Cabarrus County, North Carolina Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1859, 28 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cabarrus County, North Carolina — about one every 6.0 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 24 miles away on 8 August 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentDebby (2024) — 24 mi away, 8 August 2024
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 68 kt (78 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordAble (1952) — 2.8 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles18 of 28
- Peak monthSeptember — 10 storms (36% of all)
- Most active year1952 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s and 1980s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1859–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debby (2024) | 8 Aug 2024 | 23.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Bertha (2020) | 28 May 2020 | 14.7 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 11 Oct 2018 | 15.4 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 28 Sep 2004 | 22.7 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 24 Jul 1997 | 45.3 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1994) | 21 Jul 1994 | 28.4 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Hugo (1989) | 22 Sep 1989 | 43.3 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Chris (1988) | 29 Aug 1988 | 11.5 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Danny (1985) | 18 Aug 1985 | 42.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Bob (1985) | 25 Jul 1985 | 10.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| David (1979) | 5 Sep 1979 | 7.7 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 8 Sep 1977 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Cleo (1964) | 31 Aug 1964 | 3.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Gracie (1959) | 30 Sep 1959 | 49.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Able (1952) | 31 Aug 1952 | 2.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1952) | 28 Aug 1952 | 8.9 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 28 Aug 1949 | 44.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1927) | 3 Oct 1927 | 10.0 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 3 Aug 1915 | 22.2 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1913) | 4 Sep 1913 | 24.0 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 13 Jul 1901 | 45.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 28 Aug 1893 | 3.1 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 24 Sep 1889 | 22.6 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 22 Jun 1886 | 9.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1885) | 13 Oct 1885 | 44.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 11 Sep 1882 | 13.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1878) | 12 Sep 1878 | 35.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 17 Sep 1859 | 7.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 4 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian (2022) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 2022 | 48.4 mi | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | Post-tropical | 11 Aug 1928 | 13.0 mi | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | Post-tropical | 31 Aug 1911 | 32.7 mi | 24 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | Post-tropical | 23 Sep 1907 | 43.0 mi | 34 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Cabarrus County, North Carolina more than once.
- Danny — 2 passes (1985, 1997)
How Cabarrus County, North Carolina compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Cabarrus County, North Carolina ranks #569 — more exposed than 74.2% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #60 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 3 miles away on 28 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Hugo (1989) passed 43 miles away on 22 September 1989 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 35 miles away on 12 September 1878 as a tropical storm, reaching 56 kt (64 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1949) passed 45 miles away on 28 August 1949 as a tropical storm, reaching 50 kt (58 mph) while within 50 miles.
26 of the 28 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 6.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 28 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1927 and 1949. It has been 1 year since the last one; 23 of the 25 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cabarrus County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 28.
When was the last hurricane in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
Hugo (1989), on 22 September 1989, passing 43 miles away — 37 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 3 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.0 years — 28 storms over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Cabarrus County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Union County, North Carolina has 38 on record.