Sanford, NC Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Sanford is about the same as North Carolina average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Sanford is about the same as North Carolina average and is lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #550
| Sanford, NC | 0.01 |
| 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
| Sanford, NC | 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, #514
| Sanford, NC | 107.32 |
| 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 3,794 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Sanford, NC 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: | 0 | Cold: | 14 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 51 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 380 | Hail: | 1,158 | Heat: | 2 | Heavy Snow: | 88 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 6 | Ice Storm: | 17 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 56 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,722 | Tropical Storm: | 2 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 45 | Winter Weather: | 87 |
| Other: | 166 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Sanford, NC.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Sanford, NC.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Sanford, NC.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 45 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Sanford, NC.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 13.6 | 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 |
| 15.9 | 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 |
| 19.7 | 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 |
| 21.2 | 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 |
| 21.6 | 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 |
| 21.8 | 1971-01-05 | 2 | 35°15'N / 78°55'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harnett | |
| 23.8 | 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 |
| 25.0 | 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 |
| 26.5 | 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 |
| 28.0 | 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 |
| 29.4 | 1954-08-17 | 2 | 35°47'N / 79°33'W | 2.10 Miles | 110 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 30.2 | 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 |
| 30.6 | 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 |
| 30.6 | 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 |
| 33.0 | 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 |
| 33.3 | 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 |
| 33.5 | 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 |
| 33.9 | 1956-03-18 | 2 | 35°52'N / 78°48'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Wake | |
| 34.4 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 34°59'N / 79°05'W | 35°00'N / 79°04'W | 1.90 Miles | 847 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hoke |
| 35.5 | 1969-04-18 | 2 | 35°52'N / 79°36'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |||
| 36.6 | 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 |
| 38.4 | 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 |
| 38.6 | 1965-10-07 | 3 | 35°39'N / 79°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 1 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 38.8 | 1986-05-19 | 2 | 34°52'N / 79°13'W | 34°59'N / 79°00'W | 13.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Hoke |
| 39.2 | 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 |
| 39.7 | 1996-09-16 | 2 | 35°15'N / 78°32'W | 35°15'N / 78°32'W | 1.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Sampson |
| Brief Description: The tornado first touched down about 5 miles southwest of the community of Spivey. A tin roof on a farm house was peeled back and two chimneys were toppled. Two farm sheds were destroyed on the same property. The tornado crossed Williams Lake Road where a mobile home was destroyed and its remains strewn 100 yards to the northeast across an open field and into a wooded area. The storm continued northeast and destroyed four turkey houses and a wooded area was reduced to splinters. The storm continued moving northeast, crossed Ottis Tew Road and struck a wooden house. A large portion of the roof was deposited on the east side of the home. Another portion of the roof was deposited in a tree on the northeast side of the house. Splintered pieces of wood from the house and tree branches were driven into the ground. Windows on the south side of the house were broken. The southeast corner of the home had indentations caused by flying debris. Trees in the yard were twisted, uprooted and stripped of their limbs. Tin from the turkey houses and out buildings was wrapped around trees. | |||||||||||
| 40.3 | 1984-04-04 | 2 | 36°01'N / 78°53'W | 1.70 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Durham | |
| 41.1 | 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 |
| 41.3 | 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 |
| 41.6 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°55'N / 78°55'W | 34°56'N / 78°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 2640 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cumberland |
| 42.7 | 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 |
| 43.2 | 2009-03-27 | 2 | 34°52'N / 78°58'W | 34°54'N / 78°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 35K | 0K | Robeson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Storm Survey confirmed an EF-2 Tornado touched down about 3 miles east of Parkton, North Carolina. The tornado first touched down along W Parkton Tobermory Road, halfway between Highway 301 and Interstate 95, with no significant damage. The tornado tracked north-northeast and intensified to EF-2 with winds to 130 mph as it impacted structures along E Everette Road. One mobile home was completely destroyed and an adult female was thrown by the tornado. The woman suffered minor injuries. Also at this location, the tornado destroyed a two story home that was empty at the time. The tornado continued to track to the north-northeast and eventually lifted across a wooded area. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary boundary was located from GSB to POB southward through the Piedmont of South Carolina at mid-afternoon. A short-wave across the Georgia-South Carolina border was lifting northward across the area during the afternoon. Instability was marginal. Winds were virtually unidirectional, but there was modest speed shear through the lowest 3 kft. | |||||||||||
| 43.3 | 1981-02-11 | 2 | 35°47'N / 78°30'W | 1.90 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Wake | |
| 44.1 | 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 |
| 44.9 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°45'N / 79°22'W | 34°55'N / 78°55'W | 25.00 Miles | 2640 Yards | 2 | 280 | 2.5M | 0 | Robeson |
| 46.1 | 1969-04-18 | 3 | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 34°58'N / 78°57'W | 37.40 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Scotland |
| 47.5 | 1984-03-28 | 3 | 34°52'N / 78°48'W | 34°58'N / 78°36'W | 11.00 Miles | 1407 Yards | 2 | 11 | 25.0M | 0 | Cumberland |
| 47.7 | 1992-11-23 | 3 | 35°28'N / 78°35'W | 35°38'N / 78°05'W | 31.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Johnston |
| 47.9 | 1984-03-28 | 3 | 34°50'N / 78°52'W | 34°52'N / 78°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 1407 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Bladen |
| 47.9 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°45'N / 79°18'W | 34°50'N / 78°56'W | 21.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Robeson |
| 48.1 | 1964-08-29 | 3 | 34°48'N / 79°26'W | 34°52'N / 79°32'W | 7.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Scotland |
| 48.2 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°50'N / 78°56'W | 34°55'N / 78°35'W | 20.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Cumberland |
| 48.8 | 1976-10-09 | 2 | 34°46'N / 79°26'W | 34°50'N / 79°22'W | 6.10 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Scotland |
| 49.0 | 1964-08-29 | 3 | 34°52'N / 79°32'W | 34°55'N / 79°47'W | 14.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Richmond |
| 49.9 | 1963-09-29 | 2 | 34°28'N / 79°06'W | 35°16'N / 78°20'W | 70.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Robeson |
* 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.