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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pineville, NC

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

38 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pineville, North Carolina since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Debby in 2024. Since 1950, 79 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
3

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
35

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
79

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
3

4 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pineville

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Pineville, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024DebbyAug 839 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 1
2021ElsaJul 858 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2069 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1113 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
2006AlbertoJun 1454 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1989HugoSep 2217 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1985BobJul 2525 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1979DavidSep 520 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
1970AlmaMay 2665 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1653 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1959GracieSep 3027 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 4
1952AbleAug 3112 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 2
1949Unnamed 1949 stormAug 2842 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1870 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2074 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 4
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 560 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 257 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1927Unnamed 1927 stormOct 36 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormJul 1554 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 313 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1913Unnamed 1913 stormOct 1070 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1438 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2348 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormSep 1864 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1157 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1656 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 2969 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 454 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormAug 2814 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2417 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1059 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 2210 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1248 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 119 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1878Unnamed 1878 stormSep 1252 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 464 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 173 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 958 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 3

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

By decade

  • 2020s10
  • 2010s14
  • 2000s11
  • 1990s13(2 EF3+)
  • 1980s9(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s12
  • 1960s8
  • 1950s2
Strongest tornadoes near Pineville, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
May 5, 1989F412 mi13 mi1 / 6
Mar 27, 1994F37 mi18.5 mi0 / 2
Oct 18, 1990F314 mi12 mi0 / 2
Nov 16, 2011EF219 mi5.8 mi3 / 5
Feb 6, 2020EF222 mi8.66 mi0 / 0
Mar 3, 2012EF217 mi2.94 mi0 / 4
May 9, 2008EF215 mi18.21 mi0 / 0
Sep 7, 2004F27 mi3 mi0 / 0
Mar 10, 1992F26 mi3.4 mi0 / 18
Mar 6, 1983F221 mi2 mi0 / 9
May 28, 1973F29 mi9.6 mi0 / 0
May 28, 1973F212 mi2 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 79, 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 Pineville 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