Pitt County, North Carolina Hurricane History

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

Since 1851, 59 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pitt County, North Carolina — about one every 3.0 years. Of those, 9 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ophelia (2023), which passed 8 miles away on 23 September 2023.

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 · 1Cat 1 · 8TS / TD · 50

The 59 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 2.

Key facts

Most recentOphelia (2023) — 8 mi away, 23 September 2023
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1878) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1876) — 0.5 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles27 of 59
Peak monthSeptember — 28 storms (47% of all)
Most active year1964 — 3 storms
Most active decade1880s and 2000s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1851–2023

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Pitt County, North Carolina, September is the most active month, with 28 of the 59 recorded storms (47%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 75% of all activity. The 1880s and 2000s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 7 storms. 0 of the 59 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	5	7	8	28	8	0	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: 12 storms in 1950–1987 against 17 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
5	2	4	7	3	0	3	1	2	3	2	6	3	1	5	7	2	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Ophelia (2023)	23 Sep 2023	8.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Claudette (2021)	21 Jun 2021	5.1 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Isaias (2020)	4 Aug 2020	26.9 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Hermine (2016)	3 Sep 2016	45.5 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Ana (2015)	11 May 2015	23.6 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Hanna (2008)	6 Sep 2008	41.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Ernesto (2006)	1 Sep 2006	16.5 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Charley (2004)	14 Aug 2004	20.2 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Bonnie (2004)	13 Aug 2004	39.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Isabel (2003)	18 Sep 2003	27.9 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Allison (2001)	15 Jun 2001	27.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Helene (2000)	23 Sep 2000	9.7 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Floyd (1999)	16 Sep 1999	25.5 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Dennis (1999)	5 Sep 1999	15.7 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Bonnie (1998)	27 Aug 1998	42.2 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Danny (1997)	24 Jul 1997	29.6 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Bertha (1996)	13 Jul 1996	2.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Diana (1984)	14 Sep 1984	24.6 mi	TS / TD	44 kt
Agnes (1972)	21 Jun 1972	20.8 mi	TS / TD	41 kt
Doria (1971)	27 Aug 1971	40.8 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Alma (1970)	26 May 1970	44.1 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1967)	18 Jun 1967	14.8 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Isbell (1964)	16 Oct 1964	18.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Cleo (1964)	1 Sep 1964	48.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1964)	23 Jul 1964	2.5 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Unnamed Storm (1961)	14 Sep 1961	26.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Brenda (1960)	30 Jul 1960	13.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Cindy (1959)	10 Jul 1959	36.3 mi	TS / TD	36 kt
Ione (1955)	19 Sep 1955	42.4 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	14 Sep 1949	37.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	6 Jul 1946	40.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	2 Aug 1944	47.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1935)	6 Sep 1935	49.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	3 Sep 1934	43.0 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1928)	19 Sep 1928	14.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	6 Sep 1916	24.6 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	16 May 1916	18.9 mi	TS / TD	37 kt
Unnamed Storm (1913)	3 Sep 1913	42.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	10 Oct 1894	11.7 mi	TS / TD	61 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	4 Oct 1893	27.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	17 Jun 1893	16.6 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	11 Oct 1888	42.7 mi	TS / TD	53 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	20 Oct 1887	13.3 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	2 Jul 1886	49.6 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	26 Aug 1885	48.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1883)	12 Sep 1883	44.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1882)	23 Sep 1882	32.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	10 Sep 1881	5.8 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1878)	23 Oct 1878	22.2 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1876)	17 Sep 1876	0.5 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1874)	29 Sep 1874	19.2 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	25 Oct 1872	6.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	18 Sep 1863	37.1 mi	TS / TD	54 kt
Unnamed Storm (1861)	27 Sep 1861	31.2 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1857)	13 Sep 1857	42.1 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	1 Sep 1856	47.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1854)	10 Sep 1854	22.0 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1852)	11 Oct 1852	46.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1851)	25 Aug 1851	6.6 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
Nestor (2019)	Post-tropical	20 Oct 2019	43.3 mi	40 kt
Julia (2016)	Post-tropical	21 Sep 2016	11.4 mi	21 kt
Andrea (2013)	Post-tropical	7 Jun 2013	33.6 mi	40 kt
Alberto (2006)	Post-tropical	14 Jun 2006	9.6 mi	35 kt
Earl (1998)	Post-tropical	4 Sep 1998	8.8 mi	50 kt
Josephine (1996)	Post-tropical	8 Oct 1996	27.6 mi	45 kt
Allison (1995)	Post-tropical	6 Jun 1995	43.0 mi	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1965)	Post-tropical	16 Jun 1965	12.7 mi	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1924)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1924	13.4 mi	61 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

1 named storm in this record passed Pitt County, North Carolina more than once.

Bonnie — 2 passes (1998, 2004)

How Pitt 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, Pitt County, North Carolina ranks #125 — more exposed than 94.3% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #20 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 22 miles away on 23 October 1878 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Isabel (2003) passed 28 miles away on 18 September 2003 as a hurricane, reaching 81 kt (93 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Ione (1955) passed 42 miles away on 19 September 1955 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Floyd (1999) passed 25 miles away on 16 September 1999 as a hurricane, reaching 76 kt (87 mph) while within 50 miles.

55 of the 59 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 59 storms spread over the 175 years from 1851 to 2025. 5 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 19 years, between 1894 and 1913. It has been 2 years since the last one; 19 of the 52 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Pitt County, North Carolina?

9 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Pitt County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1851. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 59.

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

Isabel (2003), on 18 September 2003, passing 28 miles away — 23 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ophelia (2023) in 2023.

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

Unnamed Storm (1878), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 22 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Pitt County, North Carolina?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.0 years — 59 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

Pitt County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Craven County, North Carolina has 74 on record.

Craven County, North Carolina74 storms within 50 mi Beaufort County, North Carolina70 storms within 50 mi Lenoir County, North Carolina59 storms within 50 mi Greene County, North Carolina57 storms within 50 mi Wilson County, North Carolina53 storms within 50 mi Martin County, North Carolina52 storms within 50 mi Edgecombe County, North Carolina50 storms within 50 mi