NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Robbinsville, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Robbinsville, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Robbinsville
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Robbinsville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 9 miles away. The record near Robbinsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 96% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Robbinsville. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 25, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Robbinsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1974, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Robbinsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Robbinsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Robbinsville: 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 Robbinsville
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s1
- 1990s2(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 24 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 19 mi | 14.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 22 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 2 mi | 24.1 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 17 mi | 21.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 17 mi | 14.31 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 18 mi | 16.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 2.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF1 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 30, 2005 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 1980 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Robbinsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Robbinsville since 1974, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 3, 1974. The most recent report is from August 12, 2023. May and June have the most reports, 7 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Robbinsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Robbinsville Ag 5 NE, NC, 6 miles east of Robbinsville at 2,330 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 26°F. December is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 63.8 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 96 nights a year. That 63.8 inches is more than at 129 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (92%). Andrews, 10 miles south, has its own station (Murphy 4ESE, NC): 59.5 inches a year, 4.3 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 26 | 6.2 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 5.4 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 5.1 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 6.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 5.7 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 4.7 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.6 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 3.7 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 48 | 29 | 6.5 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 63.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Robbinsville Ag 5 NE, NC (2,330 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 Robbinsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 78 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Robbinsville: 76 thunderstorm wind reports and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $57,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on May 2, 2002.
July 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Robbinsville — 3 injured.
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
Graham County, which includes Robbinsville, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Graham County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.5 million a year, the 97th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (62%), 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 Robbinsville
- Andrews, NC10 mi
- Marble, NC16 mi
- Bryson City, NC18 mi
- Hayesville, NC20 mi
- Townsend, TN23 mi
- Murphy, NC24 mi
- Franklin, NC25 mi
- Vonore, TN26 mi
- Walland, TN27 mi
- Tellico Plains, TN27 mi
- Young Harris, GA27 mi
- Whittier, NC28 mi
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