NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harrisburg, 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 Harrisburg, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 33
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Harrisburg
The strongest storm to pass near Harrisburg was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 84 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Harrisburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm 55 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 Harrisburg. The strongest of the 87 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 5, 1989; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 87, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Harrisburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 121 times since 1959, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Harrisburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 89% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harrisburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 36 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 64 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 7 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Harrisburg: 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 Harrisburg
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s12
- 2000s9
- 1990s17(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s9
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 17 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F3 | 9 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 24 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | EF2 | 13 mi | 6.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2012 | EF2 | 5 mi | 2.94 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 9, 2008 | EF2 | 11 mi | 18.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 14, 2005 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 10, 1992 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.4 mi | 0 / 18 |
| May 18, 1980 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1973 | F2 | 12 mi | 9.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F2 | 18 mi | 27.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Harrisburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 121 hail reports within 10 miles of Harrisburg since 1959, made on 81 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 21, 2017. The most recent report is from June 26, 2023. May has the most reports, 39.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Harrisburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Concord, NC, 7 miles northeast of Harrisburg 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%). Huntersville, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC): 43.7 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 29 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 57 | 31 | 3.1 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 37 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 32 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Year | 73 | 48 | 47.8 | 76 | 3.3 |
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.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Harrisburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 224 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Harrisburg: 158 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 floods, 26 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $15.5 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, 5 of 26. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 347 have had fewer than Harrisburg.
April 30, 2020: flood 3 miles from the centre of Harrisburg — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “5 inches of rain fell across the basin in just a few hours. Multiple roads were inundated, including Stallings Rd, Poplar Tent Rd, Bowman-Berrier Rd, Mount Pleasant Rd, and Highway 200.”
June 4, 2017: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Harrisburg — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
May 2, 2009: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Harrisburg — 1 injured.
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 Harrisburg's ZIP code 28075 have filed 161 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $2.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Eta in 2020: 22 claims (14% of all) and $680,000. The year with the most claims was 2008, with 44. 19% 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, 196 have fewer than Harrisburg.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Eta2020 | 22 | $680,000 |
Cabarrus County, which includes Harrisburg, 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 Harrisburg
- Concord, NC6 mi
- Midland, NC10 mi
- Kannapolis, NC11 mi
- Huntersville, NC12 mi
- Charlotte, NC13 mi
- Davidson, NC14 mi
- Locust, NC14 mi
- Landis, NC15 mi
- Mount Pleasant, NC15 mi
- Stanfield, NC15 mi
- Indian Trail, NC16 mi
- Cornelius, NC16 mi
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