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North Carolina · County tornado history

Beaufort County, North Carolina tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 40 tornadoes in Beaufort County, North Carolina from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 9 of 99 counties in North Carolina with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on January 4, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
40
Since 2000
24
Strongest
EF3, April 25, 2014
Most recent
EF1, January 4, 2023
Peak month
April (13)
Per 1,000 sq mi
46
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Beaufort County

April has brought the most, 13 of 40. About 52% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 13
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Beaufort County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 25, 2014 EF3 21 mi 350 yd 16
April 27, 1973 F2 0.5 mi 123 yd 1 1
March 14, 1975 F2 32.6 mi 100 yd 20
April 7, 2014 EF2 4.7 mi 300 yd 5
May 17, 1963 F2 8.9 mi 50 yd 2
May 27, 1960 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
April 16, 1953 F2 2 mi 100 yd
March 12, 1968 F2 1 mi 27 yd
April 24, 1968 F2 2 mi 200 yd
May 13, 1971 F2 44.4 mi 300 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Beaufort County was an F2 on April 27, 1973. It killed 1 person and injured 1 along its 0.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 4, 2023 EF1 0.3 mi 125 yd
September 30, 2022 EF-U 0.7 mi 12 yd
August 3, 2020 EF1 0.7 mi 180 yd
August 3, 2020 EF1 0.1 mi 50 yd
August 3, 2020 EF1 0.2 mi 70 yd
April 13, 2020 EF0 0.3 mi 29 yd
April 25, 2014 EF3 21 mi 350 yd 16
April 7, 2014 EF2 4.7 mi 300 yd 5

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Beaufort County as relatively moderate, with a score of 75 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.65 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,276,146 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Beaufort County had?

40 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 24 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Beaufort County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on January 4, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Beaufort County?

An EF3 on April 25, 2014, with a 21-mile path.

When is tornado season in Beaufort County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.