Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elizabeth City, NC

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elizabeth City, NC, 2 miles northeast of Elizabeth City at 8 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 34°F. July and August are the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.3 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (28.7 of 51.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 110 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (43); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 5.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. That 51.3 inches is more than at 82 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (59%). South Mills, 12 miles north, has its own station (Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA): 54.2 inches a year, 2.9 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 173 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elizabeth City: 88 thunderstorm wind reports, 45 heavy rain events, 29 flash floods, 6 floods and 5 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $712,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on January 14, 2006. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 29. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 373 have had fewer than Elizabeth City.

Flood insurance policyholders in Elizabeth City's ZIP code 27909 have filed 536 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $6.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Floyd in 1999: 111 claims (21% of all) and $1.5 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 101 and Hurricane Isabel in 2003 with 93. 76% 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, 224 have fewer than Elizabeth City.