Stokes County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

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 NASA (1).

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. May 24, 2017Tornado$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A thunderstorm dropped a tornado that impacted portions of western Stokes County. This tornado, which produced a continuous path length of 16.1 miles, touched down just north of the Forsyth and Stokes County Line causing large tree limbs to snap and numerous trees to become uprooted along and near Spainhour Mill Road. The tornado continued to the northeast, producing damage as it crossed US-52, Old Highway 52, and other minor roadways. The tornado reached its maximum strength and width as it impacted areas near and within YMCA Camp Hanes at the base of Sauratown Mountain, where numerous outbuildings, mobile homes, and cabins were damaged. The tornado at this point reached a…

2. Oct 11, 2018Flash Flood$1.4 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple roads were reported closed due to flooding across Stokes County, including the Walnut Cove and King areas. The first reports were shortly before 230 PM local time. The County was later included in a request by the state of North Carolina for a Presidential Major Disaster declaration.

3. Feb 6, 2020Flash Flood$1.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads were flooded and at least six incurred significant damage as a result of the flooding. Among the reports from the 911 call center was Eurins Creek flooding Pine Hall Road and Danbury Creek flooding a portion of Goff Road.

4. Oct 27, 2010Tornado$710,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down near Kennsington Avenue and then tracked northeast to Spainhour Road. In all 62 homes were damaged. Most of the damage was in the Forest Oaks, Forest Hills, Forest Glen, Arlington, and Chelsea Ridge neighborhoods. Several large oak trees were uprooted, roofs were partially torn off, and a few garage doors were blown in. Near Spainhour Road a large wooden shed was flipped onto its roof, and several trees were snapped off at their base. Damage amounts are estimated.

5. Dec 1, 2021Wildfire, Stokes$364,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   As of December 4th, 2021, the cost of containing the Grindstone Fire on Pilot Mountain has increased to at least $364,000 dollars and has burned an estimated 1050 acres of state park land. The fire is now 100% contained. The fire was caused by a campfire that escaped containment during unusually dry conditions and high winds favorable for allowing the fire to quickly spread.

6. Sep 17, 2024Flash Flood$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Reed Creek rose several feet out of its banks across Bethesda Church Road. The culvert underneath the road was completely washed out several feet downstream, causing the road to collapse and be impassible to traffic until repairs are complete. Debris lines indicate that the creek was over 80 feet wide (normally around 25 feet) at the height of the flooding event. Because of the dark, one car drove into the flood waters and became stranded, with one occupant needing rescue. No injuries were reported. MRMS data indicated 6-hour rainfall amounts ending 9 pm EDT were 1.5 to 1.6 times that of 6-hour flash flood guidance, while the average recurrence interval for 6-hours was a 25 year event.

7. Sep 17, 2024Flash Flood$325,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Little Beaver Island Creek overflowed at least 25 feet out of its banks, and completely washed out a 30 foot wide section of Franklin Moore Road, leaving a large gap where the road used to be located. The road is completely impassible until repairs can be completed. No injuries were reported in this event. MRMS data indicated 6-hour rainfall amounts ending 9 pm EST were around 1.5 times that of 6-hour flash flood guidance, while the average recurrence interval for 6-hours was about a 25 year event.

8. Feb 4, 2010Winter Storm, Stokes$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow broke out across the county late Thursday evening and continued through the day Friday. It mixed with sleet, rain and freezing rain during the day Friday when warmer air moved in aloft. The precipitation ended as snow showers Friday evening. Total snow accumulations of around 4 inches were common.||The snow, combined with the freezing rain and rain on top brought down numerous trees and power lines across the county. At one point up to 17000 residents were without power. It is estimated that at least 100s of trees were down, with the county EMS director stating it was the most widespread damage he had seen.

9. Apr 16, 2007High Wind, Stokes$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Around 200 trees were blown down county wide. Powerlines also were either blown down or came down as a result of trees falling on them. At one point, 12,000 electric customers were without power.

10. Aug 21, 2025Flash Flood$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A portion of Old NC Highway 52 was damaged by flooding in the Town of King. Several homes in the nearby area also suffered some degree of water intrusion due to the flooding.

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°FAug 21, 1983

All-time low

−10°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

76°F4 times, most recently Jun 25, 2025

Coldest day

5°FJan 11, 1982

Wettest day

6.99 inJun 21, 1972

Snowiest day

12.0 inJan 22, 1987

Hottest year

2017mean 59.7°F

Coldest year

1960mean 54.3°F

Wettest year

201868.64 in

Driest year

195132.58 in

Snowiest season

61.5 in1981-82

Station Danbury (USC00312238), 1,019 ft elevation, 7.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1957 to October 27, 2026; 90.2% 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 USC00312238.
• 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.