NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rutherfordton, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rutherfordton, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 57
- 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 Rutherfordton
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rutherfordton; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Rutherfordton begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 41 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 80% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rutherfordton. The highest rating among the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 5, 1989, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 5, 1989, killed 4 people. Of the 57, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on December 29, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rutherfordton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1979, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Rutherfordton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 72% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rutherfordton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rutherfordton: 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 Rutherfordton
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s14
- 2000s6
- 1990s11
- 1980s3(2 EF3+)
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 24 mi | 14 mi | 4 / 52 |
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 35 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 17 mi | 60.2 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2012 | EF2 | 11 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 7, 1998 | F2 | 18 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F2 | 17 mi | 45.4 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Aug 17, 1985 | F2 | 18 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 39 |
| May 18, 1975 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 21.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2022 | EF1 | 18 mi | 5.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 7.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rutherfordton
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Rutherfordton since 1979, made on 64 separate days. Of these, 48 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 4, 1985. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. June has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rutherfordton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Forest City 8 W, NC, 3 miles south of Rutherfordton at 849 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 27°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (26.4 of 52.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 45 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. That 52.1 inches is more than at 87 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (62%). Mill Spring, 11 miles west, has its own station (Tryon, NC): 64.4 inches a year, 12.3 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 27 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Feb | 55 | 30 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 63 | 35 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 4.4 | 6 |
| May | 79 | 53 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 73 | 46 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 34 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 55 | 30 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Year | 71 | 46 | 52.1 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Forest City 8 W, NC (849 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 Rutherfordton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 167 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rutherfordton: 159 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 10, 2011. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Rutherfordton.
August 1, 2013: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Rutherfordton — 1 killed, 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees were blown down in the Green Hill community. One large tree fell on a vehicle traveling along highway 64/74 near Green Hill, destroying the vehicle and causing serious injuries to the two occupants.”
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Rutherfordton — 1 killed.
NWS: “Trees were blown down across the north side of the county. One tree fell on a man on Hudlow Rd, about 6 miles north of Rutherfordton.”
August 5, 1997: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Rutherfordton — $300,000 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 Rutherfordton's ZIP code 28139 have filed 23 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 26% 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, 77 have fewer than Rutherfordton.
Rutherford County, which includes Rutherfordton, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Rutherford County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes and hail; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.0 million a year, the 52nd highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.4 million (60%), 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 Rutherfordton
- Spindale, NC3 mi
- Forest City, NC7 mi
- Union Mills, NC9 mi
- Mill Spring, NC11 mi
- Bostic, NC12 mi
- Ellenboro, NC13 mi
- Lake Lure, NC13 mi
- Columbus, NC14 mi
- Mooresboro, NC15 mi
- Tryon, NC16 mi
- Chesnee, SC17 mi
- Landrum, SC19 mi
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