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North Carolina · County tornado history

Wake County, North Carolina tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 40 tornadoes in Wake County, North Carolina from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 7 of 99 counties in North Carolina with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on August 3, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
40
Since 2000
14
Strongest
F4, November 27, 1988
Most recent
EF1, August 3, 2024
Peak month
March (11)
Per 1,000 sq mi
47
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Wake County

March has brought the most, 11 of 40. About 70% touched down between 12 pm and 6 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) 19
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 12
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Wake County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 27, 1988 F4 83 mi 400 yd 4 154
April 16, 2011 EF3 65.2 mi 500 yd 6 103
November 2, 1966 F2 64.5 mi 77 yd 9
February 11, 1981 F2 1.9 mi 800 yd 2
March 20, 1998 F2 1.5 mi 100 yd 2
April 5, 1952 F2 6.9 mi 300 yd
March 18, 1956 F2 0.3 mi 100 yd
June 16, 1982 F2 5 mi 100 yd
May 13, 2019 EF2 17.2 mi 385 yd
June 13, 1982 F1 0.3 mi 13 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Wake County was an EF3 on April 16, 2011. It killed 6 people and injured 103 along its 65.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 3, 2024 EF1 1.5 mi 30 yd
December 10, 2023 EF1 1.9 mi 250 yd
July 23, 2019 EF0 1.2 mi 175 yd
May 13, 2019 EF2 17.2 mi 385 yd
April 15, 2018 EF1 0.7 mi 100 yd
March 29, 2014 EF0 0.1 mi 75 yd
March 29, 2014 EF0 0.2 mi 145 yd
September 18, 2012 EF0 0.5 mi 30 yd

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 Wake County as relatively high, with a score of 95 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.41 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $20,021,385 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 Wake County had?

40 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 14 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Wake County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on August 3, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Wake County?

An F4 on November 27, 1988, with a 83-mile path.

When is tornado season in Wake County?

March 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.