Vance County, North Carolina Hurricane History
Since 1859, 36 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Vance County, North Carolina — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Chantal (2025), which passed 5 miles away on 7 July 2025.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentChantal (2025) — 5 mi away, 7 July 2025
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1893) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordChantal (2025) — 4.5 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles19 of 36
- Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (50% of all)
- Most active year1886 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1880s — 7 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1859–2025
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 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 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chantal (2025) | 7 Jul 2025 | 4.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Ophelia (2023) | 23 Sep 2023 | 49.0 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Elsa (2021) | 8 Jul 2021 | 18.8 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Michael (2018) | 11 Oct 2018 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Hanna (2008) | 6 Sep 2008 | 37.1 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Jeanne (2004) | 28 Sep 2004 | 48.8 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Gaston (2004) | 30 Aug 2004 | 23.4 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Isabel (2003) | 19 Sep 2003 | 45.5 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Dennis (1999) | 5 Sep 1999 | 27.9 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Danny (1997) | 24 Jul 1997 | 46.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Fran (1996) | 6 Sep 1996 | 29.8 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 8 Sep 1987 | 25.8 mi | TD | — |
| Danny (1985) | 18 Aug 1985 | 12.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1976) | 16 Sep 1976 | 4.9 mi | TS / TD | 16 kt |
| Ginger (1971) | 2 Oct 1971 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Alma (1970) | 26 May 1970 | 31.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Cleo (1964) | 31 Aug 1964 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Cindy (1959) | 10 Jul 1959 | 42.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Diane (1955) | 17 Aug 1955 | 15.2 mi | TS / TD | 51 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 14 Sep 1949 | 41.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 18 Sep 1945 | 20.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | 2 Aug 1944 | 17.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1935) | 6 Sep 1935 | 29.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1904) | 14 Sep 1904 | 30.0 mi | TS / TD | 56 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1902) | 16 Jun 1902 | 10.4 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1899) | 31 Oct 1899 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1896) | 30 Sep 1896 | 37.8 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 13 Oct 1893 | 9.3 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1889) | 24 Sep 1889 | 9.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 10 Sep 1888 | 5.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 2 Jul 1886 | 29.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 22 Jun 1886 | 31.6 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1885) | 13 Oct 1885 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1883) | 12 Sep 1883 | 20.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 11 Sep 1882 | 18.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1859) | 17 Sep 1859 | 12.3 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nestor (2019) | Post-tropical | 20 Oct 2019 | 35.6 mi | 40 kt |
| Andrea (2013) | Post-tropical | 7 Jun 2013 | 45.1 mi | 40 kt |
| Gordon (2000) | Post-tropical | 19 Sep 2000 | 4.1 mi | 20 kt |
| Hazel (1954) | Post-tropical | 15 Oct 1954 | 25.9 mi | 80 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1944) | Post-tropical | 20 Oct 1944 | 26.6 mi | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1929) | Post-tropical | 2 Oct 1929 | 10.4 mi | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1928) | Post-tropical | 11 Aug 1928 | 42.5 mi | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1877) | Post-tropical | 4 Oct 1877 | 21.8 mi | 50 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Vance County, North Carolina more than once.
- Danny — 2 passes (1985, 1997)
How Vance 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, Vance County, North Carolina ranks #399 — more exposed than 81.9% of them. Within North Carolina it ranks #51 of 100, against a state average of 37.9 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1893) passed 9 miles away on 13 October 1893 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1896) passed 38 miles away on 30 September 1896 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Isabel (2003) passed 45 miles away on 19 September 2003 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1899) passed 13 miles away on 31 October 1899 as a tropical storm, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
32 of the 36 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 36 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 31 years, between 1904 and 1935. It has been 0 years since the last one; 33 of the 33 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Vance County, North Carolina?
4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Vance County, North Carolina at hurricane strength since 1859. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 36.
When was the last hurricane in Vance County, North Carolina?
Isabel (2003), on 19 September 2003, passing 45 miles away — 23 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Chantal (2025) in 2025.
What was the strongest storm to affect Vance County, North Carolina?
Unnamed Storm (1893), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 9 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Vance County, North Carolina?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 36 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
Vance County, North Carolina borders or sits close to 4 other counties with a published storm record. Franklin County, North Carolina has 45 on record.