Chatham County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot North Carolina Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Chatham County is about the same as North Carolina average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Chatham County is lower than North Carolina average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #55
| Chatham County | 0.02 |
| North Carolina | 0.18 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Chatham County | 0.0000 |
| North Carolina | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #63
| Chatham County | 94.54 |
| North Carolina | 115.21 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 14,644 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Chatham County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 3 | Cold: | 47 | Dense Fog: | 13 | Drought: | 87 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,478 | Hail: | 4,324 | Heat: | 25 | Heavy Snow: | 206 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 6 | Ice Storm: | 63 | Landslide: | 3 | Strong Wind: | 160 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,253 | Tropical Storm: | 9 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 137 | Winter Weather: | 207 |
| Other: | 622 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Chatham County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Chatham County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Chatham County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 32 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Chatham County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 5.4 | 1991-03-29 | 2 | 35°42'N / 79°28'W | 35°52'N / 79°03'W | 25.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Chatham |
| 6.1 | 1965-10-07 | 2 | 35°39'N / 79°24'W | 35°41'N / 79°18'W | 6.10 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chatham |
| 16.3 | 1991-03-29 | 2 | 35°52'N / 79°03'W | 35°53'N / 79°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Orange |
| 17.6 | 1954-08-17 | 2 | 35°47'N / 79°33'W | 2.10 Miles | 110 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 21.4 | 1956-04-06 | 2 | 35°30'N / 79°04'W | 35°33'N / 78°49'W | 14.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lee |
| 22.5 | 1969-04-18 | 2 | 35°52'N / 79°36'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |||
| 22.9 | 1952-04-05 | 2 | 35°48'N / 78°53'W | 35°54'N / 78°53'W | 6.90 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wake |
| 25.8 | 1989-05-05 | 2 | 35°55'N / 78°58'W | 36°02'N / 78°54'W | 8.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Durham |
| 27.6 | 1956-03-18 | 2 | 35°52'N / 78°48'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wake | |
| 27.7 | 1982-06-16 | 2 | 35°32'N / 78°49'W | 35°33'N / 78°47'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harnett |
| 28.2 | 1992-11-23 | 3 | 36°05'N / 79°11'W | 36°07'N / 79°04'W | 5.50 Miles | 1200 Yards | 2 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Orange |
| 28.8 | 1982-06-16 | 2 | 35°33'N / 78°47'W | 35°35'N / 78°45'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wake |
| 29.8 | 1984-04-04 | 2 | 36°01'N / 78°53'W | 1.70 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Durham | |
| 30.4 | 1977-10-01 | 2 | 35°48'N / 79°50'W | 35°53'N / 79°42'W | 9.40 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 30.9 | 1991-03-29 | 2 | 35°38'N / 80°01'W | 35°51'N / 79°35'W | 28.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Randolph |
| 32.1 | 1966-11-02 | 2 | 35°30'N / 78°44'W | 35°31'N / 78°44'W | 1.10 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harnett |
| 32.9 | 1965-10-07 | 3 | 35°39'N / 79°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 1 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 33.4 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 35°12'N / 79°23'W | 35°15'N / 79°16'W | 7.60 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Moore |
| 36.6 | 1971-01-05 | 2 | 35°15'N / 78°55'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harnett | |
| 37.6 | 1966-11-02 | 2 | 35°31'N / 78°44'W | 36°00'N / 78°26'W | 37.40 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Wake |
| 38.4 | 1992-11-23 | 3 | 35°28'N / 78°41'W | 35°28'N / 78°35'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Harnett |
| 39.3 | 1988-11-28 | 4 | 35°52'N / 78°45'W | 35°58'N / 78°27'W | 20.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 2 | 105 | 250.0M | 0 | Wake |
| 42.3 | 1963-09-29 | 2 | 35°06'N / 79°06'W | 35°09'N / 78°55'W | 11.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland |
| 42.4 | 1976-05-15 | 2 | 35°16'N / 79°58'W | 35°31'N / 79°50'W | 18.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Montgomery |
| 42.5 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 35°47'N / 78°30'W | 1.90 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Wake | |
| 42.9 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 35°05'N / 79°30'W | 35°08'N / 79°26'W | 5.20 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Moore |
| 43.2 | 1954-06-16 | 2 | 36°10'N / 79°48'W | 36°12'N / 79°42'W | 6.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Guilford |
