North Carolina Tornado History — 1,532 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes does North Carolina get per year?
North Carolina has had 1,532 tornadoes on record since 1950, including 45 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes — averaging about 20.2 per year since 1950 (about 29.1 per year over the last decade). Counts come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center archive for North Carolina. The 63 cities below report tornadoes within their own search radius, so those figures overlap each other and do not sum to the state total.
When was the most recent tornado in North Carolina?
The most recent confirmed tornado in our North Carolina dataset was an EF0 tornado on July 6, 2025. Confirmed records are complete through December 29, 2025; more recent preliminary reports are listed below.
When is tornado season in North Carolina?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes in North Carolina, with 266 on record since 1950. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most US states.
North Carolina at a Glance
Notable Tornadoes in North Carolina
9 preliminary tornado reports in North Carolina since December 29, 2025
These are 9 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.