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Tornado History

Cherokee Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Cherokee, North Carolina. The records below identify 10 tornadoes from 1974 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $27.2M, with 4 deaths and 26 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes10
Total Deaths4
Total Injuries26
Property Damage$27.2M
Avg Length8.8 mi
Avg Width92 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Cherokee, North Carolina

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

Average 0.2 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
April is the peak tornado month with 5 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Cherokee, North Carolina with 4 deaths
1974 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1970s had the most tornado activity (5 events)
Longest tornado: 21.5 miles in Cherokee, North Carolina
Widest tornado: 400.0 yards in Cherokee, North Carolina
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Apr 3, 1974

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 Cherokee, North Carolina, April 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.

4320

Summary: 1974 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
EF2
F4

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 3 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.

$25.1M$2.5M$250K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1974 with at least $25.1M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 April 3, 19741974EF2 March 2, 20122012F1 May 7, 19981998F1 April 2, 19741974F1 April 3, 19741974EF1 May 8, 20242024F0 April 4, 19741974F0 September 21, 19791979F0 April 16, 19911991EF0 March 17, 20182018© 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
April 3, 1974F4Cherokee, North Carolina18.9 mi33 yd426$25.0M
March 2, 2012EF2Cherokee, North Carolina21.5 mi400 yd00$2.0M
May 7, 1998F1Cherokee, North Carolina9 mi100 yd00$75K
April 2, 1974F1Cherokee, North Carolina16.8 mi33 yd00$25K
April 3, 1974F1Cherokee, North Carolina0 mi33 yd00N/A
May 8, 2024EF1Cherokee, North Carolina2.33 mi40 yd00N/A
April 4, 1974F0Cherokee, North Carolina9.7 mi33 yd00$25K
September 21, 1979F0Cherokee, North Carolina0.1 mi100 yd00$25K
April 16, 1991F0Cherokee, North Carolina0.5 mi50 yd00$25K
March 17, 2018EF0Cherokee, North Carolina0.63 mi100 yd00N/A

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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.