NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Deep Gap, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Deep Gap, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 23 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 23
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Deep Gap
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Deep Gap; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Deep Gap begins with an unnamed storm in 1882; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 4 miles away. Of the 12 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Deep Gap. The strongest of the 23 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 7, 1998; its path came within 24 miles. Of the 23, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Deep Gap. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1984, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Deep Gap.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Deep Gap
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 74 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 Deep Gap: 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 Deep Gap
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s7
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1998 | F4 | 24 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 14 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1965 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 25, 2024 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 14, 2023 | EF1 | 21 mi | 2.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2022 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 21 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 21 mi | 8.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 24 mi | 6.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF1 | 5 mi | 7.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 23, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Deep Gap
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Deep Gap since 1984, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on June 2, 1998. The most recent report is from May 21, 2022. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Deep Gap
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Boone 1 SE, NC, 7 miles west of Deep Gap at 3,100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 22°F. September is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 59.1 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (31.1 of 59.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 12 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 5.7 inches of precipitation. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 127 nights a year. Snowfall averages 25.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 59.1 inches is more than at 121 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (86%). Purlear, 8 miles east, has its own station (W Kerr Scott Resv, NC): 52.6 inches a year, 6.5 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 4.4 | 7 | 6.6 |
| Feb | 45 | 24 | 3.6 | 7 | 6.7 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 4.8 | 8 | 4.8 |
| Apr | 62 | 37 | 5.5 | 9 | 1.0 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 5.5 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 5.6 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 78 | 56 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 39 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 53 | 30 | 4.4 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 4.2 | 8 | 5.2 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 59.1 | 97 | 25.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Boone 1 SE, NC (3,100 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 Deep Gap
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 153 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Deep Gap: 54 flash floods, 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 heavy rain events, 21 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $12.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 26, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 13 of 54. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 447 have had fewer than Deep Gap.
August 17, 2021: flood 9 miles from the centre of Deep Gap — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
September 25, 2011: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Deep Gap — $5.0 million damage.
September 27, 2024: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Deep Gap — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “The Wilkes County 911 Dispatch Center received several reports of water flowing several inches deep across roads and bridges throughout the western half of the county as rounds of heavy rain continue to pass across the area.”
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
Watauga County, which includes Deep Gap, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 5 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 Watauga County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.0 million a year, the 46th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.1 million (66%), 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 Deep Gap
- Fleetwood, NC6 mi
- Boone, NC8 mi
- Purlear, NC8 mi
- Blowing Rock, NC10 mi
- West Jefferson, NC13 mi
- Millers Creek, NC14 mi
- Zionville, NC15 mi
- Vilas, NC15 mi
- Jefferson, NC16 mi
- Sugar Grove, NC18 mi
- Banner Elk, NC18 mi
- Lenoir, NC18 mi
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