NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mount Olive, 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
93 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mount Olive, North Carolina since 1851, 20 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 90 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 20
- Tropical storms
- 73
- Tornadoes
- 90
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Mount Olive
The strongest storm to pass near Mount Olive was Hazel in 1954, a Category 2 hurricane with 107 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1928, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Mount Olive begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 51 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 10 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 93 systems, 17 have come since 2000. Mount Olive has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 90 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F4 on March 28, 1984, killed 16 people. Of the 90, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on January 3, 2022. Mount Olive has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 85% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mount Olive.
Compare Mount Olive's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mount Olive
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 14 | 70 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 75 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 47 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 54 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 33 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 29 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 59 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 20 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 3 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 68 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 35 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 49 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 28 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 64 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 56 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 34 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 51 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 3 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 Mount Olive: 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 Mount Olive
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s19(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s24
- 1980s9(4 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 19 mi | 28 mi | 16 / 153 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | in town | 21 mi | 3 / 149 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 7 mi | 40 mi | 12 / 101 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 18 mi | 85.7 mi | 2 / 60 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 17 mi | 20.42 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 9 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 81 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 4 mi | 25.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 25 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 11 mi | 29.88 mi | 3 / 13 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | F2 | 16 mi | 85.8 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 17 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Mar 8, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 90, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mount Olive
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Mount Olive since 1968, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 23, 1983. The most recent report is from April 7, 2022. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mount Olive
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warsaw 5 E, NC, 12 miles south of Mount Olive at 110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 7.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (30.7 of 52.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 93 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (41); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 7.0 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 64 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 52.1 inches is more than at 88 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (63%). Faison, 7 miles southwest, has its own station (Clinton 2 NE, NC): 51.0 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 6.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 7.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 52.1 | 74 | 2.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Warsaw 5 E, 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 Mount Olive
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 135 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mount Olive: 109 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $945,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 29, 2017. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 21. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 299 have had fewer than Mount Olive.
May 28, 2001: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Mount Olive — $465,000 damage.
NWS: “A line of severe thunderstorms producing winds of 80 mph moved across northwestern Duplin county. Roofs were blown off of 2 residences and 2 turkey houses were destroyed by the high wind near NC 43 in Calypso.”
August 15, 2023: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Mount Olive — $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 Mount Olive's ZIP code 28365 have filed 32 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $613,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 56% 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, 100 have fewer than Mount Olive.
Wayne County, which includes Mount Olive, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 8, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $66.3 million a year, the 18th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.7 million (42%), 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 Mount Olive
- Faison, NC7 mi
- Dudley, NC8 mi
- Seven Springs, NC11 mi
- Warsaw, NC13 mi
- Goldsboro, NC14 mi
- Kenansville, NC16 mi
- Newton Grove, NC18 mi
- La Grange, NC18 mi
- Princeton, NC20 mi
- Clinton, NC20 mi
- Magnolia, NC20 mi
- Deep Run, NC21 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Mount Olive with another place →