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Tornado in Brunswick County, North Carolina
45 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Brunswick County, North Carolina, has 45 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 26 different years.
September is the busiest month, with 13 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 25 events against 12 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.7% of the 1,691 tornado events recorded in North Carolina; its 5.3 per 100 square miles compares with 3.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 3 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 28 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Brunswick County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 45 | 1,691 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.3 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 3 | 137 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | September | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
2Mar
0Apr
4May
2Jun
4Jul
5Aug
12Sep
13Oct
3Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 45 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | $2K | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $2K | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Feb 2021 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | 3 | 10 | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Feb 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Sep 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Sep 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 1994 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 1980 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Sep 1964 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 1962 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1951 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Brunswick County had?
45 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Brunswick County?
15 Sep 2024 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Brunswick County?
The tornado of 5 Sep 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.0M.
How does Brunswick County compare with North Carolina for tornado?
5.3 events per 100 square miles against 3.5 statewide; the county holds 45 of the state's 1,691 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.