Fayette County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54019 · population 40,383 · 662 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 615 records for Fayette County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 449 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (175 records). 327 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the April 4, 1974 tornado: 1 death and 8 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1967, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 615on 449 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 430 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $134Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Fayette County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 175 since 1996. 57% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among West Virginia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 175 | 136 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 28 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 140 | 99 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 10 | $4.4M | 45 of 53 |
| Hail | 78 | 55 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | $525K | 29 of 53 |
| Floods | 59 | 53 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $99M | 44 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 34 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $441K | 41 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 32 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $56K | 41 of 53 |
| Drought | 32 | 22 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 53 |
| Heat | 21 | 21 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 13 | 1999-2013 | 1 | 0 | $8K | 30 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 9 | $18M | 21 of 53 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-2015 | 1 | 11 | $26K | 17 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 1999-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 53 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Fayette County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Fayette County from 1961 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 21st of 53 West Virginia counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 4 tornadoes whose track touched Fayette County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-04 02:26, as SPC files it | Meadow Bridge | F3 | 32.2 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in West Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Fayette County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-29 | Lansing, Fayette County | EF1 5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2024-04-02 | Edmond, Fayette County | EF2 5.31 mi x 325 yd | 0 | 1 | $94K |
| 1990-05-26 | Fayette County | F2 0.5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-04 | Fayette County | F3 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 1961-02-25 | Fayette County | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Fayette County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | FloodPax, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindQuinnimont, Fayette County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindCotton Hill, Fayette County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindDanese, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindMaplewood, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Southeast Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Northwest Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Southeast Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Northwest Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindEdmond, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-29 | TornadoLansing, Fayette County | EF1 5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Southeast Fayette | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-04 | TornadoFayette County | F3 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 2015-06-01 | LightningGatewood, Fayette County Lightning struck a tree near where 3 teenage boys were fishing on a small residential pond. The location is off of Elverton Road and near the Bridge Haven Golf Course. One boy died, the 2 others were injured. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2023-02-16 | FloodLong Branch, Fayette County Continuous rounds of rain led to prolonged flooding around the Pax area. High water was first observed on the evening of February 16th along Packs Branch Road and portions of Paint Creek Road. The next morning, Paint Creek remained out of its banks and continued to spill onto Paint Creek Road. A vehicle drove into the ... | 1 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2000-05-27 | Heavy RainMt Carbon, Fayette County Rains of 1 to 1.5 inches fell during the daylight hours on this Saturday. A flash flood watch was in effect, but no flooding occurred. Between 1700 and 1730 E, a 6 year old girl drowned after falling into a swollen culvert near her home in Montgomery Heights. She was swept through a drainage pipe and into the Kanawha ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1992-10-24 | Thunderstorm WindFayette County | 0 | 10 | – | |
| 2003-03-13 | LightningMt Hope, Fayette County Lightning entered the second floor of the Mount Hope Middle School. Luckily, it was after most students had already gone home for the day. However, there were 30 to 40 students in the building for after school programs. Eight children were slightly injured. There were a few flash burns to the eyes, while other ... | 0 | 8 | $26K | |
| 2024-04-02 | TornadoEdmond, Fayette County A tornado touched down west of Mallard Road then traveled eastward along the roadway, causing considerable and significant tree damage with hundreds of hardwood trees uprooted and snapped. Several homes were damaged by trees or had wind damaging along Mallard Road, including one home that had significant roof damage. ... | EF2 5.31 mi x 325 yd | 0 | 1 | $94K |
| 1997-06-23 | LightningGarten, Fayette County A man was struck while in his back yard. | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-07-08 | Flash FloodWest Portion, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $78M | |
| 2022-08-15 | Flash FloodMontgomery, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $9.1M | |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindMontgomery, Fayette County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 1998-02-03 | Winter StormFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2001-07-26 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2016-06-23 | FloodBellwood, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2010-03-13 | FloodPax, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 4, 1974 (tornado, Fayette County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Fayette County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 33 | 53 | 73 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 32 | 29 | 50 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 28 | 25 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 14 | 16 | 25 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 14 | 11 | 5 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 88 · Feb 82 · Mar 55 · Apr 65 · May 60 · Jun 62 · Jul 53 · Aug 25 · Sep 16 · Oct 23 · Nov 29 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fayette County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Fayette County: 18 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-05-22 | DR-4783 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-11-28 | DR-4679 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-06-25 | DR-4273 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-03-31 | DR-4210 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-11-27 | DR-4093 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3358 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-23 | DR-4071 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3345 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2010-03-29 | DR-1893 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2010-03-02 | DR-1881 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1536 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2004-06-07 | DR-1522 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1455 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides |
| 2001-06-03 | DR-1378 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1084 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3109 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1980-08-15 | DR-628 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-01-19 | EM-3021 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-04-11 | DR-426 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1967-03-13 | DR-224 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Fayette County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 59 flood or flash flood records for Fayette County from 1996 to 2026, on 53 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fayette County ranks 748th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.2 million on 298 claims filed in Fayette County; the most in one year was 80 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 11 · 1979: 3 · 1982: 8 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 3 · 1987: 8 · 1989: 5 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 7 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 8 · 1998: 2 · 2001: 80 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 28 · 2004: 4 · 2005: 1 · 2007: 2 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 54 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 21 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2022: 14 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 3; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Fayette County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 47 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $42K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $77K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $19K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $12M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $52K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $315K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $285K | 2 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Fayette County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in West VirginiaEvery West Virginia tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in West VirginiaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The West Virginia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Fayette CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fayette County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis