Full storm history reportKnow the Storm Risk Before It Becomes Expensive Damage.Get a full report of past flood, hail, and tornado events at any address.
Get full report

Tornado History

McDowell Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on McDowell, North Carolina. The records below identify 6 tornadoes from 1996 through 2021, including a highest listed rating of F2 (Considerable damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $523K, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes6
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries0
Property Damage$523K
Avg Length1.4 mi
Avg Width185 yd

Want to check tornado history for a specific address?Use the address lookup to see nearby historical tornado tracks, dates, ratings, and distance from the location.

Check any address

Key Tornado Facts for McDowell, 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 3 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F0 in McDowell, North Carolina with 0 deaths
1996 was the most active year with 1 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (2 events)
Longest tornado: 3.7 miles in McDowell, North Carolina
Widest tornado: 880.0 yards in McDowell, North Carolina
Most tornadoes in one day: 1 on Apr 20, 1996

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 McDowell, North Carolina, April is the most active month with 3 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

10

Summary: 1996 was the most active year with 1 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F2

Summary: EF0 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.

$482K$48K$5K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1998 with at least $482K in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F2 May 7, 19981998F0 April 20, 19961996EF0 October 14, 20142014EF0 April 19, 20192019EF0 April 10, 20212021F0 May 24, 20002000© 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 7, 1998F2McDowell, North Carolina3.7 mi880 yd00$482K
April 20, 1996F0McDowell, North Carolina0.1 mi30 yd00$20K
October 14, 2014EF0McDowell, North Carolina0.5 mi100 yd00$15K
April 19, 2019EF0McDowell, North Carolina0.43 mi50 yd00$5K
April 10, 2021EF0McDowell, North Carolina0.59 mi20 yd00$1K
May 24, 2000F0McDowell, North Carolina3 mi30 yd00N/A

Want to check a home, business, or exact property?Search any address to compare nearby historical tornado tracks against that specific location.

Check any address

Related Location Pages

Address-level storm reportGet flood, hail, and tornado history for any property.PastStorms turns historical storm data into a focused report before damage becomes an expensive surprise.
Visit PastStorms

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.