NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kernersville, 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
23 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kernersville, North Carolina since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 22
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Kernersville
The strongest storm to pass near Kernersville was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Kernersville begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 74 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 23 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 65% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Kernersville. The highest rating among the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on March 28, 2010, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on November 16, 2011, killed 2 people. Of the 58, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2022. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kernersville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 89 times since 1978, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Kernersville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 75% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kernersville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 53 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kernersville: 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 Kernersville
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s10(1 EF3+)
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s4
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 20 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 27 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF3 | 7 mi | 3.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 16 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 5, 1989 | F3 | 5 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 30 |
| May 22, 1985 | F3 | 8 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 12.51 mi | 2 / 15 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 6 mi | 3.85 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 19 mi | 32.75 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 22 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 0.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kernersville
The Storm Prediction Center has 89 hail reports within 10 miles of Kernersville since 1978, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 14, 1984. The most recent report is from August 15, 2023. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kernersville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC, 8 miles west of Kernersville at 970 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 31°F. August is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 43.3 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (22.6 of 43.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (10); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 64 nights a year. That 43.3 inches is more than at 5 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (4%). Colfax, 5 miles southeast, has its own station (Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC): 44.1 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 31 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 40 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.7 | 7 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 86 | 68 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Year | 69 | 50 | 43.3 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC (970 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 Kernersville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 275 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kernersville: 237 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on May 25, 2000. August has had the most flash floods, 15 of 31. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 386 have had fewer than Kernersville.
March 5, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Kernersville — 1 killed, 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
April 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Kernersville — $250,000 damage.
October 11, 2018: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Kernersville — $250,000 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 Kernersville's ZIP code 27284 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $241,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 36% 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, 30 have fewer than Kernersville.
Forsyth County, which includes Kernersville, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Forsyth County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $104.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $71.9 million (69%), 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 Kernersville
- Colfax, NC5 mi
- Walkertown, NC6 mi
- Oak Ridge, NC7 mi
- Belews Creek, NC8 mi
- Winston Salem, NC10 mi
- High Point, NC10 mi
- Stokesdale, NC11 mi
- Jamestown, NC12 mi
- Summerfield, NC13 mi
- Walnut Cove, NC13 mi
- Rural Hall, NC14 mi
- Germanton, NC15 mi
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