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Hail in Clay County, North Carolina
19 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.
Clay County, North Carolina, has 19 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 11 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.2% of the 9,900 hail events recorded in North Carolina; its 8.8 per 100 square miles compares with 20.4 statewide.
6 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 | Clay County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 19 | 9,900 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 8.8 | 20.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 16.8 | 9.4 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
0Apr
5May
7Jun
6Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
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 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jan 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1987 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Clay County had?
19 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 Clay County?
24 Jun 2025 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Clay County?
The hail of 28 Apr 2002, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5K.
How does Clay County compare with North Carolina for hail?
8.8 events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide; the county holds 19 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.