NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wake Forest, NC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
59 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Wake Forest, North Carolina since 1851, 6 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 66 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 6
- Tropical storms
- 53
- Tornadoes
- 66
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wake Forest
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | OpheliaSep 23 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2021 | ElsaJul 8 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 21 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | IsaiasAug 4 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2019 | NestorOct 20 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | MichaelOct 11 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2013 | AndreaJun 7 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | HannaSep 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2006 | AlbertoJun 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 18 | 66 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2000 | HeleneSep 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1999 | DennisSep 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1998 | EarlSep 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1996 | FranSep 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1996 | BerthaJul 13 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1984 | DianaSep 14 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1972 | AgnesJun 21 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1970 | AlmaMay 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | Unnamed 1965 stormJun 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1964 | IsbellOct 16 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1960 | BrendaJul 30 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1959 | CindyJul 10 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 17 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 12 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1945 | Unnamed 1945 stormSep 18 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormOct 20 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormAug 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1935 | Unnamed 1935 stormSep 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormOct 2 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 19 | 54 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1924 | Unnamed 1924 stormSep 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormSep 6 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormMay 16 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1913 | Unnamed 1913 stormSep 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1904 | Unnamed 1904 stormSep 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1899 | Unnamed 1899 stormOct 31 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 35 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 13 | 3 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 4 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 24 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormSep 10 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJul 2 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1883 | Unnamed 1883 stormSep 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 11 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormSep 10 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormOct 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 17 | 67 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1874 | Unnamed 1874 stormSep 29 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormJun 23 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1854 | Unnamed 1854 stormSep 9 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1851 | Unnamed 1851 stormAug 25 | 61 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 Wake Forest: 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 Wake Forest
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s10(1 EF3+)
- 2000s10
- 1990s12
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s3
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1988 | F4 | in town | 83 mi | 4 / 154 |
| Apr 16, 2011 | EF3 | 5 mi | 65.23 mi | 6 / 103 |
| May 13, 2019 | EF2 | 11 mi | 17.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 20, 1998 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 15, 1996 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 27, 1995 | F2 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 5, 1989 | F2 | 22 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1984 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 11, 1981 | F2 | 13 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 11, 1981 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 66, 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 Wake Forest 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.