 54.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 17, 2025 | EF1 | 24 mi | 3.38 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 23, 2017 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 6.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 2011 | EF1 | 2 mi | 0.05 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF1 | 2 mi | 7.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 40, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Columbia
The Storm Prediction Center has 21 hail reports within 10 miles of Columbia since 1985, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 10 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 15, 2025. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Columbia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Edenton, NC, 21 miles northwest of Columbia at 10 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 34°F. August is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and February and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.9 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (29.7 of 50.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 115 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (44); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 5.6 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 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.9 inches is more than at 78 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (56%). Roper, 20 miles west, has its own station (Plymouth 5 E, NC): 54.5 inches a year, 3.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 34 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 56 | 36 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 63 | 42 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 72 | 51 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 68 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 6.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 71 | 6.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 54 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 44 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 38 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Year | 71 | 53 | 50.9 | 79 | 2.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Edenton, NC (10 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 Columbia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 36 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Columbia: 34 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flash flood and 1 flood. They killed 5 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on March 8, 2005.
September 29, 2010: flood 10 miles from the centre of Columbia — 5 killed, $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Several days of very heavy rain led to widespread flooding across Washington County. Numerous small streams flooded causing many acres of crops to be damaged.”
May 4, 2021: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Columbia — 1 injured.
NWS: “The strong wind caused a tent to collapse in Columbia.”
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 Columbia's ZIP code 27925 have filed 582 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1985, and were paid $8.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Irene in 2011: 213 claims (37% of all) and $3.9 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 147 and Hurricane Isabel in 2003 with 41. 77% 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, 227 have fewer than Columbia.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 213 | $3.9 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 147 | $3.0 million |
| Hurricane Isabel2003 | 41 | $136,000 |
| Hurricane Bonnie1998 | 15 | $63,000 |
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 11 | $68,000 |
Tyrrell County, which includes Columbia, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1998, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tyrrell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.2 million a year, the 89th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.3 million (79%), is from hurricanes.
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 Columbia
- Roper, NC20 mi
- Hertford, NC22 mi
- Edenton, NC27 mi
- Elizabeth City, NC28 mi
- Plymouth, NC29 mi
- Manteo, NC30 mi
- Grandy, NC31 mi
- Belhaven, NC32 mi
- Kitty Hawk, NC32 mi
- Kill Devil Hills, NC32 mi
- Camden, NC32 mi
- Nags Head, NC34 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Columbia with another place →