Greene County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Greene County: 7.
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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 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.

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 16, 2011Tornado$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This is the second segment for the tornado that originally spun up in Lenoir County. The tornado moved into Greene county just west of Highway 903. The tornado produced mainly EF0 and EF1 damage across the southern part of Greene County with damage to trees and a few homes. The tornado intensified to EF3 with winds estimated up to 160 mph southwest of Snow Hill. The tornado continued at EF3 intensity as it crossed Highway 13 just west of Snow Hill. Numerous homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed in this area with some almost completely flattened. Numerous vehicles were also destroyed. The strong EF3 tornado continued as it moved north of Snow Hill and severely…

2. Sep 14, 1999Hurricane (Typhoon), Greene$14.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Floyd caused the largest peace time evacuation in the nations history. He also caused massive record flooding across inland sections of eastern North Carolina. At one time Floyd was classified as a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson scale and will likely be categorized as one of the nation's most costly hurricanes in the 20th century.Tropical Depression number eight was detected by the National Hurricane Center at 1600 EST on September 7th. The broad center was nearly 1000 miles west of the Lesser Antilles. At that time the depression was moving toward the west at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph. Within 12 hours the depression gained strength,…

3. Aug 26, 2011Tropical Storm, Greene$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Across Greene county...winds gusted to 50 to 60 mph resulting in downed trees and power-lines with sporadic power outages. Heavy rainfall resulting in flooding of roads and low lying areas. Significant damage occurred to structures and crops.

4. Sep 4, 1996Hurricane (Typhoon), Greene$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Fran moved onshore near Cape Fear Thursday evening (9/6) and raced north toward Raleigh cutting a swath of destruction. The Category 3 hurricane destroyed or damaged 90% of the homes in North Topsail Beach. The town hall and police station were destroyed. A 15 foot storm surge cut a 100-foot-wide inlet through thye middle of the island. A Camp Lejeune-based Marine lost his life when he and two others mistakenly drove onto the island at the height of the storm. State Route 1568 was washed out and NC210 was covered with sand. Damage in North Topsail and Onslow County alone exceeds $500 million as 6,688 structures were destroyed or damaged. In Carteret County, Emerald Isle…

5. Sep 17, 2003Hurricane (Typhoon), Greene$770,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Isabel made landfall early in the afternoon on September 18th as a category two hurricane across Core Banks in extreme eastern Carteret county. Isabel moved north northwest near 20 mph across eastern North Carolina during the afternoon. Areas mainly near and east of the storm center experienced significant wind and storm surge effects. Major ocean overwash and beach erosion occurred along the North Carolina Outer Banks where waves up to 20 feet accompanied a 6 to 8 foot storm surge. Almost 350 million dollars in damage occurred in Dare county alone where several thousand homes and businesses, several piers, and sections of Highway 12 were damaged or washed away. Eastern…

6. Jan 14, 2006Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tornado moved northeast across Highway 58 just southeast of Snowhill. Sixteen structures were damaged. Two structures were completely destroyed. There were no injuries or fatalities.

7. Feb 18, 2008Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down about 1 mile north of Hookerton. The tornado was rated as EF2 and was around 150 yards wide. The tornado demolished a 2 story home shortly after touching down causing 3 minor injuries. The tornado also ripped the roof off a nearby trailer. The tornado stayed on the ground for a little over 1 mile as it moved northeast then lifted. Damage in Greene county was estimated at 300,000 dollars.

8. Jan 14, 2006Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tornado moved northeast across Highway 33, four miles west of Snowhill, ravaging a turkey farm. Six turkey houses were completely destroyed. Fifteen hundred turkeys were killed.

9. Apr 25, 2014Tornado$210,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down at a farm along Beamon Old Creek Road producing EF1 damage with winds estimated at 110 mph. One side of a poultry farm was destroyed, moderate damage was also noted to outbuildings and two homes. The tornado then moved through farm and wooded areas before causing EF0 to low end EF1 damage to several mobile homes and one store near the intersection of Speights Bridge Road and Walston Road. The tornado then again moved over farm and wooded areas before dissipating near Howell Swamp Church Road. There were no injuries or fatalities associated with this tornado.

10. Sep 13, 2018Tropical Storm, Greene$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Widespread heavy rain and strong winds developed over the region from the morning of September 13th through the evening of September 16th. Rainfall was generally 10��� to 13��� over most of the county with a storm total of 12.50��� in Snow Hill. Due to the heavy rainfall Contentnea Creek had a preliminary 6th highest crest 18.98 feet. Gusty northeast winds developed ahead of Florence as the storm approached the coast with a peak wind gust of 39 mph west of Snow Hill at 1159 PM LST on September 13th. The gusty winds combined with saturated ground led to some downed trees with and power outages.

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

103°F4 times, most recently Aug 22, 1983

All-time low

−2°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

82°FJul 9, 2012

Coldest day

23°FJan 11, 1982

Wettest day

13.25 inAug 27, 2011

Snowiest day

10.0 inFeb 1, 2026

Hottest year

2017mean 65.5°F

Coldest year

1968mean 59.2°F

Wettest year

201870.63 in

Driest year

202234.50 in

Snowiest season

12.9 in1972-73

Station Kinston Ag Rsch (USC00314689), 60 ft elevation, 12.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1966 to October 27, 2026; 93.6% 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 USC00314689.
• 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.