Stanly County, North Carolina Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1859, 33 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Stanly County, North Carolina — about one every 5.1 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Debby (2024), which passed 7 miles away on 8 August 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentDebby (2024) — 7 mi away, 8 August 2024
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1896) — 72 kt (83 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordMichael (2018) — 3.2 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles14 of 33
- Peak monthSeptember — 13 storms (39% of all)
- Most active year1952 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s — 5 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 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 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 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debby (2024) | 8 Aug 2024 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Elsa (2021) | 8 Jul 2021 | 42.7 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Claudette (2021) | 21 Jun 2021 | 47.4 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Bertha (2020) | 28 May 2020 | 29.1 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 11 Oct 2018 | 3.2 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 28 Sep 2004 | 33.1 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 24 Jul 1997 | 33.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1994) | 21 Jul 1994 | 41.0 mi | TS / TD | 16 kt |
| Chris (1988) | 29 Aug 1988 | 28.0 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Bob (1985) | 25 Jul 1985 | 8.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| David (1979) | 5 Sep 1979 | 10.2 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 9 Sep 1977 | 35.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Alma (1970) | 26 May 1970 | 48.1 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Cleo (1964) | 31 Aug 1964 | 17.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Able (1952) | 31 Aug 1952 | 20.4 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1952) | 28 Aug 1952 | 14.2 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 18 Sep 1945 | 42.7 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1935) | 6 Sep 1935 | 46.0 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1927) | 3 Oct 1927 | 26.1 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1920) | 23 Sep 1920 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 3 Aug 1915 | 37.2 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1913) | 4 Sep 1913 | 18.0 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 16 Jun 1902 | 38.0 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 13 Jul 1901 | 35.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 29 Sep 1896 | 42.9 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 28 Aug 1893 | 15.2 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 24 Sep 1889 | 6.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 10 Sep 1888 | 38.0 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 22 Jun 1886 | 20.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1885) | 13 Oct 1885 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 11 Sep 1882 | 17.0 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1878) | 12 Sep 1878 | 17.7 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 17 Sep 1859 | 10.4 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 5 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 | 31.3 mi | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1929) | Post-tropical | 2 Oct 1929 | 38.7 mi | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | Post-tropical | 11 Aug 1928 | 26.6 mi | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | Post-tropical | 14 Jun 1912 | 44.8 mi | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | Post-tropical | 31 Aug 1911 | 40.7 mi | 22 kt |
How Stanly 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, Stanly County, North Carolina ranks #455 — more exposed than 79.4% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #55 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 43 miles away on 29 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 15 miles away on 28 August 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1878) passed 18 miles away on 12 September 1878 as a tropical storm, reaching 56 kt (64 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1945) passed 43 miles away on 18 September 1945 as a tropical storm, reaching 48 kt (55 mph) while within 50 miles.
30 of the 33 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 5.1 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 33 storms spread over the 167 years from 1859 to 2025. 2 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 1859 and 1878. It has been 1 year since the last one; 26 of the 30 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Stanly County, North Carolina?
2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Stanly County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 33.
When was the last hurricane in Stanly County, North Carolina?
Unnamed Storm (1896), on 29 September 1896, passing 43 miles away — 130 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Debby (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Stanly County, North Carolina?
Unnamed Storm (1896), which reached 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 43 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Stanly County, North Carolina?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.1 years — 33 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
Stanly County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Anson County, North Carolina has 43 on record.