NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Murphy, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Murphy, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Murphy
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Murphy; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 6 miles away. The record near Murphy begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 20 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 99% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Murphy. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 1 mile, and it killed 4 people. Of the 38, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Murphy. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1981, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Murphy.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Murphy
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 72 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 Murphy: 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 Murphy
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s12
- 2000s1
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 1 mi | 24 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 13 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 14 mi | 24.1 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | in town | 21.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 22 mi | 14.31 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 25 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 28, 1980 | F2 | 16 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 21 mi | 15.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 2.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 2015 | EF1 | 23 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF1 | 15 mi | 11.77 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF1 | 15 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Murphy
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Murphy since 1981, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 7, 1998. The most recent report is from May 26, 2024. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Murphy
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Murphy 4ESE, NC, 7 miles east of Murphy at 1,600 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 25°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 59.5 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in December. That 59.5 inches is more than at 123 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (88%). Morganton, GA, 16 miles southwest, has its own station (Blairsville Exp Stn, GA): 60.6 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 25 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 28 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 71 | 41 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 51 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 6.0 | 10 | 1.9 |
| Year | 70 | 44 | 59.5 | 97 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, NC (1,600 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 Murphy
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Murphy: 123 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 floods and 3 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $801,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 18, 2003.
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 Murphy's ZIP code 28906 have filed 49 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $763,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2015, with 14. Of the 263 North Carolina cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 136 have fewer than Murphy.
Cherokee County, which includes Murphy, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cherokee County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 69th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (63%), 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 Murphy
- Marble, NC9 mi
- Mineral Bluff, GA15 mi
- Morganton, GA16 mi
- Blairsville, GA16 mi
- Young Harris, GA16 mi
- Andrews, NC17 mi
- Copperhill, TN18 mi
- Hayesville, NC18 mi
- Mc Caysville, GA19 mi
- Tellico Plains, TN20 mi
- Blue Ridge, GA21 mi
- Epworth, GA22 mi
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