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Tornado History

Wake Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Wake, North Carolina. The records below identify 39 tornadoes from 1950 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $371.3M, with 7 deaths and 213 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes39
Total Deaths7
Total Injuries213
Property Damage$371.3M
Avg Length4.1 mi
Avg Width123 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Wake, North Carolina

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

Average 0.5 tornadoes per year (0.5/yr in last decade)
March is the peak tornado month with 10 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: EF3 in Wake, North Carolina with 4 deaths
1996 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (9 events)
Longest tornado: 37.99 miles in Wake, North Carolina
Widest tornado: 800.0 yards in Wake, North Carolina
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Mar 20, 1998

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 Wake, North Carolina, March is the most active month with 10 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

3210

Summary: 1996 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
EF3
F4

Summary: F0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 11 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.

$250.0M$25.0M$2.5M$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1988 with at least $250.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 November 28, 19881988EF3 April 16, 20112011EF2 May 13, 20192019F2 March 20, 19981998F2 November 2, 19661966F2 February 11, 19811981F2 June 16, 19821982F2 April 5, 19521952F2 March 18, 19561956F1 April 15, 19961996EF1 April 15, 20182018EF1 August 3, 20242024F1 March 18, 19561956F1 July 11, 19671967F1 May 28, 1973F1 June 13, 1982F1 March 14, 1986F1 December 31, 1975F1 May 12, 1950F1 October 23, 1990EF1 December 10, 2023EF0 April 25, 2010EF0 March 6, 2011F0 July 12, 1996EF0 July 23, 2019F0 May 29, 1973F0 March 20, 1998F0 April 15, 1996EF0 March 29, 2014EF0 March 29, 2014F0 May 7, 1977F0 May 12, 1950F0 May 14, 1967F0 March 26, 1988F0 March 20, 1998F0 June 1, 2001F0 September 27, 2004EF0 September 14, 2007EF0 September 18, 2012© 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
November 28, 1988F4Wake, North Carolina20 mi400 yd2105$250.0M
April 16, 2011EF3Wake, North Carolina37.99 mi300 yd467$115.0M
May 13, 2019EF2Wake, North Carolina10.22 mi385 yd00$1.0M
March 20, 1998F2Wake, North Carolina1.5 mi100 yd02$650K
November 2, 1966F2Wake, North Carolina37.4 mi77 yd09$250K
February 11, 1981F2Wake, North Carolina1.9 mi800 yd02$250K
June 16, 1982F2Wake, North Carolina2 mi100 yd00$250K
April 5, 1952F2Wake, North Carolina6.9 mi300 yd00$25K
March 18, 1956F2Wake, North Carolina0.3 mi100 yd00$2K
April 15, 1996F1Wake, North Carolina3 mi50 yd026$3.0M
April 15, 2018EF1Wake, North Carolina0.74 mi100 yd00$150K
August 3, 2024EF1Wake, North Carolina1.5 mi30 yd00$120K

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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.