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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saint Pauls, 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

80 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saint Pauls, North Carolina since 1851, 10 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Chantal in 2025. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
10

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
70

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
77

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
7

37 deaths in all

What the records show for Saint Pauls

The strongest storm to pass near Saint Pauls was Hazel in 1954, a Category 3 hurricane with 116 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1899, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Saint Pauls begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Chantal in 2025, a tropical storm 63 miles away. Of the 80 systems, 19 have come since 2000. Saint Pauls has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 70% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 6 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 12 people. Of the 77, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 14, 2024. Saint Pauls has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 72% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Saint Pauls.

Compare Saint Pauls's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saint Pauls

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Saint Pauls, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2025ChantalJul 663 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2024DebbyAug 872 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
2022IanOct 128 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 5
2021ElsaJul 835 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2116 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2020IsaiasAug 443 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2020 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1175 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 5
2018FlorenceSep 1462 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 4
2016HermineSep 357 miTropical storm (60 mph)Category 1
2015AnaMay 1063 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2013AndreaJun 7overheadTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2012BerylMay 3069 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 632 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 158 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
2006AlbertoJun 149 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2004CharleyAug 1452 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 4
2002KyleOct 1170 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
2000HeleneSep 2368 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998EarlSep 414 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1996JosephineOct 842 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1996FranSep 625 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 3
1996BerthaJul 1272 miCategory 1 (92 mph)Category 3
1995AllisonJun 643 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1985KateNov 2266 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1984DianaSep 1430 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 4
1972Unnamed 1972 stormJul 1263 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1972AgnesJun 2122 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
1971GingerOct 160 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1970AlmaMay 2630 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1967Unnamed 1967 stormJun 1873 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1616 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1964DoraSep 1364 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 4
1960BrendaJul 2961 miTropical storm (64 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 2635 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1955DianeAug 1737 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1954HazelOct 1528 miCategory 3 (116 mph)Category 4
1952Unnamed 1952 stormAug 2841 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1949Unnamed 1949 stormSep 1374 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2517 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormJul 661 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1839 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2026 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 243 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 1
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 629 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 241 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1930 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 5
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3026 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 1765 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1920Unnamed 1920 stormSep 232 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormSep 646 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1625 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1913Unnamed 1913 stormOct 1060 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1913Unnamed 1913 stormSep 324 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 147 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1415 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1641 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormJul 1333 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 315 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 2
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2939 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 938 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormSep 2861 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 1314 miCategory 2 (96 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4overheadTropical storm (44 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormJun 1647 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2467 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1041 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 210 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1353 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 2558 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 2
1883Unnamed 1883 stormSep 1135 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormSep 962 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1259 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 424 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2930 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1867Unnamed 1867 stormJun 236 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1856Unnamed 1856 stormSep 133 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 916 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormOct 1037 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2512 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Saint Pauls: 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 Saint Pauls

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2010s13(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s13
  • 1990s16
  • 1980s5(2 EF3+)
  • 1970s13(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s8(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s3(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Saint Pauls, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 28, 1984F46 mi40 mi4 / 395
Apr 8, 1957F45 mi121.4 mi4 / 70
Apr 8, 1957F416 mi0.8 mi0 / 21
Mar 28, 1984F35 mi40 mi12 / 101
Apr 16, 2011EF318 mi52.86 mi2 / 176
Feb 22, 1971F319 mi85.7 mi2 / 60
Apr 18, 1969F310 mi77.3 mi0 / 3
Apr 16, 2011EF217 mi29.88 mi3 / 13
May 15, 1976F216 mi10.1 mi3 / 4
Sep 29, 1963F22 mi85.8 mi3 / 12
Apr 16, 2011EF221 mi13.13 mi1 / 0
Apr 15, 1999F213 mi0.3 mi1 / 4

The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Saint Pauls

The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Saint Pauls since 1982, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 3, 2016. The most recent report is from June 25, 2025. May has the most reports, 16.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Saint Pauls

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lumberton, NC, 13 miles south of Saint Pauls at 112 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 33°F. August is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 57% of the year's precipitation (28.8 of 50.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 80 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (31); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 5.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 58 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 55 nights a year. That 50.8 inches is more than at 75 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (54%). Parkton, 8 miles north, has its own station (Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC): 44.8 inches a year, 6.0 less than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Lumberton, NC
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"
Jan54333.77
Feb58353.47
Mar65413.66
Apr74493.46
May81594.37
Jun88685.28
Jul91715.68
Aug89706.29
Sep84645.26
Oct75523.45
Nov65413.25
Dec57363.67
Year735250.879

Averages for 1991–2020 at Lumberton, NC (112 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.

North Carolina weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Saint Pauls

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 116 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saint Pauls: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 4 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 27, 1998. September has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 124 have had fewer than Saint Pauls.

  • October 8, 2016: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Saint Pauls — $2.0 million damage.

  • October 8, 2016: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Saint Pauls — $750,000 damage.

    NWS: “Highway 87 was closed due to flooding between Highway 20 and the town of Tar Heel. Adjacent roadways and structures were impacted by the flood waters.”

  • October 8, 2016: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Saint Pauls — $500,000 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 Saint Pauls's ZIP code 28384 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $339,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 10. 78% 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, 54 have fewer than Saint Pauls.

Robeson County, which includes Saint Pauls, 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 Saint Pauls