NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Norlina, 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
54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Norlina, North Carolina since 1851, 7 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 37 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 7
- Tropical storms
- 47
- Tornadoes
- 37
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Norlina
The strongest storm to pass near Norlina was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 101 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Hazel in 1954, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Norlina begins with an unnamed storm in 1854; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 38 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 8 systems. Of the 54 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Norlina has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 37 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on November 27, 1988; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 37, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Norlina. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 78% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Norlina.
Compare Norlina's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Norlina
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 33 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 2 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 46 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormAug 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 46 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 10 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 65 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 51 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 57 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 Norlina: 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 Norlina
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s9
- 2000s7
- 1990s7
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1988 | F4 | 21 mi | 83 mi | 4 / 154 |
| Feb 24, 2016 | EF2 | 15 mi | 5.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 14 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 1988 | F2 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 2, 1969 | F2 | 12 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 1966 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 2, 1966 | F2 | 11 mi | 64.5 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 1.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 2017 | EF1 | 15 mi | 14.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 37, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Norlina
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Norlina since 1974, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 4, 1993. The most recent report is from March 31, 2017.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Norlina
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is John H Kerr Dam, VA, 11 miles northwest of Norlina at 250 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 29°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.6 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 43.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. That 43.6 inches is more than at 8 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (6%). Warrenton, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Arcola, NC): 47.7 inches a year, 4.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 3.2 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 43.6 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at John H Kerr Dam, VA (250 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 Norlina
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 113 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Norlina: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $522,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 58 mph, on November 8, 1996. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 13. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 186 have had fewer than Norlina.
September 1, 2020: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Norlina — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding was reported at the intersection of Ridgeway Drewry Road and Bloomsbury Road. A car drove into the flood water and a person was swept away and drowned while trying to escape.”
September 8, 2014: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Norlina — 2 injured.
October 8, 2016: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Norlina — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall of 5 to 7 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county, causing numerous creeks to overflow their banks. Numerous roads were closed due to flooding, with multiple water rescues from people trapped in vehicles.”
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
Warren County, which includes Norlina, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Warren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.2 million a year, the 82nd highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.9 million (48%), 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.