Caswell County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Caswell County: 0.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 4, 2008Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-0 tornado touched down in Alamance county North Carolina, moving north into southern Caswell county. Winds were estimated to be between 70 and 75 mph. This tornado was on the ground sporadically for one half mile crossing Vinson Road south of Anderson before lifting. This tornado caused damage to a barn near Vinson Road and downed several trees. It downed a large tree on a home along Vinson Road, blew a detached garage off its foundation and downed several large trees before lifting about one mile south of Anderson.

2. Jun 13, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damaging thunderstorm winds associated with a squall line downed hundreds of trees across the county with the extreme northern and extreme southern parts impacted the greatest. Highway 29 and Highway 86 were blocked by downed trees at many locations, stranding motorists in their vehicles. A roof and porch were blown off a home near Prospect Hill. Damage values are estimated.

3. Sep 5, 1996High Wind, Caswell$600,000
4. Oct 11, 2018Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches in just a few hours caused widespread flash flooding in Caswell County and a local state of emergency was declared at 200 PM local time. Significant damage occurred to roads and other structures. A high water rescue was reported along a creek flooding over Highway 700 in northern Caswell County and two other calls for water rescues were logged by the 911 dispatch center. Farmer Road near Old N.C. Highway 86 in Blanch was washed out flooding from a small creek. Many roads were reported closed by flooding especially near the Dan River. The County was later included in a request by the state of North Carolina for a Presidential Major Disaster declaration.

5. Apr 16, 2011Tornado$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed the Caswell County line from Alamance County as an EF0 tornado. It then strengthened to an EF1 with winds up to 90 MPH as it crossed Vinson Road. It lifted as an EF0 as it crossed Highway 119 near Baynes. In total, 18 barns and 1 shed were damaged. Ten homes were also damaged, 7 of which received severe damage.

6. Sep 6, 1996Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The remnants of hurricane Fran produced widespread wind damage and flash flooding in north-central and portions of northwest North Carolina during the late evening hours on the 5th and morning hours on the 6th.In Rockingham County, high winds downed trees, tree limbs and power lines, tore a portion of a high school roof off, damaged the roof of a gas station, and damaged crops. Some trees fell on vehicles and homes. High winds tore a 70 foot hole in the roof of a business in Reidsville, resulting in $90,000 in damage. At one time, 35,000 customers were without power in Rockingham County.In Caswell County, high winds downed numerous trees and damaged crops. Some trees fell on…

7. May 7, 1998Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours on the 7th produced two tornadoes, hail up to golf ball size, and damaging winds.A tornado formed seven and a half miles southwest of Leasburg at 1535 EST and traveled about one half mile northeast before dissipating at 1537 EST seven miles southwest of Leasburg. This tornado damaged several homes, two chicken houses, a mobile home, a carport, a business, and a rest home, knocked down trees, and injured two people.A tornado formed one mile east southeast of Level Cross at 1719 EST and traveled east northeastward about two and a half miles before dissipating three and a half miles east of Level Cross at 1725 EST. The tornado…

8. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm wind down around 100 trees across the county along with many power lines down due to falling trees. In Yanceyville, trees fell on two vehicles. Damage values are estimated.

9. Mar 2, 2018High Wind, Caswell$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and power lines were blown down around the county. One tree fell on a home in Yanceyville. Damage values are estimated.

10. Sep 18, 2003Tropical Storm, Caswell$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    As Hurricane Isabel weakened to a tropical storm, winds were sustained during the mid afternoon and early evening at up to 45 to 55 mph with gusts near 65 mph. This produced widespread wind damage with numerous trees and power lines downed.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

105°FSep 6, 1954

All-time low

−1°FJan 9, 2017

Warmest night

79°FJun 26, 1956

Coldest day

16°FFeb 17, 1958

Wettest day

6.00 inOct 11, 2018

Snowiest day

16.3 inMar 13, 1993

Hottest year

1949mean 60.3°F

Coldest year

1958mean 57.0°F

Wettest year

201867.61 in

Driest year

200125.51 in

Snowiest season

35.6 in1995-96

Station Danville Regional Airport (USW00013728), 552 ft elevation, 12.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1945 to October 26, 2026; 87.4% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013728.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.