County Hazards

States › North Carolina › Greene County › Tornado

Tornado in Greene County, North Carolina

18 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.

18 events · 7 deaths recorded · peak month April · county share of state 1.1%

2024-08-08: Tornado2014-04-29: Tornado2014-04-25: Tornado2014-04-25: Tornado2011-04-16: Tornado2011-03-06: Tornado2009-03-27: Tornado2008-02-18: Tornado1997-07-05: Tornado1996-04-15: Tornado1995-10-05: Tornado1984-03-28: Tornado1977-03-04: Tornado1973-05-29: Tornado1966-08-16: Tornado
Tornado event locations in and around Greene County. Dots: Tornado event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

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.

Greene County, North Carolina, has 18 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 14 different years.

April is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 6 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 1.1% of the 1,691 tornado events recorded in North Carolina; its 6.7 per 100 square miles compares with 3.5 statewide.

NCEI attributes 7 deaths in the county to tornadoes.

By rating: 7 at (E)F0, 5 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.

Compared with North Carolina

MeasureGreene CountyNorth CarolinaUS
Tornado events since 1950181,69181,281
Per 100 square miles6.73.52.3
Per 10,000 residents8.81.62.4
Deaths recorded71376,410
Busiest monthAprilMayMay

By year

195019882026
Tornado events recorded in Greene County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
2
Feb
1
Mar
4
Apr
5
May
2
Jun
0
Jul
1
Aug
2
Sep
0
Oct
1
Nov
0
Dec
0
Tornado events in Greene County by month of occurrence, all years.

Magnitude distribution

EF0/F07
EF1/F15
EF2/F23
EF3/F32
EF4/F41
EF5/F50
Unrated0
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 18 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
8 Aug 2024TornadoEF2————County
29 Apr 2014TornadoEF0————County
25 Apr 2014TornadoEF1$210K———County
25 Apr 2014TornadoEF0$95K———County
16 Apr 2011TornadoEF3$30M——60County
6 Mar 2011TornadoEF0$2K———County
27 Mar 2009TornadoEF1$50K———County
18 Feb 2008TornadoEF2$500K——3County
14 Jan 2006TornadoF1$250K———County
14 Jan 2006TornadoF1$750K———County
9 May 2003TornadoF0————County
5 Jul 1997TornadoF0————County
15 Apr 1996TornadoF2$150K———County
5 Oct 1995TornadoF0$50K———County
28 Mar 1984TornadoF4$25M—7—County
4 Mar 1977TornadoF3$250K———County
29 May 1973TornadoF0$25K———County
16 Aug 1966TornadoF1$250K———County

Questions and answers

How many tornado events has Greene County had?

18 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 Greene County?

8 Aug 2024 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Greene County?

The tornado of 16 Apr 2011, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $30M.

How does Greene County compare with North Carolina for tornado?

6.7 events per 100 square miles against 3.5 statewide; the county holds 18 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.