NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Union 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Union Mills, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 14
- Tornadoes
- 47
- 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 Union Mills
None of the 14 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Union Mills; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 67 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near Union Mills begins with an unnamed storm in 1859; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 35 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 4 systems. Of the 14 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Union Mills. The highest rating among the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 5, 1989, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 5, 1989, killed 4 people. Of the 47, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 28 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on December 29, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Union Mills. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1979, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Union Mills has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Union Mills
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1927 | Unnamed 1927 stormOct 3 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 18 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 53 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 Union 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 Union Mills
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s10
- 2000s9
- 1990s8
- 1980s2(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 21 mi | 14 mi | 4 / 52 |
| May 5, 1989 | F4 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 35 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 60.2 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Jan 11, 2012 | EF2 | 13 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| May 7, 1998 | F2 | 9 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1994 | F2 | 24 mi | 45.4 mi | 0 / 13 |
| May 24, 1979 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1975 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 17 mi | 21.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | EF1 | 21 mi | 7.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 22 mi | 12.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 18 mi | 21.83 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Union Mills
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Union Mills since 1979, made on 62 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 11 days, most recently May 8, 2025. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 22 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Union Mills
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Forest City 8 W, NC, 12 miles south of Union Mills 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 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); 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%). Nebo, 12 miles north, has its own station (Marion, NC): 56.7 inches a year, 4.6 more than here, and a July average high of 85°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 Union Mills
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Union Mills: 137 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $992,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 2, 2003. February has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 59 have had fewer than Union Mills.
May 10, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Union Mills — 2 killed.
NWS: “Numerous trees were blown down across the county, some of which fell on homes and vehicles. A large tree fell on a mobile home on Spurlin Rd in Ellenboro, killing two 18-year-old twin sisters.”
August 1, 2013: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Union Mills — 1 killed, 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Union Mills — 1 killed.
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
Rutherford County, which includes Union Mills, 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 Union Mills
- Spindale, NC9 mi
- Rutherfordton, NC9 mi
- Bostic, NC9 mi
- Nebo, NC12 mi
- Forest City, NC13 mi
- Lake Lure, NC13 mi
- Ellenboro, NC15 mi
- Marion, NC16 mi
- Old Fort, NC16 mi
- Mill Spring, NC17 mi
- Mooresboro, NC20 mi
- Columbus, NC21 mi
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