Currituck County, North Carolina Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Currituck County, North Carolina as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1851, 57 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Currituck County, North Carolina — about one every 3.1 years. Of those, 17 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 15 miles away on 21 June 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.1

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 14TS / TD · 38

The 57 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 5 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentClaudette (2021) — 15 mi away, 21 June 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordDoria (1967) — 1.6 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles35 of 57
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (35% of all)
Most active year1861 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s — 10 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Currituck County, North Carolina, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 57 recorded storms (35%). Activity concentrates in June, August and September, together 75% of all storms. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 10 storms. 0 of the 57 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	1	8	8	15	20	4	1	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 20 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
4	3	1	4	6	1	1	0	2	2	4	10	3	3	4	5	3	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Claudette (2021)	21 Jun 2021	14.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	44.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Arthur (2014)	4 Jul 2014	45.7 mi	Cat 2	84 kt
Irene (2011)	27 Aug 2011	5.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Gabrielle (2007)	10 Sep 2007	23.4 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	20.1 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	14.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (2001)	16 Jun 2001	21.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Helene (2000)	24 Sep 2000	9.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	21.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Bonnie (1998)	28 Aug 1998	34.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Danny (1997)	24 Jul 1997	19.2 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Danielle (1992)	25 Sep 1992	36.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Charley (1986)	17 Aug 1986	5.7 mi	Cat 1	69 kt
Gloria (1985)	27 Sep 1985	43.3 mi	Cat 2	89 kt
Diana (1984)	14 Sep 1984	47.6 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Bob (1979)	15 Jul 1979	11.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Agnes (1972)	22 Jun 1972	37.7 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Doria (1971)	28 Aug 1971	32.3 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Camille (1969)	20 Aug 1969	48.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Abby (1968)	13 Jun 1968	33.7 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Doria (1967)	17 Sep 1967	1.6 mi	TS / TD	48 kt
Unnamed Storm (1967)	19 Jun 1967	19.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Cleo (1964)	1 Sep 1964	15.8 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	24 Jul 1964	17.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1963)	3 Jun 1963	3.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	25.5 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	16.0 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	46.7 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	44.5 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Ione (1955)	20 Sep 1955	2.0 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Connie (1955)	13 Aug 1955	10.2 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Barbara (1953)	14 Aug 1953	9.4 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	7 Jul 1946	43.9 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	26 Jun 1945	46.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	44.9 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	3.9 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1918)	25 Aug 1918	34.0 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Jul 1901	26.7 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	18 Aug 1899	14.3 mi	Cat 1	80 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	25 Oct 1897	17.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	23.9 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	29 Sep 1894	23.9 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	23 Oct 1893	45.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Jun 1893	3.1 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	12 Oct 1888	19.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	24.4 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	31.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	9 Sep 1880	33.8 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	4.2 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	22.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	2 Nov 1861	24.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	28.1 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1857)	14 Sep 1857	9.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	19 Aug 1856	14.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	23.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	7.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 16 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. Showing the 9 most recent.

Storm	Status	Closest approach	Distance	Wind
Michael (2018)	Post-tropical	12 Oct 2018	42.9 mi	55 kt
Hermine (2016)	Post-tropical	3 Sep 2016	46.6 mi	60 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	4 Jun 2007	36.7 mi	40 kt
Alberto (2006)	Post-tropical	14 Jun 2006	25.9 mi	38 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	12.6 mi	50 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	20.1 mi	45 kt
Allison (1995)	Post-tropical	7 Jun 1995	43.2 mi	41 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	Post-tropical	16 Jun 1965	24.2 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	45.8 mi	62 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1851–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

Storms that came back

3 named storms in this record passed Currituck County, North Carolina more than once.

Bonnie — 2 passes (1998, 2004)
Charley — 2 passes (1986, 2004)
Doria — 2 passes (1967, 1971)

How Currituck 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, Currituck County, North Carolina ranks #138 — more exposed than 93.7% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #23 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 4 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 14 miles away on 18 August 1899 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Gloria (1985) passed 43 miles away on 27 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 89 kt (102 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Arthur (2014) passed 46 miles away on 4 July 2014 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

53 of the 57 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 57 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 8 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 17 years, between 1901 and 1918. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 48 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Currituck County, North Carolina?

17 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Currituck County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 57.

When was the last hurricane in Currituck County, North Carolina?

Arthur (2014), on 4 July 2014, passing 46 miles away — 12 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Currituck County, North Carolina?

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 4 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Currituck County, North Carolina?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.1 years — 57 storms over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby counties

Currituck County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Dare County, North Carolina has 80 on record.

Dare County, North Carolina80 storms within 50 mi Tyrrell County, North Carolina66 storms within 50 mi Camden County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Chesapeake city, Virginia53 storms within 50 mi Virginia Beach city, Virginia52 storms within 50 mi