NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Vanceboro, 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
112 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Vanceboro, North Carolina since 1851, 28 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 108 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 28
- Tropical storms
- 84
- Tornadoes
- 108
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Vanceboro
The strongest storm to pass near Vanceboro was Helene in 1958, a Category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Floyd in 1999, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Vanceboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm directly overhead. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 10 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 112 systems, 21 have come since 2000. Vanceboro has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 86% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 108 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 28, 1984; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 108, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 36. The most recent tornado was on January 10, 2024. Vanceboro has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 96% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1975, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Vanceboro.
Compare Vanceboro's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Vanceboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | overhead | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | DorianSep 6 | 68 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | MatthewOct 9 | 72 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 51 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 42 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 9 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | OpheliaSep 15 | 72 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 28 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 12 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 5 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 20 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 18 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | ArthurJun 20 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 49 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1968 | GladysOct 20 | 74 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1962 | Unnamed 1962 stormJun 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 28 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1958 | HeleneSep 27 | 71 mi | Category 4 (135 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 26 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 36 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 70 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 59 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 26 | 51 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormOct 12 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 16 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 35 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 2 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 24 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 41 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 70 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 23 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 26 | 25 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 29 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 40 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 6 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 15 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 46 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 20 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 11 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 22 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 Vanceboro: 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 Vanceboro
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s30
- 1990s26
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 22 mi | 28 mi | 16 / 153 |
| Mar 17, 1965 | F3 | 18 mi | 41.3 mi | 2 / 85 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF3 | 14 mi | 20.99 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 4, 1977 | F3 | 24 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1972 | F3 | 24 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 25 mi | 4.07 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Feb 18, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.47 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 20 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Oct 8, 1996 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1996 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1996 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 108, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Vanceboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Vanceboro since 1975, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 28, 2011. The most recent report is from May 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Vanceboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is New Bern Craven Co Airport, NC, 17 miles south of Vanceboro at 19 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 34°F. August is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.1 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 58% of the year's precipitation (30.9 of 53.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 112 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (45); a normal September there has highs of 83°F and 6.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. That 53.1 inches is more than at 96 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (69%). Cove City, 12 miles southwest, has its own station (Kinston 7 SE, NC): 53.1 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 34 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 3.2 | 6 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 6.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 88 | 70 | 6.8 | 9 |
| Sep | 83 | 65 | 6.3 | 7 |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Year | 73 | 52 | 53.1 | 83 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at New Bern Craven Co Airport, NC (19 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 Vanceboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Vanceboro: 81 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on July 31, 2002. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Vanceboro.
September 30, 2010: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Vanceboro — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Torrential rain moved across most of Craven County during the evening of September 30th as the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole moved north across the region. This rain fell on saturated ground from very heavy rain the previous few days.”
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 Vanceboro's ZIP code 28586 have filed 113 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $2.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Matthew in 2016: 28 claims (25% of all) and $555,000, then Hurricane Florence in 2018 with 21 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 with 20. 72% 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, 185 have fewer than Vanceboro.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Matthew2016 | 28 | $555,000 |
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 21 | $451,000 |
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 20 | $707,000 |
Craven County, which includes Vanceboro, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 23 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tropical storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Isaias, on October 14, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Craven County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $118.3 million a year, the 8th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $92.3 million (78%), 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 Vanceboro
- Cove City, NC12 mi
- Chocowinity, NC13 mi
- New Bern, NC15 mi
- Grifton, NC16 mi
- Grimesland, NC16 mi
- Ayden, NC18 mi
- Washington, NC19 mi
- Aurora, NC21 mi
- Winterville, NC21 mi
- Grantsboro, NC22 mi
- Trenton, NC23 mi
- Greenville, NC24 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Vanceboro with another place →