NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Newland, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Newland, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 13
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Newland
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Newland; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 13 miles away. The record near Newland begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 1 mile away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 96% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Newland. The strongest of the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on July 10, 1980; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on April 27, 2011, killed 2 people. Of the 13, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Newland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1977, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Newland.
Compare Newland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Newland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Newland: 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 Newland
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 1980 | F3 | 23 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1965 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 25, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 14, 2023 | EF1 | 13 mi | 2.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 6.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F1 | 25 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F1 | 18 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2019 | EF0 | 11 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 2000 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Newland
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Newland since 1977, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 30, 2012. The most recent report is from August 7, 2023. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Newland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Grandfather Mountain, NC, 7 miles northeast of Newland at 5,280 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 72°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 21°F. September is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 64.9 inches over 106 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs of 90°F are rare: fewer than one day a year on average. Lows fall below freezing on about 115 nights a year. That 64.9 inches is more than at 132 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (94%). Elk Park, 9 miles north, has its own station (Beech Mountain, NC): 57.8 inches a year, 7.1 less than here, and a July average high of 69°F against 72°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Feb | 40 | 23 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Mar | 46 | 29 | 5.4 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 38 | 5.9 | 9 |
| May | 62 | 47 | 6.1 | 10 |
| Jun | 69 | 54 | 6.4 | 10 |
| Jul | 72 | 58 | 6.2 | 10 |
| Aug | 71 | 57 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Sep | 66 | 52 | 6.5 | 8 |
| Oct | 57 | 42 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Year | 55 | 40 | 64.9 | 106 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Grandfather Mountain, NC (5,280 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 Newland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 87 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Newland: 46 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 3 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 6 people and injured 10, and the NWS estimated $87.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on May 7, 1999. September has had the most flash floods, 9 of 32. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 392 have had fewer than Newland.
September 26, 2024: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Newland — 6 killed, $40.0 million damage.
August 13, 2021: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Newland — 7 injured.
July 2, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Newland — 2 injured.
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 Newland's ZIP code 28657 have filed 163 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $10.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 83 claims (51% of all) and $9.1 million, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 23. 69% 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, 198 have fewer than Newland.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 83 | $9.1 million |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 23 | $808,000 |
Avery County, which includes Newland, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Avery County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.3 million a year, the 77th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.9 million (70%), 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 Newland
- Elk Park, NC9 mi
- Banner Elk, NC10 mi
- Spruce Pine, NC12 mi
- Bakersville, NC13 mi
- Roan Mountain, TN13 mi
- Blowing Rock, NC15 mi
- Sugar Grove, NC16 mi
- Vilas, NC18 mi
- Boone, NC19 mi
- Butler, TN20 mi
- Hampton, TN20 mi
- Zionville, NC22 mi
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