Hail and tornadoes in Wake County, NC
Since January 2021, radar estimated hail somewhere in Wake County, NC on 58 days. The biggest estimate: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball), on Sat, Sep 5, 2026. Hail was reported to the National Weather Service inside the county on 14 days.
Still loading: radar estimates go back to Wed, Oct 14, 2020, and the earlier years are being added.
Radar estimates are NOAA's MESH: the largest hail the radar estimates aloft, on cells about 0.7 mile across, shown as the lower bound of a size band (“1.5+”). They often run larger than what reached the ground, and they aren't evidence of damage at any address.
Hail on record since 1955
NOAA's Storm Events database lists 275 hail reports in Wake County, NC on 96 days, 14 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest: 4 in, near Raleigh, on Mon, Mar 28, 2005.
By decade: 2000s: 104 · 2010s: 97 · 2020s: 74
Tornadoes since 1950
13 tornadoes have touched Wake County, NC since 1950, 1 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger. They killed 4 and injured 68.
Strongest
- Sat, Apr 16, 2011 · EF3 · 37.99 mi long, 300 yd wide · near Burt · 4 deaths, 67 injuries
- Mon, May 13, 2019 · EF2 · 10.22 mi long, 385 yd wide · near Knightdale Wndll Arp
- Sat, Aug 3, 2024 · EF1 · 1.5 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Varina
- Sun, Dec 10, 2023 · EF1 · 1.88 mi long, 250 yd wide · near Mc Cullers
- Sun, Apr 15, 2018 · EF1 · 0.74 mi long, 100 yd wide · near Knightdale Wndll Arp
Most recent
- Sat, Aug 3, 2024 · EF1 · 1.5 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Varina
- Sun, Dec 10, 2023 · EF1 · 1.88 mi long, 250 yd wide · near Mc Cullers
- Tue, Jul 23, 2019 · EF0 · 1.24 mi long, 175 yd wide · near Willow Spgs
- Mon, May 13, 2019 · EF2 · 10.22 mi long, 385 yd wide · near Knightdale Wndll Arp
- Sun, Apr 15, 2018 · EF1 · 0.74 mi long, 100 yd wide · near Knightdale Wndll Arp
- Sat, Mar 29, 2014 · EF0 · 0.12 mi long, 75 yd wide · near Williams Xrds
- Sat, Mar 29, 2014 · EF0 · 0.18 mi long, 145 yd wide · near South Raleigh Airport
- Tue, Sep 18, 2012 · EF0 · 0.51 mi long, 30 yd wide · near Zebulon
- Sat, Apr 16, 2011 · EF3 · 37.99 mi long, 300 yd wide · near Burt · 4 deaths, 67 injuries
- Sun, Mar 6, 2011 · EF0 · 2.34 mi long, 50 yd wide · near Rolesville · 1 injury
By decade: 2000s: 2 · 2010s: 9 · 2020s: 2
Still loading: NOAA's record goes back to 1950, and 2003 onward is in so far.
Every hail day since January 2021
- Mon, Sep 21, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Sep 5, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1.5 in (3 ENE Knightdale, NC)
- 1.5 in (3 ENE Knightdale, NC)
- Fri, Sep 4, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Aug 20, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Aug 17, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jul 20, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jul 19, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 18, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 11, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Jul 8, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1.25 in (4 N Lake Wheeler, NC)
- 1 in (3 NNW Lake Wheeler, NC)
- 1 in (3 E Cary, NC)
- 1 in (3 NW Lake Wheeler, NC)
- 1 in (4 S New Hill, NC)
- Mon, Jul 6, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jun 27, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 11, 2026
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jul 13, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jul 10, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jun 27, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 26, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Jun 25, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jun 15, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, May 5, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (4 NNW Garner, NC)
- 1 in (3 NNW Knightdale, NC)
- Fri, May 2, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Apr 22, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 N Raleigh, NC)
- 1.5 in (1 E Morrisville, NC)
- Mon, Mar 31, 2025
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 30, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Aug 3, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, Jul 22, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Jul 6, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Tue, Jun 4, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, May 27, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, May 25, 2024
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Sep 8, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 ESE Fuquay-Varina, NC)
- Tue, Aug 15, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 SSE Raleigh, NC)
- Fri, Jul 7, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1.25 in (1 S Fuquay-Varina, NC)
- Fri, Apr 14, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1.5 in (1 ENE CARY, NC)
- 1.75 in (2 SW APEX, NC)
- Mon, Apr 10, 2023
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Sep 16, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Aug 11, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Aug 10, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Jul 24, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 15, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jul 7, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Wed, Jul 6, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jun 17, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 16, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Mon, May 23, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, May 21, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1 in (1 NNE MORRISVILLE, NC)
- Fri, May 20, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, May 19, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1.5 in or larger (ping-pong ball)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 WSW GARNER, NC)
- 1 in (2 NW NEW HILL, NC)
- Fri, May 6, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1.25 in (CARY, NC)
- Sun, May 1, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 SW HOLLY SPRINGS, NC)
- Thu, Apr 7, 2022
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sun, Aug 22, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Aug 20, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Aug 14, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (2 N RDU INTERNATIONAL, NC)
- Wed, Jul 28, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
No hail reported in the county.
- Fri, Jul 9, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Thu, Jun 17, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 0.75 in or larger (penny)
No hail reported in the county.
- Sat, Mar 27, 2021
Radar estimate anywhere in the county: 1 in or larger (quarter)
Reported in the county- 1 in (3 NNW RALEIGH, NC)
Radar estimates and reports are for anywhere inside the county's boundary. Radar estimates come from NOAA's MRMS estimated hail size (MESH), the largest hail the radar estimates aloft on a ~1 km grid. They often run larger than the hail that reached the ground, and they aren't an observation at any address. Reports are what people reported to the National Weather Service. Neither is proof of damage or an official record for an insurance claim. From NOAA's Storm Events Database (NCEI), which records tornadoes from 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind from 1955, and every kind of storm from 1996. A tornado that crossed county lines is counted in each county it touched. Recent months are added as NCEI publishes them, a few months behind. Damage is in the dollars of its year and is often an estimate.