NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Maggie Valley, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Maggie Valley, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Maggie Valley
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Maggie Valley; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Maggie Valley begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 44 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 96% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Maggie Valley. The strongest of the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on June 28, 1976; its path came within 15 miles. Of the 15, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 4. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Maggie Valley. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1985, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Maggie Valley.
Compare Maggie Valley's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Maggie Valley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Maggie Valley: 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 Maggie Valley
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6
- 1990s1
- 1970s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 9.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 24 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF0 | 23 mi | 1.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Maggie Valley
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Maggie Valley since 1985, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently July 27, 2014. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Maggie Valley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waynesville 1 E, NC, 7 miles east of Maggie Valley at 2,658 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 24°F. December is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.3 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 4 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 120 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.9 inches a year, most of it in March. That 50.3 inches is more than at 70 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (50%). Cherokee, 12 miles west, has its own station (Cherokee, NC): 56.6 inches a year, 6.3 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 24 | 4.6 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 50 | 26 | 4.3 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Mar | 57 | 32 | 4.5 | 8 | 3.0 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.4 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 31 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 50 | 26 | 4.7 | 8 | 2.5 |
| Year | 65 | 41 | 50.3 | 90 | 10.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waynesville 1 E, NC (2,658 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 Maggie Valley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 63 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Maggie Valley: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $241,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on May 6, 1999. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 38 have had fewer than Maggie Valley.
June 22, 2019: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Maggie Valley — 2 injured.
NWS: “Broadcast media reported lightning struck and injured two people at Balsam Mountain Campground.”
October 25, 2001: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Maggie Valley — $100,000 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 Maggie Valley's ZIP code 28751 have filed 41 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1991, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 33 claims (80% of all) and $1.1 million. 80% 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, 118 have fewer than Maggie Valley.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 33 | $1.1 million |
Haywood County, which includes Maggie Valley, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Haywood County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.7 million a year, the 41st highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.7 million (62%), 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.