Richmond County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot North Carolina Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Richmond County is about the same as North Carolina average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Richmond County is higher than North Carolina average and is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #53
| Richmond 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
| Richmond 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, #38
| Richmond County | 126.60 |
| 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 14,533 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Richmond 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: | 2 | Cold: | 25 | Dense Fog: | 8 | Drought: | 97 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,100 | Hail: | 4,541 | Heat: | 8 | Heavy Snow: | 182 |
| High Surf: | 2 | Hurricane: | 13 | Ice Storm: | 54 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 128 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,331 | Tropical Storm: | 11 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 105 | Winter Weather: | 175 |
| Other: | 749 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Richmond County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Richmond County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Richmond County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 47 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Richmond County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 9.1 | 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 |
| 15.4 | 1976-05-15 | 2 | 34°50'N / 80°03'W | 35°00'N / 79°57'W | 12.80 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Anson |
| 17.5 | 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 |
| 18.6 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°44'N / 79°52'W | 34°44'N / 79°37'W | 14.20 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marlboro |
| 19.0 | 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 |
| 24.1 | 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 |
| 24.3 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°44'N / 79°37'W | 34°45'N / 79°18'W | 18.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Scotland |
| 24.7 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°39'N / 79°45'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 14.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 7 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Marlboro |
| 25.6 | 1982-04-27 | 2 | 35°13'N / 80°07'W | 0.10 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Stanly | |
| 26.8 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°38'N / 79°36'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 5.00 Miles | 2600 Yards | 2 | 115 | 25.0M | 0 | Marlboro |
| 27.0 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 34°45'N / 79°22'W | 8.00 Miles | 2640 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Scotland |
| 27.6 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 34°41'N / 79°26'W | 3.00 Miles | 2113 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Scotland |
| 27.7 | 1975-03-24 | 2 | 34°59'N / 80°22'W | 35°20'N / 80°02'W | 30.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Union |
| 28.2 | 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 |
| 28.4 | 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 |
| 28.6 | 1984-03-28 | 4 | 34°35'N / 79°55'W | 34°37'N / 79°49'W | 7.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 24 | 25.0M | 0 | Chesterfield |
| 32.0 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°39'N / 80°28'W | 34°44'N / 79°52'W | 34.50 Miles | 133 Yards | 0 | 16 | 250K | 0 | Chesterfield |
| 32.0 | 1969-04-18 | 3 | 34°25'N / 80°08'W | 34°40'N / 79°30'W | 39.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Darlington |
| 32.2 | 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 |
| 32.8 | 1963-05-17 | 2 | 35°18'N / 80°12'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stanly | |
| 35.4 | 1969-04-18 | 2 | 35°06'N / 80°32'W | 35°18'N / 80°07'W | 27.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Union |
| 36.2 | 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 |
| 36.5 | 1999-09-29 | 2 | 35°22'N / 80°13'W | 35°22'N / 80°13'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0 | Stanly |
| Brief Description: A second tornado, spawned by another thunderstorm, dropped a tornado 6 miles west of Albemarle. It destroyed a modular home, then did serious damage to the roof of a church. Several large trees were also taken down in the area. This was near the community of Lambert. The tornado then produced sporadic tree and roof damage on its way to the southern part of Albemarle. Several businesses were then heavily damaged and a lock and store facility was destroyed. The tornado then apparently dissipated. | |||||||||||
| 36.6 | 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 |
| 37.2 | 1976-05-15 | 2 | 34°35'N / 79°17'W | 34°43'N / 79°13'W | 10.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 3 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Robeson |
| 38.0 | 1957-04-08 | 4 | 34°41'N / 79°12'W | 0.80 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 21 | 250K | 0 | Robeson | |
