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Yancey County, North Carolina
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1956 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
3
Tornado reports
36
Hail reports
30
Floods since 1996
599
All events
14
Deaths
$106.3M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Yancey County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 3 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Extensive flooding of the North Toe and Nolichucky Rivers as well as the lower portion of the Cane River developed during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurre…
Historic, catastrophic flash flooding developed along the Cane River and South Toe River basins during the overnight and early morning hours of the 27th as rainfall rates began to intensify again during the evening of the 26th. The most intense rainfall occurred just after sunris…
Newspaper reported a motorcyclist was killed after being struck by lightning at the intersection of Highway 128 and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Perhaps 100,000 trees or more were blown down, with hundreds of trees down on homes, vehicles, and power lines. Frequent gusts up to 80 mph occurred, with occasional gusts of 100 mph on exposed high elevation ridgetops.
Hail Hail
Public reported 3/4 inch hail in the Wolf Laurel community.
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Heavy Snow Heavy Snow
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Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Utility company reported trees blown down on power lines with outages in the Micaville community.
Hail Hail
Public reported quarter size hail.
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Flood Flood
Although heavy rainfall tapered off during late morning, catastrophic flooding lingered across Yancey County, including the Cane River, Toe River system, and the Nolichucky River well into the evening hours. Most of the streams finally returned to their banks by midnight.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Law enforcement reported three trees blown down near Green Mountain.
Hail Hail
Media relayed photo of ping pong ball size hail from the Burnsville area.
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Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A few trees were blown down in the western part of the county.
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Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
County comms reported trees blown down on Possum Trot Rd, on Little Creek Rd, on Highway 197, and Bakers Creek Rd.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Emergency manager reported numerous trees blown down within and near the Double Island community.
Tornado EF1 Tornado
NWS storm survey found the path of a rare EF1 tornado that touched down near Highway 19W in the far northern part of Yancey County, a couple of miles from the Tennessee border. The tornado tracked east/southeast, crossing Highway 19 a couple of times, before crossing Huntdale Rd …
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
County comms reported multiple trees and power lines blown down from the Wolf Laurel community, across Sconce Creek Rd, across Highway 19E, to Highway 197S.
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Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 | 14 | 0 |
| 2024 | 18 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 1 |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 |
| 2020 | 11 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 | 0 |
| 2018 | 18 | 0 |
| 2017 | 10 | 0 |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 |
| 2015 | 13 | 0 |
| 2014 | 21 | 0 |
| 2013 | 20 | 0 |
| 2012 | 19 | 0 |
| 2011 | 21 | 0 |
| 2010 | 25 | 0 |
| 2009 | 17 | 0 |
| 2008 | 25 | 0 |
| 2007 | 23 | 0 |
| 2006 | 18 | 0 |
| 2005 | 31 | 0 |
| 2004 | 30 | 0 |
| 2003 | 40 | 0 |
| 2002 | 20 | 0 |
| 2001 | 21 | 0 |
| 2000 | 28 | 0 |
| 1999 | 27 | 0 |
| 1998 | 28 | 0 |
| 1997 | 14 | 0 |
| 1996 | 22 | 0 |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 |
| 1988 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967 | 1 | 0 |
| 1956 | 1 | 1 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Yancey County, measured to its path.
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