NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Polkton, 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
47 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Polkton, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 48 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 44
- Tornadoes
- 48
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Polkton
The strongest storm to pass near Polkton was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 23 miles. The record near Polkton begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Debby in 2024, a tropical storm directly overhead. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 6 systems. Of the 47 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Polkton. The highest rating among the 48 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 5, 1989, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 8, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 48, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on March 5, 2025. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Polkton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1983, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Polkton.
Compare Polkton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Polkton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 50 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 33 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 23 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 66 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 Polkton: 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 Polkton
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s5
- 2000s4
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s4
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 24 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 19 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Oct 18, 1990 | F3 | 14 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 4 mi | 7.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F2 | 23 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1999 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1983 | F2 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 27, 1982 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 18, 1980 | F2 | 11 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | 21 mi | 18.8 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 48, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Polkton
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Polkton since 1983, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 25, 1986. The most recent report is from May 6, 2022. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Polkton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wadesboro, NC, 10 miles southeast of Polkton at 480 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 32°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 47.9 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (26.5 of 47.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 47 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.7 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 58 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.9 inches is more than at 45 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (32%). Marshville, 9 miles west, has its own station (Monroe 2 SE, NC): 47.8 inches a year, 0.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 32 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Year | 73 | 51 | 47.9 | 76 | 3.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wadesboro, NC (480 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 Polkton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 161 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Polkton: 135 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $373,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on July 20, 1997. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 284 have had fewer than Polkton.
September 16, 2018: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Polkton — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
September 16, 2018: flood 10 miles from the centre of Polkton — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
September 15, 2018: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Polkton — 1 killed.
NWS: “Torrential rainfall of 15 to 20 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county. The heavy rains caused flash flooding on several creeks.”
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
Anson County, which includes Polkton, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.2 million a year, the 83rd highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.3 million (42%), 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.