NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Warsaw, 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
94 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Warsaw, North Carolina since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 76
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Warsaw
The strongest storm to pass near Warsaw was Hazel in 1954, a Category 3 hurricane with 110 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The record near Warsaw begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1880s, with 9 systems, 3 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 94 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Warsaw has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 76% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The highest rating among the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1984, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 28, 1984, killed 12 people. Of the 80, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on September 27, 2024. Warsaw has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1978, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Warsaw.
Compare Warsaw's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Warsaw
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | FlorenceSep 14 | 57 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 42 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 46 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 26 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 12 | 27 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 52 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 17 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 20 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 24 | 72 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 62 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 18 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 38 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 29 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 16 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 21 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 25 | 39 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 9 | 23 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 57 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 57 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 33 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormSep 27 | 48 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1857 | Unnamed 1857 stormSep 13 | 47 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 10 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 7 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 Warsaw: 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 Warsaw
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s18
- 2000s9
- 1990s20
- 1980s5(3 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 1957 | F4 | 24 mi | 121.4 mi | 4 / 70 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 9 mi | 21 mi | 3 / 149 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 13 mi | 40 mi | 12 / 101 |
| Mar 28, 1984 | F3 | 18 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 81 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F3 | 10 mi | 25.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F3 | 11 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF2 | 11 mi | 29.88 mi | 3 / 13 |
| Sep 29, 1963 | F2 | 23 mi | 85.8 mi | 3 / 12 |
| Aug 7, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 4.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 8, 2014 | EF2 | 15 mi | 0.15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | F2 | 8 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Apr 15, 1996 | F2 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Warsaw
The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Warsaw since 1978, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 21, 1992. The most recent report is from May 24, 2024. May has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Warsaw
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warsaw 5 E, NC, 5 miles east of Warsaw at 110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 30°F. September is the wettest at 7.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (30.7 of 52.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 94 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (39); a normal September there has highs of 81°F and 7.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 64 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 52.1 inches is more than at 88 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (63%). Faison, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Clinton 2 NE, NC): 51.0 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 55 | 31 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 6.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 7.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 52.1 | 74 | 2.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Warsaw 5 E, NC (110 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 Warsaw
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 138 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Warsaw: 110 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $6.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 29, 2017. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 307 have had fewer than Warsaw.
September 15, 2018: flood 5 miles from the centre of Warsaw — 1 killed.
NWS: “An 81 year old male drowned in a motor vehicle on Bowden Road right along the Duplin/Sampson County line. The vehicle was occupied by a single person.”
May 28, 2020: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Warsaw — $5.0 million damage.
September 29, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Warsaw — $1.1 million 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 Warsaw's ZIP code 28398 have filed 19 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1983, and were paid $428,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 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, 59 have fewer than Warsaw.
Duplin County, which includes Warsaw, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1984, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 19 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tropical storms, 1 severe storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Eta, on March 3, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Duplin County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $53.1 million a year, the 26th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $37.0 million (70%), 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.