Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Concord, 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

36 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Concord, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 86 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
33

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
86

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

1 deaths in all

What the records show for Concord

The strongest storm to pass near Concord was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 84 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 6 miles. The record near Concord begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 36 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Concord. The strongest of the 86 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 5, 1989; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 86, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Concord has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 125 times since 1959, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Concord has more hail reports within 10 miles than 91% of the 475 North Carolina cities.

Compare Concord's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Concord

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Concord, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 858 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 861 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2161 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2019NestorOct 2073 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1116 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2006AlbertoJun 1467 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1989HugoSep 2241 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 2513 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 511 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 5
1970AlmaMay 2667 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1664 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959GracieSep 3047 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 4
1952AbleAug 31overheadTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2842 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1863 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2074 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 664 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 258 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 35 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 317 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1455 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2340 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1150 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1657 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2963 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 469 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 286 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2424 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1058 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 223 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1347 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11overheadTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1238 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 470 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 177 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 968 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Concord: 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 Concord

By decade

  • 2020s14
  • 2010s11
  • 2000s8
  • 1990s15(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s9(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s16
  • 1960s10
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Concord, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 5, 1989F421 mi13 mi1 / 6
Mar 27, 1994F315 mi18.5 mi0 / 2
Feb 6, 2020EF27 mi6.19 mi0 / 0
Mar 3, 2012EF29 mi2.94 mi0 / 4
Mar 28, 2010EF222 mi5 mi0 / 5
May 9, 2008EF216 mi18.21 mi0 / 0
Jan 14, 2005F217 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 29, 1999F222 mi6 mi0 / 0
Sep 29, 1999F214 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
May 18, 1980F223 mi3.3 mi0 / 0
May 28, 1973F216 mi9.6 mi0 / 0
Apr 18, 1969F220 mi27.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 86, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Concord

The Storm Prediction Center has 125 hail reports within 10 miles of Concord since 1959, made on 77 separate days. Of these, 74 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from May 13, 2025. May has the most reports, 50.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Radar-estimated hail days in Concord since 2019 →

Weather by month in Concord

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Concord, NC, 2 miles east of Concord at 700 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 29°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 47.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 36 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (13); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 61 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 47.8 inches is more than at 41 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (29%). China Grove, 11 miles north, has its own station (Salisbury 9 WNW, NC): 44.2 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Concord, NC
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan53293.771.1
Feb57313.161.3
Mar65384.170.4
Apr74474.070.0
May81563.760.0
Jun88654.770.0
Jul92695.370.0
Aug90674.570.0
Sep84614.250.0
Oct74483.550.0
Nov64373.550.0
Dec56323.560.5
Year734847.8763.3

Averages for 1991–2020 at Concord, NC (700 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.

North Carolina weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Concord

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 259 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Concord: 189 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 floods, 29 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $8.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 18, 2000. June 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 Concord.

  • April 30, 2020: flood 6 miles from the centre of Concord — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.

  • July 26, 2016: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Concord — 1 injured.

  • August 27, 2008: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Concord — $5.5 million 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 Concord's 2 ZIP codes have filed 53 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $963,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2008, with 10. 17% 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, 142 have fewer than Concord.

Cabarrus County, which includes Concord, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cabarrus County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $85.7 million a year, the 13th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $64.6 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 Concord