NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Franklinton, 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
54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Franklinton, North Carolina since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 52 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 48
- Tornadoes
- 52
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Franklinton
The strongest storm to pass near Franklinton was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 92 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Franklinton begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems. Of the 54 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Franklinton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 56% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 52 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 27, 1988; its path came within 7 miles, and it killed 4 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 16, 2011, killed 6 people. Of the 52, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Franklinton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Franklinton.
Compare Franklinton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Franklinton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 58 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 10 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 37 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | overhead | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 65 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 66 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 Franklinton: 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 Franklinton
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s11(1 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s11
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1988 | F4 | 7 mi | 83 mi | 4 / 154 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 11 mi | 65.23 mi | 6 / 103 |
| May 13, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 17.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 21 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1996 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1984 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 11, 1981 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 11, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 52, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Franklinton
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Franklinton since 1982, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 5, 1993. The most recent report is from April 8, 2020. April and May have the most reports, 15 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Franklinton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Louisburg, NC, 9 miles east of Franklinton at 260 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 28°F. August is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 48.4 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (27.0 of 48.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 4.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 98 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.4 inches is more than at 50 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (36%). Kittrell, 8 miles north, has its own station (Henderson 2 NNW, NC): 48.7 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 55 | 30 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 63 | 36 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 46 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 35 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 31 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Year | 72 | 47 | 48.4 | 76 | 1.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Louisburg, NC (260 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 Franklinton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Franklinton: 151 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 68 mph, on July 9, 2008. August has had the most flash floods, 12 of 26. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 347 have had fewer than Franklinton.
June 17, 2022: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Franklinton — 1 killed, $1,000 damage.
July 6, 2022: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Franklinton — $1.0 million damage.
June 13, 2013: thunderstorm wind in Franklinton — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power-lines were blown down along the swath. The roof of a industrial carport at Pruitt Lumber Company in Louisburg collapsed.”
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
Franklin County, which includes Franklinton, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.8 million a year, the 65th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.9 million (47%), 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.