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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wilson, NC

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

85 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Wilson, North Carolina since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ophelia in 2023. Since 1950, 84 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
12

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
73

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
84

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
9

7 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wilson

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Wilson, North Carolina, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2023OpheliaSep 2334 miTropical storm (51 mph)Tropical storm
2021ElsaJul 831 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2021ClaudetteJun 2118 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2020IsaiasAug 410 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
2019NestorOct 2015 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1142 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 5
2016HermineSep 371 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2013AndreaJun 74 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008HannaSep 67 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
2006ErnestoSep 173 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
2006AlbertoJun 1425 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2004CharleyAug 1443 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 4
2003IsabelSep 1848 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 5
2000HeleneSep 2317 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1999FloydSep 1657 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 4
1999DennisSep 56 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 2
1998EarlSep 420 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1998BonnieAug 2772 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1997DannyJul 245 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1996JosephineOct 854 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1996FranSep 648 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 3
1996BerthaJul 1332 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 3
1995AllisonJun 667 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1984DianaSep 1445 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 4
1972AgnesJun 2141 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1971GingerOct 158 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 2
1971DoriaAug 2772 miTropical storm (63 mph)Tropical storm
1970AlmaMay 2620 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1621 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1964IsbellOct 1621 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1961Unnamed 1961 stormSep 1458 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1960BrendaJul 3035 miTropical storm (61 mph)Tropical storm
1959CindyJul 108 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1956Unnamed 1956 stormOct 1864 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 2750 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1955IoneSep 1975 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 4
1955DianeAug 1733 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1954HazelOct 1523 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 2539 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1946Unnamed 1946 stormJul 667 miTropical storm (52 mph)Category 1
1945Unnamed 1945 stormSep 1863 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormOct 2026 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 4
1944Unnamed 1944 stormAug 215 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 1
1935Unnamed 1935 stormSep 621 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 5
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 245 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormSep 1918 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 5
1924Unnamed 1924 stormSep 3025 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 1
1916Unnamed 1916 stormSep 651 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1916Unnamed 1916 stormMay 1614 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1913Unnamed 1913 stormSep 343 miTropical storm (49 mph)Category 1
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1442 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 2962 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1904Unnamed 1904 stormSep 1419 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormJun 1645 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1899Unnamed 1899 stormOct 3130 miTropical storm (68 mph)Category 2
1896Unnamed 1896 stormSep 3070 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 3
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 1041 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 1332 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 3
1893Unnamed 1893 stormOct 442 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1893Unnamed 1893 stormJun 1646 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2444 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormOct 1172 miTropical storm (61 mph)Category 2
1888Unnamed 1888 stormSep 1044 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 2025 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJul 218 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormOct 1368 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 2575 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 2
1883Unnamed 1883 stormSep 1212 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 3
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 2365 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1167 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormSep 1038 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1878Unnamed 1878 stormOct 2352 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 428 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1876Unnamed 1876 stormSep 1732 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 3
1874Unnamed 1874 stormSep 2913 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
1872Unnamed 1872 stormOct 2539 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1867Unnamed 1867 stormJun 2351 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1863Unnamed 1863 stormSep 1870 miTropical storm (62 mph)Tropical storm
1861Unnamed 1861 stormSep 2757 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 1
1859Unnamed 1859 stormSep 1758 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 1
1857Unnamed 1857 stormSep 1372 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 2
1856Unnamed 1856 stormSep 167 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 3
1854Unnamed 1854 stormSep 107 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1852Unnamed 1852 stormOct 1068 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 2
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2528 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3

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

By decade

  • 2020s5(3 EF3+)
  • 2010s20(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s22(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s14(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s7
  • 1970s8(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s3
  • 1950s5(2 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Wilson, North Carolina
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Feb 22, 1971F311 mi85.7 mi2 / 60
Aug 8, 2024EF36 mi6.5 mi1 / 0
Nov 15, 2008EF31 mi8.19 mi1 / 4
Sep 27, 2024EF318 mi0.25 mi0 / 15
Jul 19, 2023EF319 mi13.53 mi0 / 16
Apr 16, 2011EF321 mi20.42 mi0 / 30
Nov 23, 1992F3in town160 mi0 / 44
Nov 8, 1957F310 mi46.9 mi0 / 5
Mar 15, 1953F32 mi30.1 mi0 / 1
Nov 15, 2008EF210 mi4.09 mi1 / 2
Mar 16, 1955F27 mi6.6 mi1 / 1
Aug 7, 2024EF215 mi9.48 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 84, 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 Wilson 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