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Hail in Cherokee County, North Carolina
57 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
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.
NCEI records 57 hail events in Cherokee County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 23 years.
May is the busiest month, with 17 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 41 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 9,900 hail events recorded in North Carolina; its 12.5 per 100 square miles compares with 20.4 statewide.
11 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 1.75 inches (golf ball size).
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Cherokee County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 57 | 9,900 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 12.5 | 20.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 19.5 | 9.4 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
5Feb
1Mar
9Apr
10May
17Jun
8Jul
1Aug
3Sep
1Oct
0Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2024 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2022 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Mar 2018 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2010 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2010 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2002 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Feb 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jan 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jan 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 1997 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 1997 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 1997 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jan 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jan 1997 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 1994 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 1993 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1992 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1989 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1989 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 1989 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1981 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Cherokee County had?
57 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Cherokee County?
8 May 2025 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Cherokee County?
The hail of 28 Apr 2002, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5K.
How does Cherokee County compare with North Carolina for hail?
12.5 events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide; the county holds 57 of the state's 9,900 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 Hail hub and the county page.