Pasquotank County, North Carolina Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 58 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pasquotank County, North Carolina — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 16 miles away on 21 June 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

3.0

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 · 4Cat 1 · 12TS / TD · 42

The 58 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 4 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentClaudette (2021) — 16 mi away, 21 June 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1879) — 95 kt (109 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordCleo (1964) — 2.7 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles33 of 58
Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (34% of all)
Most active year1861 — 2 storms
Most active decade1960s — 9 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 Pasquotank County, North Carolina, September is the most active month, with 20 of the 58 recorded storms (34%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 72% of all activity. The 1960s was the most active decade on record, with 9 storms. 0 of the 58 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	3	7	8	14	20	5	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: 19 storms in 1950–1987 against 12 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
4	3	3	4	5	1	3	0	3	1	4	9	4	2	4	5	2	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Claudette (2021)	21 Jun 2021	16.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	37.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Irene (2011)	27 Aug 2011	18.5 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Gabrielle (2007)	10 Sep 2007	31.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	16.2 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	22.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Allison (2001)	16 Jun 2001	14.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Helene (2000)	23 Sep 2000	9.0 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	14.1 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Bonnie (1998)	28 Aug 1998	37.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Danny (1997)	24 Jul 1997	22.6 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	47.9 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Charley (1986)	17 Aug 1986	20.4 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Diana (1984)	14 Sep 1984	48.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bob (1979)	15 Jul 1979	8.9 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Agnes (1972)	21 Jun 1972	41.4 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Doria (1971)	27 Aug 1971	16.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Alma (1970)	27 May 1970	44.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Abby (1968)	13 Jun 1968	40.2 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Doria (1967)	17 Sep 1967	15.2 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1967)	19 Jun 1967	18.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Cleo (1964)	1 Sep 1964	2.7 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	24 Jul 1964	14.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1963)	3 Jun 1963	22.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	10.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Donna (1960)	12 Sep 1960	28.8 mi	Cat 2	85 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	35.0 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	38.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Ione (1955)	20 Sep 1955	6.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Connie (1955)	13 Aug 1955	9.3 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Barbara (1953)	14 Aug 1953	23.1 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	6 Jul 1946	46.8 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	40.3 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	31.1 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	23 Aug 1933	17.7 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1918)	25 Aug 1918	41.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	7 Sep 1916	44.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	41.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	11 Jul 1901	31.6 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1899)	18 Aug 1899	28.1 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1897)	25 Oct 1897	28.1 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	13.5 mi	TS / TD	62 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	29 Sep 1894	36.8 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Jun 1893	5.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	22.9 mi	TS / TD	51 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	10.7 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	23.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	9 Sep 1880	39.0 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	18 Aug 1879	23.0 mi	Cat 2	93 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	43.1 mi	Cat 2	88 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	25 Oct 1872	39.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	11.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	2 Nov 1861	35.9 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	16.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1857)	14 Sep 1857	15.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	19 Aug 1856	5.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	21.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	10.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 15 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	44.1 mi	55 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	7 Jun 2013	49.6 mi	40 kt
Barry (2007)	Post-tropical	4 Jun 2007	46.6 mi	40 kt
Alberto (2006)	Post-tropical	14 Jun 2006	23.4 mi	38 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	10.0 mi	50 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	23.4 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	Post-tropical	16 Jun 1965	18.6 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	Post-tropical	18 Oct 1956	10.9 mi	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	31.7 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 Pasquotank County, North Carolina more than once.

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

How Pasquotank 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, Pasquotank County, North Carolina ranks #132 — more exposed than 94.0% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #21 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 23 miles away on 18 August 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 28 miles away on 18 August 1899 as a hurricane, reaching 93 kt (107 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 43 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 2 Donna (1960) passed 29 miles away on 12 September 1960 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.

53 of the 58 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 3.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 58 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 15 years, between 1901 and 1916. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 49 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Pasquotank County, North Carolina?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pasquotank County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 58.

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

Irene (2011), on 27 August 2011, passing 18 miles away — 15 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.

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

Unnamed Storm (1879), which reached 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 23 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Pasquotank County, North Carolina?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 58 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

Pasquotank County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Tyrrell County, North Carolina has 66 on record.

Tyrrell County, North Carolina66 storms within 50 mi Perquimans County, North Carolina60 storms within 50 mi Camden County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Gates County, North Carolina56 storms within 50 mi