Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Henderson, NC

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Henderson 2 NNW, NC, 1 mile northwest of Henderson at 480 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 26°F. August is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (26.0 of 48.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 53 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (22); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 106 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.7 inches is more than at 55 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (39%). Norlina, 12 miles northeast, has its own station (John H Kerr Dam, VA): 43.6 inches a year, 5.1 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 118 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Henderson: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 6 heavy rain events and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $324,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on August 20, 1997. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 124 have had fewer than Henderson.

Flood insurance policyholders in Henderson's 2 ZIP codes have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $171,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 42% 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, 19 have fewer than Henderson.