DisasterAWARE
7
Very High

tornado Tornado Risk in Raleigh, NC

Risk Level: Very High — Score 7/10

FEMA: 7Historical: 10

Live Tornado alert status near Raleigh

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Key Risk Factors

  • FEMA rates Raleigh's county as Relatively High risk
  • Estimated annual loss of $20M from this hazard type
  • Extensive history of significant events in this area
  • High recent activity — multiple events in the last 12 months
  • Occurs roughly 0.41 times per year on average

Peak season: April-June

Last significant event: Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US (2025-03-05) — 5,030,000 people exposed

Highest Risk Cities for Tornados

1
Chicago, IL
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
2
Houston, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
3
San Antonio, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
4
Dallas, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
5
Austin, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
6
Fort Worth, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
7
Indianapolis, IN
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
8
Oklahoma City, OK
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
9
Memphis, TN
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
10
Louisville, KY
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
Raleigh is not in the top 10 for tornado risk among tracked cities.

How Raleigh Compares

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Notable Tornado Events Near Raleigh

DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable tornado events near Raleigh, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US (March 2025) — 5,030,000 people exposed; $673,878M capital exposed.

Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US

March 4, 2025 — WATCH

5,030,000 people exposed; $673,878M capital exposed

Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US

September 25, 2024 — WARNING

188,000 people exposed; $23,943M capital exposed

Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US

May 26, 2022 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US

December 9, 2023 — WATCH

Impact data not available

Tornado - Raleigh, NC WFO Region, US

April 14, 2019 — WATCH

Impact data not available

Tornado Preparedness Tips

  • 1.Identify a safe room or storm shelter in your home or building
  • 2.Practice tornado drills — get low, cover your head, stay away from windows
  • 3.Have a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watch and warning alerts
  • 4.Secure outdoor objects that could become projectiles in high winds
  • 5.Know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning

Related Pages

earthquake
Earthquake Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
wildfire
Wildfire Risk in Raleigh
Score: 1/10
hurricane
Hurricane Risk in Raleigh
Score: 5/10
flood
Flood Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
winter-storm
Winter Storm Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
landslide
Landslide Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
extreme-heat
Extreme Heat Risk in Raleigh
Score: 7/10
drought
Drought Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
high-wind
High Wind Risk in Raleigh
Score: 3/10
tsunami
Tsunami Risk in Raleigh
Score: 0/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Charlotte, NC
Score: 7/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Virginia Beach, VA
Score: 5/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Washington, DC
Score: 7/10

How this data is built

Raleigh, NC tornado risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live tornado monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.

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