Polk County

Every recorded tornado

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

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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.

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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by NC GS (1,897), NASA (4).

Deadly landslides

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 27, 2024Flash Flood$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Stream gauges and the media reported catastrophic flash flooding developed along the North Pacolet and Green River basins in the western half of Polk County after 15-20 inches of rain fell across the area over three days, with 1.5 to 2.5 inches of that falling in less than three hours on the morning of the 27th as tropical rainbands near the remnant center of Helene swept across the area. Dozens of structures were damaged or destroyed along Green River Cove Rd and along Highway 176 due to flooding along the North Pacolet. In addition to the major stream flooding, the extreme rainfall triggered dozens of landslides across the western third of the county. One of these landslides…

2. Feb 2, 1996Ice Storm, Polk$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rain began to freeze in the southern foothills and most of the piedmont. Bridges and overpasses quickly became icy with numerous problems reported on highways and streets. Rain was falling so heavily that not much was accumulating as ice. However, by about noon, ice storm conditions began to develop quickly with numerous power outages reported. Areas west and north of Charlotte were hardest hit. Damage estimates for this major ice storm are a broad estimate and not reliable. Road repair/cleanup costs in North Carolina exceeded $20 million. Numerous traffic accidents caused many injuries and some indirect fatalities.

3. Dec 4, 2002Ice Storm, Polk$9.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow began during the early afternoon across the North Carolina foothills and northwest piedmont, and had accumulated to 3 to 5 inches by late evening. A transition to sleet and then freezing rain occurred during the late evening, and ice accumulated to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. The result was widespread power outages, which lasted for a week or more in some areas.

4. Sep 27, 2024Tropical Storm, Eastern Polk$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tens of thousands of trees were blown down, with hundreds of trees down on homes, vehicles, and power lines. Frequent gusts up to 70 mph occurred, with occasional gusts of 80 mph.

5. Sep 27, 2024Tropical Storm, Polk Mountains$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tens of thousands of trees were blown down, with dozens of trees down on homes, vehicles, and power lines. Frequent gusts up to 70 mph occurred, with occasional gusts of 80-90 mph on exposed high elevation ridgetops.

6. Sep 7, 2004Flood, Polk$900,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding expanded to the southern foothills by late afternoon, as small streams and creeks overflowed their banks in Polk County, and the Rocky Broad River exceeded flood stage in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas. The situation gradually worsened and expanded during the evening and overnight hours, as flooding developed along the Green River and Silver Creek, and evacuations became necessary along the Rocky Broad. Several public buildings and private residences were damaged and at least one home destroyed by flood water. In Rutherford County, the Riverwalk over the Rocky Broad was washed away for the second time in 8 years. In addition, numerous roads and bridges were washed…

7. May 18, 2018Debris Flow$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   EM reported numerous small to large slope failures developed along the Highway 176 corridor in Polk County after as much as 8 inches of rain fell across the western part of the county in just a few hours. Around 30 homes were damaged, with a couple destroyed. One 59-year-old woman died when her garage collapsed as she was trying to flee her home. Her husband was swept into Highway 176 but survived with mostly minor injuries.

8. Apr 16, 2007High Wind, Eastern Polk$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   After an intense, but relatively brief high wind event affected the mountains and foothills on the evening of the 15th, another widespread damaging high wind event developed during the day of the 16th. However, this particular event included much of the piedmont. Thousands of trees fell across the area, resulting in widespread power outages. Numerous trees fell on roads, homes, and vehicles. The Blue Ridge mountains and the foothills received the brunt of the strongest winds. In Highlands, NC, two homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees, while approximately 100 homes received minor to moderate damage. A tree fell on and severely damaged a home in Otto, NC. Two businesses…

9. Apr 16, 2007High Wind, Polk Mountains$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   After an intense, but relatively brief high wind event affected the mountains and foothills on the evening of the 15th, another widespread damaging high wind event developed during the day of the 16th. However, this particular event included much of the piedmont. Thousands of trees fell across the area, resulting in widespread power outages. Numerous trees fell on roads, homes, and vehicles. The Blue Ridge mountains and the foothills received the brunt of the strongest winds. In Highlands, NC, two homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees, while approximately 100 homes received minor to moderate damage. A tree fell on and severely damaged a home in Otto, NC. Two businesses…

10. Jul 13, 2013Flash Flood$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A stream flooded Houston Road near Dimsdale lane, trapping people in their cars (2 NNE Columbus). Two mudslides were also reported around Mill Spring. A 40 foot section of Peniel Road was washed out by Mill Creek between Hugh Champion Road and Highway 9 south. A private road, Hawks Landing Drive, also had a large section washed out in this area. Water reportedly entered a few homes in this area as well.

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°F3 times, most recently Jun 22, 1964

All-time low

−8°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

80°F3 times, most recently Aug 10, 2007

Coldest day

19°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

9.05 inOct 25, 1918

Snowiest day

15.0 inDec 4, 1971

Hottest year

1990mean 62.7°F

Coldest year

1917mean 57.4°F

Wettest year

197992.76 in

Driest year

198839.66 in

Snowiest season

25.0 in1968-69

Station Tryon (USC00318744), 1,320 ft elevation, 5.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1917 to October 27, 2026; 99.1% 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 USC00318744.
• 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.