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Tornado in Dare County, North Carolina
40 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.
Dare County, North Carolina, has 40 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 27 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 19 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.4% of the 1,691 tornado events recorded in North Carolina; its 10.4 per 100 square miles compares with 3.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 24 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 4 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 | Dare County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 40 | 1,691 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 10.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 10.6 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 137 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | July | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
1Mar
1Apr
1May
5Jun
4Jul
9Aug
9Sep
5Oct
1Nov
3Dec
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 40 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 May 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 11 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $767K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Aug 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $225K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2002 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 1996 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 19 Jan 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 6 Jul 1992 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 1991 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 1990 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 May 1990 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Feb 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1987 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 7 | County |
| 20 Jun 1986 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1986 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 1985 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1985 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1982 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 25 Aug 1982 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | 1 | 4 | County |
| 8 Jul 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1959 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 1958 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 2 Aug 1956 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 1952 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Dare County had?
40 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 Dare County?
15 May 2025 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Dare County?
The tornado of 31 Mar 1987, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Dare County compare with North Carolina for tornado?
10.4 events per 100 square miles against 3.5 statewide; the county holds 40 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.