NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Mills, 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
100 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of South Mills, North Carolina since 1851, 22 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 22
- Tropical storms
- 78
- Tornadoes
- 77
- 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 South Mills
The strongest storm to pass near South Mills was an unnamed storm in 1879, a Category 2 hurricane with 107 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Floyd in 1999, whose centre crossed the city. The record near South Mills begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 67 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 10 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 100 systems, 20 have come since 2000. South Mills has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 81% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 23, 1992, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 2 people. Of the 77, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. April and July have had the most tornadoes, 13 each. The most recent tornado was on March 17, 2025. South Mills has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 72% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than South Mills.
Compare South Mills's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Mills
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 9 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 64 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 25 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 10 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | GastonAug 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 56 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 12 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | overhead | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 28 | 51 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 7 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | DanielleSep 25 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 26 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | GloriaSep 27 | 61 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1983 | DeanSep 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | BretJul 1 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 27 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 20 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 36 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 20 | 18 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 10 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 29 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 26 | 64 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormOct 12 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 23 | 12 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 25 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 11 | 42 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 35 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 25 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 29 | 44 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 26 | 70 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 50 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 25 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 42 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 56 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 44 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 14 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 17 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 South Mills: 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 South Mills
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s15
- 2000s15
- 1990s19(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 11 mi | 14 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 23, 1992 | F3 | 10 mi | 160 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Jul 4, 1967 | F3 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 15 mi | 35.48 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 30, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 21.9 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 2017 | EF2 | 19 mi | 8.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 12 mi | 35.46 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 17.51 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 9, 2008 | EF2 | 23 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1999 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 6, 1993 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 5, 1988 | F2 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in South Mills
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of South Mills since 1989, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 9, 2009. The most recent report is from May 4, 2022. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in South Mills
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA, 12 miles northwest of South Mills at 20 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 24°F. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (30.2 of 54.2 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 100 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (39); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 5.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 68 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. That 54.2 inches is more than at 103 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (74%). Moyock, 9 miles east, has its own station (Elizabeth City, NC): 51.3 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 91°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Money Point, VA, 22 miles north, averaged 82°F in July and 46°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from July to August. Sea level at the Sewells Point tide gauge, 33 miles from South Mills, has risen 1.90 ± 0.04 inches per decade from 1927 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 19.0 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 115 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 24 | 4.2 | 8 | 46 |
| Feb | 56 | 25 | 3.4 | 7 | 46 |
| Mar | 62 | 31 | 4.2 | 8 | 53 |
| Apr | 72 | 41 | 4.1 | 7 | 61 |
| May | 81 | 50 | 4.2 | 8 | 70 |
| Jun | 88 | 58 | 5.2 | 8 | 77 |
| Jul | 91 | 63 | 5.6 | 8 | 82 |
| Aug | 90 | 60 | 5.6 | 8 | 81 |
| Sep | 84 | 55 | 5.6 | 7 | 78 |
| Oct | 75 | 44 | 4.4 | 5 | 69 |
| Nov | 65 | 33 | 3.8 | 6 | 60 |
| Dec | 57 | 27 | 3.9 | 8 | 50 |
| Year | 73 | 43 | 54.2 | 89 | 64 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA (20 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Money Point, VA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 South Mills
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 109 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of South Mills: 60 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 heavy rain events, 13 floods, 9 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on June 23, 2026. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than South Mills.
October 8, 2016: flood 9 miles from the centre of South Mills — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused an extended period of significant flooding across much of the county. Numerous roads were impassable or closed for several days, and many homes and businesses were impacted.”
October 8, 2016: flood 7 miles from the centre of South Mills — $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 South Mills's ZIP code 27976 have filed 85 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1999, and were paid $1.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Matthew in 2016: 56 claims (66% of all) and $1.1 million. 74% 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, 174 have fewer than South Mills.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 56 | $1.1 million |
Camden County, which includes South Mills, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms, 1 severe storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 25, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Camden County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes and coastal flooding; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.5 million a year, the 100th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.3 million (39%), 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 South Mills
- Moyock, NC9 mi
- Camden, NC11 mi
- Elizabeth City, NC12 mi
- Currituck, NC18 mi
- Chesapeake, VA20 mi
- Hertford, NC23 mi
- Portsmouth, VA26 mi
- Suffolk, VA26 mi
- Gates, NC27 mi
- Virginia Beach, VA27 mi
- Grandy, NC28 mi
- Norfolk, VA30 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare South Mills with another place →