NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pelham, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pelham, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Elsa in 2021. Since 1950, 42 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 25
- Tornadoes
- 42
- 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 Pelham
The strongest storm to pass near Pelham was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 91 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1896, whose centre came within 23 miles. The record near Pelham begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Elsa in 2021, a tropical storm 67 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 5 systems. Of the 28 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Pelham. The strongest of the 42 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on March 20, 1998; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 42, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pelham. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Pelham has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pelham
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 71 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 12 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 23 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 60 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Pelham: 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 Pelham
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s9
- 2000s8
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s3
- 1960s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1998 | F3 | 17 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 27 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 6.85 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF2 | 3 mi | 32.75 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 17, 1994 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jul 12, 1964 | F2 | 10 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 16, 1954 | F2 | 24 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF1 | 11 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 25, 2021 | EF1 | 23 mi | 2.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | EF1 | 2 mi | 16.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 42, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pelham
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Pelham since 1956, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 6, 2022. The most recent report is from May 7, 2024. May has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pelham
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Danville 2 SE, VA, 8 miles northeast of Pelham at 392 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 27°F. July is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.1 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 52% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 47.1 inches); the other six months are drier. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.6 inches a year, most of it in January and December. That 47.1 inches is more than at 33 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (24%). Ruffin, 4 miles west, has its own station (Reidsville 2 NW, NC): 47.9 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 3.7 | 6 | 1.5 |
| Feb | 54 | 29 | 3.1 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 35 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.5 |
| Year | 71 | 46 | 47.1 | 76 | 4.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Danville 2 SE, VA (392 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 Pelham
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 294 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pelham: 237 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 floods, 19 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $14.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on August 12, 2004. March has had the most flash floods, 4 of 19. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 270 have had fewer than Pelham.
October 11, 2018: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Pelham — 2 killed, $8.0 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Pelham — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
September 22, 2018: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Pelham — $2.8 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
Caswell County, which includes Pelham, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Depression Chantal, on September 11, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Caswell County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.3 million a year, the 96th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 million (57%), 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 Pelham
- Ruffin, NC4 mi
- Providence, NC6 mi
- Danville, VA8 mi
- Yanceyville, NC11 mi
- Blanch, NC12 mi
- Ringgold, VA13 mi
- Reidsville, NC15 mi
- Eden, NC15 mi
- Dry Fork, VA15 mi
- Blairs, VA18 mi
- Axton, VA18 mi
- Ridgeway, VA23 mi
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