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Tornado History

Catawba Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Catawba, North Carolina. The records below identify 19 tornadoes from 1951 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $33.0M, with 1 deaths and 9 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes19
Total Deaths1
Total Injuries9
Property Damage$33.0M
Avg Length4.8 mi
Avg Width251 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Catawba, North Carolina

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.3 tornadoes per year (0.5/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 5 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: EF1 in Catawba, North Carolina with 1 deaths
2010 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (6 events)
Longest tornado: 31.3 miles in Catawba, North Carolina
Widest tornado: 1,300.0 yards in Catawba, North Carolina
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Oct 26, 2010

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Catawba, North Carolina, May is the most active month with 5 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

3210

Summary: 2010 was the most active year with 3 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F4

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 6 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$25.0M$2.5M$250K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1989 with at least $25.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 May 5, 19891989EF2 October 26, 20102010F2 August 9, 19511951F2 August 18, 19541954EF1 October 23, 20172017F1 May 27, 19731973F1 November 22, 19921992EF1 January 9, 20242024F1 May 23, 19731973F1 September 18, 19821982F1 March 14, 19751975F1 May 25, 19751975EF1 August 7, 20232023F0 September 28, 19981998EF0 May 1, 2017F0 March 7, 1992EF0 October 26, 2010EF0 October 26, 2010EF0 October 23, 2017© OpenStreetMap contributors

Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
May 5, 1989F4Catawba, North Carolina6 mi800 yd03$25.0M
October 26, 2010EF2Catawba, North Carolina2.53 mi100 yd00$6.6M
August 9, 1951F2Catawba, North Carolina0.5 mi100 yd00$25K
August 18, 1954F2Catawba, North Carolina5.4 mi50 yd00$25K
October 23, 2017EF1Catawba, North Carolina3.87 mi1300 yd00$500K
January 9, 2024EF1Catawba, North Carolina7.52 mi250 yd14$250K
May 27, 1973F1Catawba, North Carolina31.3 mi300 yd00$250K
November 22, 1992F1Catawba, North Carolina5 mi800 yd00$250K
May 23, 1973F1Catawba, North Carolina0 mi33 yd02$25K
September 18, 1982F1Catawba, North Carolina0.5 mi10 yd00$25K
March 14, 1975F1Catawba, North Carolina0.1 mi20 yd00$2K
May 25, 1975F1Catawba, North Carolina0 mi33 yd00$2K

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.