| 47.9 | 2010-03-28 | 3 | 36°00'N / 80°02'W | 36°02'N / 80°00'W | 3.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10.0M | 0K | Guilford |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado initially touched down as an EF1 with winds around 100 mph near Old Plank Road in southwest Guilford County. It was in this area where the Apple Tree Academy sustained significant damage and two vehicles including a small bus were rolled 50 yards across the street. From this point the tornado continued northeast across Highway 311. The next area to experience damage was just north of Highway 311 and south of Old Mill Road along Langdale, Imperial and Impala Drives. Tornado damage in this area continued to indicate EF1 winds with numerous trees down along with a number of home with roof and siding damage. The tornado intensified to an EF2 as it crossed Old Mill Road towards Johnson Street. The EF2 tornado severely damaged numerous homes along Brandon Drive. In on instance, an entire bedroom was blown off a single story home. Three individuals who were taking shelter in a bedroom closet were carried 50 feet and were buried under the debris. One individual experienced several broken bones but overall injuries were not serious. The remainder of the house was shifted off the foundation approximately 8 inches. EF2 tornado damage continued north of Old Mill Road to Skeet Club Road along either side of Johnson Road with winds around 130 mph for most of its duration but briefly reached EF3 intensity with winds of 138 mph near Hampton Park Drive at 1278 Silverstone Court where the upper level of a two story home was blown off. Fifty to sixty homes along Hampton Park Drive, Scarlet Drive, Ruskin Drive and Johnson Road were severely damaged. The tornado crossed Johnson Road as an EF2 crossing Elmwood Avenue, Oakforest Drive and Maplewood Avenue. Nearly every home in this highly urbanized area experienced minor to moderate damage. The upper floor of a two story home on Elmwood Avenue was blown off. The tornado weakened to an EF1 as it crossed Maplewood Avenue and Wellingham Lane, where numerous homes experienced roof and siding damage. The tornado finally lifted off the ground north of Kendale Road. In total 603 single family homes were damaged with 21 homes being completely destoryed. Thirty-one multifamily homes were damaged with 16 reported destroyed. Finally, eleven businesses sustained damage, with 3 businesses completely destroyed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Convection developed ahead of an amplified upper trough across the Tennessee Valley while a strong southerly mid and upper level jet provided strong shear across the region. Tornadoes formed and track ahead of a developing surface low across Georgia and along a wedge front located across the western Piedmont of NC. | |||||||||||
| 47.9 | 1971-02-22 | 3 | 35°05'N / 78°55'W | 35°10'N / 78°39'W | 16.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 60 | 2.5M | 0 | Cumberland |
| 48.7 | 2008-05-08 | 2 | 36°03'N / 80°01'W | 36°06'N / 79°58'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 3 | 4.0M | 0K | Guilford |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado, originally an EF-0, initially touched down just north of Squire Davis Park near the intersection of Sandy Ridge Road and Johnson Street. From there the tornado tracked northeast and intensified to EF-1 intensity as it approached the Farmers Market and Interstate 40. The tornado overturned several cars and tractor trailers as it crossed Interstate 40. A roof was blown off of an office building just north of the interstate as the tornado continued to intensify. As the tornado moved further northeast into an industrial complex, it further strengthened to EF-2 with winds estimated around 130 mph based on damage to warehouses. Numerous warehouses along Little Santee Road, Capital Drive, and West Market Street sustained significant damage. Numerous vehicles and tractor trailers were also overturned in the industrial complex. At its widest point, the tornado was just over 200 yards wide. The tornado quickly lifted off of the ground after crossing West Market Street near the post office. The tornado was on the ground for about four miles. One fatality occurred along West Market Street next to the Lamination Service Building located at 8717 West Market Street. The fatality occurred as a 51 year old man slept in the rig of his tractor trailer. Three other injuries were reported, two of which occurred in automobiles and another in the I.H. Caffey Warehouse Distribution Center. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level low moving east-northeast across Kentucky and Tennessee, triggered several instances of severe damaging winds and two tornadoes across the Triad region in the northwest piedmont of North Carolina. | |||||||||||
| 48.8 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 35°00'N / 79°04'W | 35°04'N / 78°54'W | 10.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland |
| 49.3 | 1986-05-19 | 2 | 34°59'N / 79°00'W | 35°03'N / 79°02'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.