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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Denton, NC

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

39 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Denton, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 52 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
36

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
52

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
2

3 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Denton

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Denton, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 871 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 851 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2163 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
2019NestorOct 2065 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 115 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2006AlbertoJun 1469 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1996FranSep 673 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
1989HugoSep 2273 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 2512 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 512 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 5
1970AlmaMay 2655 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1664 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1952AbleAug 3119 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2855 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1842 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2059 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 4
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 656 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 245 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 358 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 331 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1463 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2367 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1471 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1156 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1645 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2944 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 474 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2813 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2417 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1045 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 275 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 229 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1331 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 114 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1211 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 462 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1867Unnamed 1867 stormJun 2372 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 174 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 966 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Denton: 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 Denton

By decade

  • 2020s4
  • 2010s7(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s6
  • 1990s9
  • 1980s6
  • 1970s12
  • 1960s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s1
Strongest tornadoes near Denton, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Oct 7, 1965F316 mi1 mi1 / 4
Mar 28, 2010EF324 mi4.29 mi0 / 0
Nov 16, 2011EF210 mi12.51 mi2 / 15
Feb 6, 2020EF221 mi6.19 mi0 / 0
Mar 28, 2010EF217 mi5 mi0 / 5
Jan 14, 2005F216 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 29, 1999F218 mi6 mi0 / 0
Mar 29, 1991F25 mi28 mi0 / 0
Oct 1, 1977F220 mi9.4 mi0 / 0
May 15, 1976F217 mi18.8 mi0 / 7
Mar 24, 1975F220 mi30.6 mi0 / 1
Apr 18, 1969F222 mi27.3 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 52, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Denton while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in North Carolina