NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Middlesex, 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
70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Middlesex, North Carolina since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 8
- Tropical storms
- 62
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Middlesex
The strongest storm to pass near Middlesex was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Middlesex begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 9 systems. Of the 70 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Middlesex has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 27, 1988; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 4 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 16, 2011, killed 6 people. Of the 76, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Middlesex has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 71% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Middlesex.
Compare Middlesex's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Middlesex
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 58 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 72 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 7 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | overhead | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 32 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 55 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 17 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 67 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 47 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 40 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 Middlesex: 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 Middlesex
By decade
- 2020s4(2 EF3+)
- 2010s18(2 EF3+)
- 2000s20(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1988 | F4 | 20 mi | 83 mi | 4 / 154 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 17 mi | 65.23 mi | 6 / 103 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 52.86 mi | 2 / 176 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 21 mi | 85.7 mi | 2 / 60 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF3 | 9 mi | 6.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2008 | EF3 | 16 mi | 8.19 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 13.53 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 9 mi | 160 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 15, 1953 | F3 | 6 mi | 30.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 15, 2008 | EF2 | 14 mi | 4.09 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 16, 1955 | F2 | 18 mi | 6.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 13, 2019 | EF2 | 4 mi | 17.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Middlesex
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Middlesex since 1985, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 1, 2012. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Middlesex
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wilson 3 SW, NC, 15 miles east of Middlesex at 110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 33°F. September is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (28.0 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 70 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (30); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 6.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.4 inches is more than at 71 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (51%). Zebulon, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Clayton Wtp, NC): 52.2 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 70 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 64 | 6.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 52 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 50.4 | 79 | 1.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wilson 3 SW, NC (110 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 Middlesex
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 169 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Middlesex: 150 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events, 3 lightning strikes and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $259.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 72 mph, on July 23, 2020. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 147 have had fewer than Middlesex.
October 9, 2016: flood 2 miles from the centre of Middlesex — $233.4 million damage.
NWS: “Torrential rainfall of 8 to 12 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county. Additional heavy rainfall upstream caused major flooding along the Tar River Basin.”
September 15, 2018: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Middlesex — $25.0 million damage.
June 13, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Middlesex — $500,000 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
Nash County, which includes Middlesex, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Nash County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $36.6 million a year, the 36th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.5 million (51%), 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 Middlesex
- Bailey, NC5 mi
- Zebulon, NC8 mi
- Sims, NC8 mi
- Wendell, NC10 mi
- Spring Hope, NC12 mi
- Kenly, NC12 mi
- Bunn, NC13 mi
- Lucama, NC14 mi
- Wilson, NC15 mi
- Clayton, NC16 mi
- Selma, NC16 mi
- Knightdale, NC16 mi
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