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Tornado in Carteret County, North Carolina
80 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.
Carteret County, North Carolina, has 80 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 32 different years.
September is the busiest month, with 20 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 26 events against 44 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 4.7% of the 1,691 tornado events recorded in North Carolina; its 15.8 per 100 square miles compares with 3.5 statewide.
By rating: 42 at (E)F0, 30 at (E)F1, 8 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Carteret County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 80 | 1,691 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 15.8 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 11.7 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 137 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | September | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
1Mar
2Apr
7May
9Jun
8Jul
9Aug
9Sep
20Oct
3Nov
8Dec
2
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 80 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jan 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jan 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Nov 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 16 Feb 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $4.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.5M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 Dec 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | $600K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $284K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 17 Jul 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2002 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 2000 | Tornado | F0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Tornado | F2 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $225K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1998 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $165K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 1993 | Tornado | F1 | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1991 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1990 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Sep 1989 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1989 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 25 Jul 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1974 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 May 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1972 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Dec 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1964 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1963 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Carteret County had?
80 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 Carteret County?
16 Sep 2024 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Carteret County?
The tornado of 27 Sep 1993, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5.0M.
How does Carteret County compare with North Carolina for tornado?
15.8 events per 100 square miles against 3.5 statewide; the county holds 80 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 30 Sep 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.