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Tornado in Iredell County, North Carolina
23 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.
NCEI records 23 tornado events in Iredell County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 19 years.
May is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 10 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.4% of the 1,691 tornado events recorded in North Carolina; its 4.0 per 100 square miles compares with 3.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Iredell County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 23 | 1,691 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 137 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
0Mar
1Apr
1May
7Jun
2Jul
1Aug
4Sep
0Oct
2Nov
2Dec
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 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jan 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2022 | Tornado | EF2 | $30K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 17 Aug 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2017 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 2006 | Tornado | F1 | $110K | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 7 Jul 2005 | Tornado | F2 | $2.0M | $400K | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1996 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Mar 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Oct 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 1978 | Tornado | — | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 15 May 1976 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jan 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Iredell County had?
23 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 Iredell County?
9 Jan 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Iredell County?
The tornado of 7 Jul 2005, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.0M and crop damage at $400K.
How does Iredell County compare with North Carolina for tornado?
4.0 events per 100 square miles against 3.5 statewide; the county holds 23 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.