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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Henderson, NC

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

53 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Henderson, North Carolina since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
6

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
47

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
35

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
1

4 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Henderson

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Henderson, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2023OpheliaSep 2348 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
2021ElsaJul 817 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2166 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2020IsaiasAug 448 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2033 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 117 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 5
2013AndreaJun 743 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 635 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 169 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2006AlbertoJun 1473 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2003IsabelSep 1946 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 5
2000HeleneSep 2366 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1999DennisSep 569 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1998EarlSep 468 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1997DannyJul 2444 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1996FranSep 630 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3
1996BerthaJul 1368 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 3
1970AlmaMay 2629 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1669 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1964IsbellOct 1669 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1959CindyJul 1041 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1955DianeAug 1715 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 2
1954HazelOct 1510 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1820 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2022 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 216 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 627 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 21 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1955 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 5
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1260 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3070 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1659 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1427 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1264 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 161 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 319 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 3038 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 132 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2973 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 245 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 103 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 2074 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 227 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2251 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1328 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1883Unnamed 1883 stormSep 1220 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1118 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 419 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1761 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2955 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1867Unnamed 1867 stormJun 2362 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 179 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 1056 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Henderson: 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 Henderson

By decade

  • 2020s5
  • 2010s8
  • 2000s4
  • 1990s8
  • 1980s4(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s1
  • 1960s2
  • 1950s3
Strongest tornadoes near Henderson, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Nov 27, 1988F419 mi83 mi4 / 154
Feb 24, 2016EF26 mi5.07 mi0 / 0
Mar 20, 1998F223 mi2.5 mi0 / 1
Mar 20, 1998F219 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
Oct 27, 1995F22 mi3 mi0 / 0
Oct 27, 1995F211 mi2 mi0 / 0
Oct 2, 1969F223 mi5.6 mi0 / 0
Nov 2, 1966F213 mi64.5 mi0 / 9
Nov 19, 1952F219 mi1 mi0 / 1
Sep 27, 2024EF16 mi0.5 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 2024EF17 mi1.58 mi0 / 0
Aug 8, 2024EF118 mi2.9 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Henderson while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in North Carolina