NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rowland, 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
79 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rowland, North Carolina since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 10
- Tropical storms
- 69
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
22 deaths in all
What the records show for Rowland
The strongest storm to pass near Rowland was Hazel in 1954, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1899, whose centre came within 16 miles. The record near Rowland begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The 1880s and the 1890s were the busiest decades, with 7 systems each. Of the 79 systems, 17 have come since 2000. Rowland has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 70% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 87 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 12 miles. Of the 87, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 14, 2024. Rowland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1960, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rowland.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rowland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ChantalJul 6 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2024 | DebbyAug 8 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2022 | IanOct 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 55 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 15 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2015 | AnaMay 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 47 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | BobJul 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1976 | Unnamed 1976 stormSep 15 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | Unnamed 1972 stormJul 12 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | Unnamed 1967 stormJun 18 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 29 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 26 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 43 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | Unnamed 1952 stormAug 28 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormOct 10 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 16 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 29 | 29 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 27 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 26 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 56 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 11 | 51 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 71 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 35 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 9 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 Rowland: 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 Rowland
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s14
- 2000s17
- 1990s16
- 1980s9(3 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s6(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 12 mi | 17 mi | 7 / 100 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 12 mi | 40 mi | 4 / 395 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 18 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 9 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 21 |
| May 20, 1980 | F3 | 13 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 26 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 15 mi | 77.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 29, 1964 | F3 | 18 mi | 21.9 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 15, 1976 | F2 | in town | 10.1 mi | 3 / 4 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | F2 | 4 mi | 85.8 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.3 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Nov 14, 2008 | EF2 | 11 mi | 1.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 1986 | F2 | 21 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rowland
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Rowland since 1960, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on February 24, 2016. The most recent report is from May 8, 2024. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rowland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dillon, SC, 12 miles southwest of Rowland at 118 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 32°F. July is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and November and December the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (27.1 of 48.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 79 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (31); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 4.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 63 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 59 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.7 inches is more than at 55 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (39%). Pembroke, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Lumberton Municipal Airport, NC): 42.8 inches a year, 5.9 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 60 | 34 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 68 | 40 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 4.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 75 | 50 | 48.7 | 74 | 0.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dillon, SC (118 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 Rowland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 90 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rowland: 81 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 15, 1999. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 81 have had fewer than Rowland.
February 24, 2016: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rowland — 2 injured, $45,000 damage.
October 8, 2016: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Rowland — $2.0 million damage.
May 27, 2000: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Rowland — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “8 buildings were damaged. Nickle-size hail was also reported.”
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 Rowland's ZIP code 28383 have filed 62 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1998, and were paid $761,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Florence in 2018: 33 claims (53% of all) and $508,000, then Hurricane Matthew in 2016 with 21. 92% 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, 155 have fewer than Rowland.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 33 | $508,000 |
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 21 | $173,000 |
Robeson County, which includes Rowland, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1984, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Eta, on March 3, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Robeson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind; Relatively High for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $56.9 million a year, the 22nd highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.9 million (31%), is from hurricanes.
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 Rowland
- Hamer, SC7 mi
- Pembroke, NC10 mi
- Fairmont, NC10 mi
- Maxton, NC12 mi
- Dillon, SC12 mi
- Lumberton, NC16 mi
- Lake View, SC16 mi
- Mc Coll, SC17 mi
- Laurinburg, NC18 mi
- Red Springs, NC18 mi
- Latta, SC19 mi
- Shannon, NC21 mi
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