| 38.0 | 1980-05-18 | 2 | 35°06'N / 80°26'W | 35°07'N / 80°23'W | 3.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Union |
| 38.1 | 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 |
| 38.3 | 1984-03-28 | 2 | 34°34'N / 80°10'W | 2.00 Miles | 530 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Chesterfield | |
| 38.6 | 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 |
| 39.8 | 2004-09-07 | 2 | 34°28'N / 80°07'W | 34°34'N / 80°08'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Chesterfield |
| Brief Description: An F2 destroyed 2 mobile homes and did moderate to severe damage to several others. Numerous trees and powerlines were down. | |||||||||||
| 41.2 | 1999-04-15 | 2 | 34°41'N / 79°08'W | 34°41'N / 79°08'W | 0.30 Mile | 25 Yards | 1 | 4 | 200K | 0 | Robeson |
| 41.4 | 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 |
| 42.6 | 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 |
| 42.8 | 1999-09-29 | 2 | 35°16'N / 80°26'W | 35°16'N / 80°26'W | 0.10 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Stanly |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down briefly and took the entire roof off a brick ranch. No other damage was noted in the area. A spotter was tracking the funnel. | |||||||||||
| 43.3 | 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 |
| 43.5 | 1955-12-04 | 2 | 34°23'N / 79°36'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marlboro | |
| 45.0 | 1965-10-07 | 3 | 35°39'N / 79°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 1 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 45.4 | 1983-03-06 | 2 | 34°59'N / 80°33'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Union | |
| 45.4 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 45.8 | 1980-05-20 | 3 | 34°22'N / 79°33'W | 34°24'N / 79°22'W | 10.70 Miles | 517 Yards | 0 | 26 | 2.5M | 0 | Dillon |
| 46.3 | 1990-10-18 | 3 | 34°59'N / 80°41'W | 35°01'N / 80°27'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Union |
| 48.3 | 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 |
| 48.5 | 1963-09-29 | 2 | 34°25'N / 79°22'W | 34°28'N / 79°06'W | 15.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 3 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Dillon |
| 48.5 | 2008-11-15 | 2 | 34°24'N / 79°19'W | 34°24'N / 79°18'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 325K | 0K | Dillon |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded a tornado first touched down approximately 200 yards south of Dogwood Lakes Road at 1250 AM EST. Large pine trees were snapped and a mobile home rolled about 20 yards before completely disintegrating. It is unknown how well the mobile home was attached to its foundation. A truck was flipped in a church parking lot on Goings Drive. No injuries were reported. The damage was indicative of winds of 110 to 120 mph, EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The path width was approximately 40 yards. The tornado touched down for a second time resulting in near total roof failure and some damage to the exterior walls of a brick home on Pee Dee Church Road near Andre Drive. No injuries were reported. Lesser tree damage and minor structural damage was noted from this point to the north-northeast for one half to three quarters of a mile as the tornado weakened and/or slightly lifted from the ground. Damage then became more significant as the tornado struck another brick home on the corner of Cornelius Place and Dillon Highway. Total roof failure and minor failure of exterior walls was evident. No injuries were reported. The damage was indicative of winds of 110 to 120 mph, EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado then continued north-northeast through a large wooded area. Given the extent of tree damage, winds were estimated to 100 mph. The tornado then intensified as it hit a brick home on Appleton Court. Total roof damage and more significant failure of the external walls was evident. The three occupants were not injured. The damage was indicative of winds of 120 to 135 mph, the high end of EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The path width was about 30 yards. The tornado completely dissipated about 200 yards north of Appleton Court at 1253 AM EST. The Emergency Manager from Dillon County reported ten homes were damaged and two others were destroyed. Seven mobile homes were damaged and three others were destroyed. Three churches were damaged. Five barns were damaged and two others were destroyed. Three cars were damaged and three others were destroyed. The total damage was estimated at $325,000 dollars. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A mid-level short wave lifted to the northeast and slowly weakened with time. A warm front, lifting to the northwest, moved across the area during the evening. High wind shear and deep moisture was in place as upstream supercell thunderstorms reached the Interstate-95 corridor around midnight. | |||||||||||
| 48.9 | 1964-08-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 79°52'W | 0.10 Mile | 13 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Darlington | |
| 50.0 | 1971-01-05 | 2 | 35°15'N / 78°55'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Harnett | |
* 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.