NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Washington, 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
111 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Washington, North Carolina since 1851, 20 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 92 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 20
- Tropical storms
- 91
- Tornadoes
- 92
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Washington
The strongest storm to pass near Washington was an unnamed storm in 1879, a Category 3 hurricane with 112 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1878, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Washington begins with an unnamed storm in 1851; the most recent system was Ophelia in 2023, a tropical storm 12 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1960s, with 10 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 111 systems, 19 have come since 2000. Washington has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site. The strongest of the 92 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 28, 1984; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 92, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 54 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on May 5, 2025. Washington has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 86% of the 475 North Carolina cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1973, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Washington has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 475 North Carolina cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Washington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 12 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2016 | HermineSep 3 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2014 | ArthurJul 4 | 56 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | BerylMay 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | IreneAug 27 | 41 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2007 | GabrielleSep 9 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | BarryJun 3 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2006 | ErnestoSep 1 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2004 | CharleyAug 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 12 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | KyleOct 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | FloydSep 16 | 7 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | BonnieAug 27 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | JosephineOct 8 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | ArthurJun 20 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | AllisonJun 6 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1986 | CharleyAug 17 | 48 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | KateNov 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1982 | Unnamed 1982 stormJun 19 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1981 | DennisAug 20 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | GingerOct 1 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | DoriaAug 27 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1970 | Unnamed 1970 stormAug 17 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1967 | DoriaSep 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1964 | DoraSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | CleoSep 1 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1963 | Unnamed 1963 stormJun 3 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1962 | Unnamed 1962 stormJun 30 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1961 | Unnamed 1961 stormSep 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1960 | DonnaSep 12 | 34 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormOct 18 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 27 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | IoneSep 19 | 24 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 12 | 35 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 74 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1953 | BarbaraAug 14 | 54 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJul 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormJun 26 | 56 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormOct 12 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormSep 3 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 31 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1925 | Unnamed 1925 stormDec 2 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 25 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 15 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormOct 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1910 | Unnamed 1910 stormAug 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormSep 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 54 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormJun 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormJul 11 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormOct 13 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormAug 18 | 59 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormOct 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 23 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormOct 10 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormSep 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormJun 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormOct 11 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 20 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 26 | 37 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 9 | 35 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 18 | 40 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 1 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 19 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormOct 25 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 18 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1861 | Unnamed 1861 stormNov 2 | 48 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 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormSep 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 10 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormOct 11 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 12 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 Washington: 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 Washington
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s16(1 EF3+)
- 2000s28
- 1990s9
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1984 | F4 | 12 mi | 28 mi | 16 / 153 |
| Aug 3, 2020 | EF3 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 14 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF3 | 3 mi | 20.99 mi | 0 / 16 |
| May 15, 1972 | F3 | 19 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 27, 1973 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 25, 2014 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2014 | EF2 | 21 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 11, 2002 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 8, 1996 | F2 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1983 | F2 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 18, 1983 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 1975 | F2 | 5 mi | 32.6 mi | 0 / 20 |
The strongest 12 of 92, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Washington
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Washington since 1973, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 5, 1993. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. May has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Washington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Washington Wwtp 4W, NC, 2 miles west of Washington at 10 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 34°F. September is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.1 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 56% of the year's precipitation (29.7 of 53.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 111 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (42); a normal September there has highs of 82°F and 6.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 39 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 47 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 inches a year, most of it in December. That 53.1 inches is more than at 96 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (69%). Jamesville, 16 miles northeast, has its own station (Williamston 1 E, NC): 53.2 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 34 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 60 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 67 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 6.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 42 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Year | 72 | 52 | 53.1 | 77 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Washington Wwtp 4W, NC (10 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 Washington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 102 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Washington: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 40, and the NWS estimated $55.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 78 mph, on January 7, 2009. September has had the most flash floods, 7 of 10. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 124 have had fewer than Washington.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Washington — 2 killed.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind in Washington — 40 injured.
NWS: “Beaufort County emergency manager reported over 40 treated for storm related injuries across Beaufort County.”
September 30, 2010: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Washington — $55.5 million damage.
NWS: “Torrential rain moved across most of Beaufort 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 Washington's ZIP code 27889 have filed 3,789 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $48.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Dennis in 1999: 622 claims (16% of all) and $10.7 million, then Hurricane Irene in 2011 with 524 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 with 481. 89% 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, 260 have fewer than Washington.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Dennis1999 | 622 | $10.7 million |
| Hurricane Irene2011 | 524 | $6.9 million |
| Hurricane Florence2018 | 481 | $11.3 million |
| Hurricane Fran1996 | 447 | $6.2 million |
| Hurricane Floyd1999 | 440 | $3.1 million |
| Hurricane Bonnie1998 | 386 | $3.5 million |
Beaufort County, which includes Washington, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 22 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 Beaufort County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, coastal flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $54.3 million a year, the 24th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $40.4 million (74%), 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).
Washington in the notable storm records: Hurricane Florence (2018)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Washington
- Chocowinity, NC6 mi
- Grimesland, NC10 mi
- Pinetown, NC11 mi
- Jamesville, NC16 mi
- Williamston, NC18 mi
- Greenville, NC18 mi
- Vanceboro, NC19 mi
- Winterville, NC20 mi
- Robersonville, NC22 mi
- Aurora, NC22 mi
- Ayden, NC22 mi
- Belhaven, NC24 mi
All North Carolina cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Washington with another place →