NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mars Hill, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mars Hill, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 19 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 19
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Mars Hill
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Mars Hill; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Mars Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 93% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Mars Hill. The highest rating among the 19 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 18 miles. Of the 19, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Mars Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mars Hill.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mars Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 61 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 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Mars Hill: 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 Mars Hill
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s5(2 EF3+)
- 1990s4
- 1980s1(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 18 mi | 15.8 mi | 6 / 33 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 13.6 mi | 2 / 70 |
| Jul 10, 1980 | F3 | 24 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 22, 1967 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 13 mi | 6.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 1999 | F1 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 19 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 1997 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 14 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 3 mi | 18.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 8 mi | 28.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 19, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mars Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Mars Hill since 1974, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 8, 2024, the most recent report. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mars Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Marshall, NC, 9 miles southwest of Mars Hill at 1,920 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 41.7 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 122 nights a year. Snowfall averages 25.6 inches a year, most of it in December. That 41.7 inches is more than at 3 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (2%). Barnardsville, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Mt Mitchell, NC): 81.2 inches a year, 39.5 more than here, and a July average high of 67°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 24 | 3.3 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Feb | 51 | 26 | 2.8 | 7 | 6.6 |
| Mar | 59 | 31 | 3.8 | 8 | 4.3 |
| Apr | 69 | 38 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.8 |
| May | 76 | 48 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 57 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 41 | 2.3 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 59 | 30 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 49 | 26 | 3.4 | 7 | 7.0 |
| Year | 67 | 41 | 41.7 | 86 | 25.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Marshall, NC (1,920 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 Mars Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mars Hill: 56 thunderstorm wind reports and 9 flash floods. They killed 4 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $20.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 24, 1999. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Mars Hill.
September 27, 2024: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Mars Hill — 4 killed, $20.0 million damage.
August 17, 2021: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Mars Hill — $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 Mars Hill's ZIP code 28754 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1995, and were paid $600,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 45% 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, 10 have fewer than Mars Hill.
Madison County, which includes Mars Hill, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 floods, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.1 million a year, the 90th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 million (66%), 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 Mars Hill
- Marshall, NC9 mi
- Barnardsville, NC10 mi
- Weaverville, NC10 mi
- Alexander, NC12 mi
- Burnsville, NC12 mi
- Leicester, NC19 mi
- Erwin, TN19 mi
- Hot Springs, NC19 mi
- Swannanoa, NC19 mi
- Asheville, NC20 mi
- Black Mountain, NC21 mi
- Bakersville, NC23 mi
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