NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jacksonville, 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
116 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Jacksonville, North Carolina since 1851, 36 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 36
- Tropical storms
- 80
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Jacksonville
The strongest storm to pass near Jacksonville was Helene in 1958, a Category 4 hurricane with 136 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Floyd in 1999, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Jacksonville begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 11 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 116 systems, 23 have come since 2000. Jacksonville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 16, 2011, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on July 2, 1986, killed 3 people. Of the 93, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on September 16, 2024. Jacksonville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 87% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 104 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Jacksonville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 85% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
Compare Jacksonville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jacksonville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | DorianSep 6 | 53 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 14 | 39 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 9 | 52 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | overhead | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2016 | ColinJun 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 39 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 47 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | CristobalJul 20 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 9 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | OpheliaSep 14 | 49 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2004 | AlexAug 3 | 70 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 61 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 1 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 8 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 55 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 12 | 14 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | ArthurJun 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 51 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1975 | HallieOct 27 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1975 | AmyJun 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | GladysOct 20 | 56 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 13 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1958 | HeleneSep 27 | 47 mi | Category 4 (136 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 41 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 41 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 60 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 70 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 25 | 39 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormJul 31 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 16 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 2 | 38 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 24 | 32 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 21 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormMay 29 | 73 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 23 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 69 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormJun 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 4 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormOct 12 | 62 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 17 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 18 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 39 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 18 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 6 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormOct 7 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 45 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 7 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 8 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 4 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 | 42 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 Jacksonville: 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 Jacksonville
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s27
- 1990s21
- 1980s6
- 1970s8
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 1965 | F3 | 20 mi | 41.3 mi | 2 / 85 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 3 mi | 3.76 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Jul 2, 1986 | F2 | 1 mi | 1.5 mi | 3 / 10 |
| Sep 5, 2019 | EF2 | 12 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF2 | 12 mi | 4.98 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 20 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F2 | 16 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 19, 1978 | F2 | 25 mi | 11.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1974 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 24, 1972 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2024 | EF1 | 7 mi | 8.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jacksonville
The Storm Prediction Center has 104 hail reports within 10 miles of Jacksonville since 1974, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 21, 1997. The most recent report is from May 15, 2024. June has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jacksonville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is New River Mcaf, NC, 5 miles south of Jacksonville at 26 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 35°F. August and September are the wettest at 7.5 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 56.7 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 60% of the year's precipitation (34.1 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 116 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (45); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 7.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 43 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 56.7 inches is more than at 111 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (79%). Richlands, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Richlands, NC): 55.4 inches a year, 1.3 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 | 35 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 59 | 38 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 61 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 69 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 73 | 6.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 71 | 7.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 67 | 7.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 55 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 44 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 74 | 54 | 56.7 | 81 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at New River Mcaf, NC (26 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 Jacksonville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 127 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jacksonville: 93 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 7 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $7.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 13, 2020. August has had the most flash floods, 9 of 25. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 340 have had fewer than Jacksonville.
July 11, 2017: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Jacksonville — 1 killed, 1 injured.
April 11, 2025: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Jacksonville — 1 killed, 1 injured.
September 30, 2010: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Jacksonville — $7.0 million damage.
NWS: “Torrential rain moved across most of Onslow County during the late afternoon and evening of September 30th as the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole moved north across the region. This rain fell on saturated ground from very heavy rain the previous few days.”
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 Jacksonville's 2 ZIP codes have filed 562 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $21.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 267 claims (48% of all) and $15.9 million, then Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 62 and Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 40. 79% 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, 225 have fewer than Jacksonville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 267 | $15.9 million |
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 62 | $1.2 million |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 40 | $1.1 million |
| Hurricane Bertha1996 | 10 | $157,000 |
| Hurricane Bonnie1998 | 10 | $151,000 |
| Hurricane Idalia2023 | 10 | $335,000 |
Onslow County, which includes Jacksonville, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 22 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, on October 19, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Onslow County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $215.7 million a year, the 4th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $170.6 million (79%), 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).
Jacksonville in the notable storm records: Hurricane Irene (2011)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Jacksonville
- Tarawa Terrace, NC3 mi
- Midway Park, NC6 mi
- Camp Lejeune, NC10 mi
- Richlands, NC12 mi
- Hubert, NC13 mi
- Maysville, NC13 mi
- Maple Hill, NC15 mi
- Sneads Ferry, NC17 mi
- Swansboro, NC18 mi
- Trenton, NC20 mi
- Holly Ridge, NC22 mi
- Beulaville, NC22 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Jacksonville with another place →