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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oakboro, NC

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

41 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Oakboro, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 61 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
38

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
61

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

1 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oakboro

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Oakboro, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 844 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 842 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2144 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2019NestorOct 2054 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 114 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2006AlbertoJun 1450 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1989HugoSep 2250 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 254 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 58 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 5
1970AlmaMay 2647 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1647 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959GracieSep 3060 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 4
1952AbleAug 3117 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1952Unnamed 1952 stormAug 285 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2861 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1844 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2054 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 645 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 239 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 323 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 337 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1913Unnamed 1913 stormOct 1062 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1440 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2359 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1464 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1169 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1638 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormJul 1369 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2944 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 453 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2813 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 245 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1039 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 167 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2222 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1328 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1119 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1221 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 451 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1711 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 950 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Oakboro: 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 Oakboro

By decade

  • 2020s8
  • 2010s5
  • 2000s7
  • 1990s9(2 EF3+)
  • 1980s10(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s12
  • 1960s6
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near Oakboro, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 5, 1989F415 mi13 mi1 / 6
Mar 27, 1994F325 mi18.5 mi0 / 2
Oct 18, 1990F316 mi12 mi0 / 2
Mar 31, 2022EF29 mi7.24 mi0 / 0
Feb 6, 2020EF220 mi6.19 mi0 / 0
Mar 3, 2012EF217 mi2.94 mi0 / 4
Jan 14, 2005F223 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 29, 1999F211 mi6 mi0 / 0
Sep 29, 1999F26 mi0.1 mi0 / 0
Mar 6, 1983F221 mi2 mi0 / 9
Apr 27, 1982F212 mi0.1 mi0 / 1
May 18, 1980F28 mi3.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 61, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Oakboro while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in North Carolina