NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oak Ridge, 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
22 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Oak Ridge, North Carolina since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Oak Ridge
The strongest storm to pass near Oak Ridge was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 79 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Oak Ridge begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 22 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 65% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Oak Ridge. The highest rating among the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on March 28, 2010, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 20, 1998, killed 2 people. Of the 57, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Oak Ridge. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 73 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Oak Ridge has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oak Ridge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 48 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Oak Ridge: 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 Oak Ridge
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12(2 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s6
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 15 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 27 |
| Mar 28, 2010 | EF3 | 9 mi | 3.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 23 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1998 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 5, 1989 | F3 | 7 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 30 |
| May 22, 1985 | F3 | 15 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF2 | 5 mi | 3.85 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 15 mi | 32.75 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 24, 2017 | EF2 | 24 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 8 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jun 6, 1981 | F2 | 8 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Oak Ridge
The Storm Prediction Center has 73 hail reports within 10 miles of Oak Ridge since 1967, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on August 18, 2000. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Oak Ridge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC, 6 miles south of Oak Ridge at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 44.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (23.7 of 44.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 22 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 80°F and 4.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.1 inches is more than at 11 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (8%). Belews Creek, 6 miles northwest, has its own station (Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC): 43.3 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.9 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 62 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Year | 70 | 49 | 44.1 | 74 | 7.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC (890 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 Oak Ridge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 228 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Oak Ridge: 184 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on May 25, 2000. August has had the most flash floods, 18 of 40. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 426 have had fewer than Oak Ridge.
September 17, 2018: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — 1 killed.
June 13, 2013: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — 1 injured, $200,000 damage.
July 13, 2003: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — $1.4 million 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
Guilford County, which includes Oak Ridge, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Guilford County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $134.6 million a year, the 6th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $100.5 million (75%), 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 Oak Ridge
- Stokesdale, NC5 mi
- Summerfield, NC6 mi
- Colfax, NC6 mi
- Belews Creek, NC6 mi
- Kernersville, NC7 mi
- Walkertown, NC10 mi
- Greensboro, NC11 mi
- Walnut Cove, NC12 mi
- Jamestown, NC13 mi
- High Point, NC13 mi
- Madison, NC14 mi
- Browns Summit, NC16 mi
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