NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pinetops, 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
87 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pinetops, North Carolina since 1851, 14 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 14
- Tropical storms
- 73
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Pinetops
The strongest storm to pass near Pinetops was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1928, whose centre came within 7 miles. The record near Pinetops begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 17 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 11 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 87 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Pinetops has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 73% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 28, 1984; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 80, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 13, 2025. Pinetops has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1963, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Pinetops.
Compare Pinetops's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pinetops
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 32 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 45 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 63 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 71 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 61 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 72 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 38 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 7 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 47 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 69 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 71 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 36 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 17 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 63 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 22 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 Pinetops: 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 Pinetops
By decade
- 2020s8(3 EF3+)
- 2010s16(1 EF3+)
- 2000s22(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 21 mi | 28 mi | 16 / 153 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 7 mi | 85.7 mi | 2 / 60 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF3 | 21 mi | 6.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2008 | EF3 | 11 mi | 8.19 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | EF3 | 15 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | EF3 | 18 mi | 13.53 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 17 mi | 20.42 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 3 mi | 160 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 4, 1977 | F3 | 20 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1972 | F3 | 16 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 8, 1957 | F3 | 3 mi | 46.9 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 15, 1953 | F3 | 3 mi | 30.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pinetops
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Pinetops since 1963, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 9 days, most recently August 29, 2011. The most recent report is from May 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pinetops
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC, 7 miles north of Pinetops at 110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 31°F. September is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.6 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (28.2 of 48.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 87 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (38); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 6.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 37 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 70 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.6 inches is more than at 54 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (39%). Tarboro, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Tarboro 1 S, NC): 47.6 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 71 | 47 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 62 | 6.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 48.6 | 69 | 2.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC (110 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 Pinetops
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pinetops: 92 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $20.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 21, 2000. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 59 have had fewer than Pinetops.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Pinetops — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were reported down in the Temperance Hall area, with 12 homes damgaged and one house destroyed. One individual was killed during clean up of the storm damage when a tree fell.”
September 14, 2018: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Pinetops — $20.0 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Pinetops's ZIP code 27864 have filed 52 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $1.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Floyd in 1999: 25 claims (48% of all) and $907,000, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 12. 87% 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, 141 have fewer than Pinetops.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 25 | $907,000 |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 12 | $475,000 |
Edgecombe County, which includes Pinetops, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Eta, on March 3, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Edgecombe County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.3 million a year, the 51st highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.4 million (47%), 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 Pinetops
- Macclesfield, NC3 mi
- Tarboro, NC9 mi
- Elm City, NC12 mi
- Farmville, NC14 mi
- Rocky Mount, NC14 mi
- Bethel, NC15 mi
- Stantonsburg, NC17 mi
- Wilson, NC17 mi
- Battleboro, NC18 mi
- Greenville, NC21 mi
- Robersonville, NC21 mi
- Whitakers, NC22 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Pinetops with another place →