HailHistory › Hail by county › North Carolina
North Carolina · 100 counties
Hail history in North Carolina
North Carolina has 9,882 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1950 — 5,160 of them 1″ or larger. The largest on record: 4.5″ (grapefruit) in Burke County on May 24, 2000.
When it hails in North Carolina
All recorded North Carolina events by month, 1950–present · data through April 2026.
Every North Carolina county, ranked by recorded hail
| County | Events | ≥1″ | Largest | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 393 | 235 | 4.0″ | 2025 |
| Mecklenburg County | 246 | 122 | 3.0″ | 2025 |
| Burke County | 211 | 107 | 4.5″ | 2025 |
| Buncombe County | 207 | 93 | 2.5″ | 2026 |
| Guilford County | 206 | 113 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Onslow County | 193 | 77 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Craven County | 190 | 93 | 3.5″ | 2025 |
| Columbus County | 179 | 101 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Catawba County | 177 | 95 | 4.5″ | 2025 |
| Pitt County | 175 | 109 | 3.0″ | 2025 |
| Johnston County | 173 | 99 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Robeson County | 172 | 86 | 4.0″ | 2025 |
| Gaston County | 169 | 85 | 4.5″ | 2025 |
| Cleveland County | 168 | 77 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Bladen County | 166 | 88 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Rockingham County | 164 | 87 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Iredell County | 163 | 77 | 2.75″ | 2026 |
| Henderson County | 149 | 66 | 2.5″ | 2025 |
| Cumberland County | 146 | 83 | 3.5″ | 2025 |
| Surry County | 144 | 92 | 3.0″ | 2025 |
| McDowell County | 141 | 64 | 2.5″ | 2026 |
| Duplin County | 140 | 63 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Brunswick County | 139 | 73 | 2.0″ | 2024 |
| Wilkes County | 139 | 78 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Beaufort County | 137 | 80 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Sampson County | 137 | 71 | 2.75″ | 2024 |
| Harnett County | 131 | 71 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Lincoln County | 131 | 69 | 2.5″ | 2025 |
| Rutherford County | 131 | 66 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Union County | 130 | 69 | 2.25″ | 2025 |
| Caldwell County | 127 | 55 | 2.0″ | 2025 |
| Durham County | 127 | 66 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Pender County | 126 | 59 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Cabarrus County | 124 | 72 | 4.5″ | 2025 |
| Wayne County | 124 | 58 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Davidson County | 116 | 60 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Moore County | 115 | 69 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| New Hanover County | 112 | 61 | 2.5″ | 2024 |
| Lenoir County | 111 | 46 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Rowan County | 111 | 59 | 4.5″ | 2025 |
| Randolph County | 110 | 53 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Forsyth County | 109 | 57 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Nash County | 101 | 58 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Granville County | 95 | 56 | 2.75″ | 2024 |
| Alamance County | 92 | 58 | 2.5″ | 2026 |
| Stokes County | 92 | 56 | 2.25″ | 2024 |
| Transylvania County | 91 | 31 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Ashe County | 88 | 35 | 2.0″ | 2022 |
| Carteret County | 88 | 39 | 2.0″ | 2024 |
| Orange County | 84 | 45 | 2.75″ | 2026 |
| Person County | 84 | 50 | 2.5″ | 2023 |
| Chatham County | 82 | 48 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Davie County | 79 | 46 | 2.5″ | 2023 |
| Caswell County | 78 | 49 | 2.5″ | 2023 |
| Martin County | 77 | 46 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Edgecombe County | 75 | 42 | 2.5″ | 2022 |
| Madison County | 75 | 39 | 2.0″ | 2025 |
| Polk County | 75 | 29 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Watauga County | 75 | 40 | 4.0″ | 2026 |
| Macon County | 72 | 39 | 2.75″ | 2025 |
| Wilson County | 69 | 44 | 2.0″ | 2024 |
| Yadkin County | 69 | 35 | 2.0″ | 2023 |
| Franklin County | 68 | 34 | 2.0″ | 2025 |
| Halifax County | 67 | 39 | 2.5″ | 2024 |
| Jones County | 66 | 36 | 2.5″ | 2021 |
| Stanly County | 65 | 35 | 2.75″ | 2026 |
| Haywood County | 63 | 34 | 1.75″ | 2023 |
| Alexander County | 61 | 29 | 1.75″ | 2023 |
| Jackson County | 61 | 33 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Avery County | 59 | 24 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Montgomery County | 59 | 31 | 4.5″ | 2024 |
| Hoke County | 58 | 27 | 1.75″ | 2019 |
| Lee County | 58 | 30 | 2.0″ | 2023 |
| Cherokee County | 57 | 36 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Alleghany County | 55 | 19 | 1.5″ | 2022 |
| Dare County | 54 | 20 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Anson County | 53 | 31 | 3.0″ | 2022 |
| Vance County | 53 | 30 | 3.0″ | 2023 |
| Scotland County | 50 | 27 | 2.0″ | 2025 |
| Greene County | 48 | 24 | 2.75″ | 2023 |
| Pamlico County | 48 | 25 | 2.75″ | 2024 |
| Northampton County | 46 | 29 | 4.25″ | 2022 |
| Bertie County | 38 | 28 | 4.25″ | 2025 |
| Richmond County | 38 | 21 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Gates County | 35 | 18 | 3.5″ | 2025 |
| Mitchell County | 35 | 15 | 1.75″ | 2026 |
| Warren County | 35 | 15 | 2.0″ | 2020 |
| Yancey County | 35 | 18 | 2.5″ | 2025 |
| Graham County | 34 | 15 | 3.0″ | 2023 |
| Chowan County | 33 | 22 | 3.0″ | 2022 |
| Hertford County | 32 | 18 | 4.0″ | 2022 |
| Currituck County | 31 | 15 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
| Hyde County | 30 | 20 | 3.5″ | 2019 |
| Washington County | 29 | 15 | 2.75″ | 2024 |
| Pasquotank County | 25 | 12 | 1.75″ | 2019 |
| Perquimans County | 23 | 12 | 2.0″ | 2024 |
| Tyrrell County | 22 | 10 | 2.0″ | 2025 |
| Swain County | 20 | 6 | 1.25″ | 2020 |
| Camden County | 19 | 6 | 1.5″ | 2022 |
| Clay County | 19 | 12 | 1.75″ | 2025 |
Questions about hail in North Carolina
How often does it hail in North Carolina?
The NOAA Storm Events Database records 9,882 hail events for North Carolina since 1950, 5,160 of them 1″ (quarter size) or larger. Recorded frequency varies sharply by county — the table on this page ranks all 100.
What is the largest hail ever recorded in North Carolina?
4.5″ (grapefruit), recorded in Burke County on May 24, 2000. See it at true size on the actual-size hail chart.
When is hail season in North Carolina?
Recorded events peak in May. The by-month chart on this page shows the full seasonal shape — and each county page carries its own, since timing shifts across the state.
How do I check hail history for my address in North Carolina?
Storm Events records events at the county level, so pick your county below or use the ZIP lookup. For "did it hail on this date" claim questions, the date lookup searches every recorded North Carolina event.
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain. Each county page shows the full event timeline, month profile, and storm-report narratives.