Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit New Bern, NC

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is New Bern Craven Co Airport, NC, 3 miles south of New Bern at 19 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 34°F. August is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.1 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (30.9 of 53.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 119 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (45); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 6.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. That 53.1 inches is more than at 96 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (69%). Grantsboro, 12 miles east, has its own station (Bayboro 3 SW, NC): 58.8 inches a year, 5.7 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 132 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of New Bern: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $169,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on January 9, 2024. September has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 81 have had fewer than New Bern.

Flood insurance policyholders in New Bern's 2 ZIP codes have filed 5,218 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $215.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 2,395 claims (46% of all) and $188.6 million, then Hurricane Irene in 2011 with 978 and Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 622. 92% 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, 261 have fewer than New Bern.