NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harrells, 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
106 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Harrells, North Carolina since 1851, 25 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 25
- Tropical storms
- 81
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
29 deaths in all
What the records show for Harrells
The strongest storm to pass near Harrells was Helene in 1958, a Category 4 hurricane with 138 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1874, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Harrells begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 106 systems, 22 have come since 2000. Harrells has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 84% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 8, 1957; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 4 people. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 12 people. Of the 69, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Harrells has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 62% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Harrells.
Compare Harrells's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harrells
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 6 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 14 | 45 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 8 | 68 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 75 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | OpheliaSep 14 | 72 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 45 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 41 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 5 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 12 | 35 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 54 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | HeleneSep 27 | 68 mi | Category 4 (138 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 9 mi | Category 3 (117 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 13 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 25 | 75 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 62 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 32 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 75 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 22 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 30 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 26 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 57 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 68 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 44 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 5 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 54 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 46 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 16 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 Harrells: 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 Harrells
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s16
- 2000s9(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 21 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 24 mi | 40 mi | 12 / 101 |
| Nov 16, 2006 | F3 | 23 mi | 2.15 mi | 8 / 20 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 21 mi | 25.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 17 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 29.88 mi | 3 / 13 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 13.13 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2024 | EF2 | 6 mi | 4.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 6, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 1.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2009 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 1, 1990 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F2 | 19 mi | 11.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Harrells
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Harrells since 1985, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently May 10, 2024. The most recent report is from May 10, 2024. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Harrells
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Willard 4 SW, NC, 16 miles east of Harrells at 55 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 32°F. August is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 55.8 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (33.4 of 55.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 106 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (42); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 6.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 60 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 55.8 inches is more than at 109 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (78%). Garland, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Clinton 2 NE, NC): 51.0 inches a year, 4.8 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 6.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 7.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 6.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 55.8 | 78 | 0.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Willard 4 SW, NC (55 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 Harrells
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 59 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Harrells: 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 3, 2000. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 81 have had fewer than Harrells.
October 8, 2016: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Harrells — 1 killed.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Harrells — 1 injured, $2,000 damage.
October 8, 2016: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Harrells — $1.0 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 Harrells's ZIP code 28444 have filed 38 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 20 claims (53% of all) and $1.4 million, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 12. 97% 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, 106 have fewer than Harrells.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 20 | $1.4 million |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 12 | $639,000 |
Sampson County, which includes Harrells, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1984, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Eta, on March 3, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sampson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $54.8 million a year, the 23rd highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $35.1 million (64%), 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 Harrells
- Garland, NC8 mi
- Atkinson, NC14 mi
- Willard, NC15 mi
- Elizabethtown, NC15 mi
- Rose Hill, NC19 mi
- Teachey, NC19 mi
- Wallace, NC20 mi
- Magnolia, NC20 mi
- Roseboro, NC21 mi
- Currie, NC22 mi
- Clinton, NC22 mi
- Riegelwood, NC22 mi
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