States › North Carolina › Orange County › Hail
Hail in Orange County, North Carolina
84 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 84 hail events in Orange County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 37 years.
May is the busiest month, with 25 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 35 events against 35 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 9,900 hail events recorded in North Carolina; its 21.1 per 100 square miles compares with 20.4 statewide.
15 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Orange County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 84 | 9,900 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 21.1 | 20.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.6 | 9.4 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
11Apr
13May
25Jun
21Jul
6Aug
3Sep
1Oct
3Nov
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 84 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2026 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 2026 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 2022 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2021 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 2018 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2016 | Hail | 1.75 in | $3K | $500 | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Feb 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2014 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2008 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 2000 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Mar 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jul 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Oct 1995 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Oct 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jun 1995 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 1993 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1993 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 1992 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 1992 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1990 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1989 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Mar 1989 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 1988 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1988 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1986 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 1985 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 1985 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1985 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 1985 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1984 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1983 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1983 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1974 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1967 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1961 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 1956 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Orange County had?
84 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 Orange County?
29 Apr 2026 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Orange County?
The hail of 28 Apr 2016, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $3K and crop damage at $500.
How does Orange County compare with North Carolina for hail?
21.1 events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide; the county holds 84 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.