Hancock County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54029 · population 29,091 · 83 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 311 records for Hancock County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 225 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (157 records). The most damaging was the September 17, 2004 flood ($56.2 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1972, 16 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
- 311on 225 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $64Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Hancock County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 157 since 1974. 53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in June and July. Census land area gives no figure for Hancock County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 157 | 109 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | – |
| Winter storms | 46 | 46 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $57K | – |
| Hail | 44 | 33 | 1980-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Floods | 35 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $62M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 2001-2022 | 0 | 0 | $475K | – |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Lightning | 3 | 2 | 1996-1998 | 0 | 0 | $42K | – |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2018-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 1 | – | – |
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 Hancock County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Hancock County from 2024 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. 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 1 tornado whose track touched Hancock County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in West Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Hancock County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-08 | Arroyo, Hancock County | EF2 7.04 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
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 Hancock County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 24, 2026 flash flood ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-24 | Flash FloodWeirton, Hancock County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2026-03-22 | HailArroyo, Hancock County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailNewell, Hancock County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-19 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindWeirton Jct, Hancock County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHerron Airport, Hancock County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindNew Cumberland, Hancock County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindWeirton Airport, Hancock County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-02 | HailPughtown, Hancock County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-02 | HailNew Cumberland, Hancock County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-02 | HailNew Cumberland, Hancock County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-08 | TornadoArroyo, Hancock County A supercell thunderstorm, embedded within a broken line of thunderstorms, produced a series of tornadoes as it tracked across eastern Ohio, the northern West Virginia panhandle, and western Pennsylvania during the early morning hours on May 8th. After crossing the Ohio River south of Wellsville, the tornado reached ... | EF2 7.04 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-09-17 | FloodHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | $56M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | |
| 2024-04-02 | FloodKings Creek, Hancock County | 0 | 0 | $829K | |
| 2005-01-05 | FloodHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 2024-04-11 | Flash FloodWeirton, Hancock County | 0 | 0 | $372K | |
| 1998-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindWeirton, Hancock County | 0 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindWeirton Jct, Hancock County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindWeirton Airport, Hancock County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 41 | 47 | 26 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 11 | 16 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 12 | 5 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 3 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 20 · Mar 17 · Apr 31 · May 41 · Jun 54 · Jul 56 · Aug 31 · Sep 7 · Oct 2 · Nov 7 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hancock County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Hancock County: 12 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-05-24 | DR-4787 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-05-22 | DR-4783 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-04-17 | DR-4359 | Mud/Landslide | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3358 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3345 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1903 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-01 | DR-1574 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2004-09-20 | DR-1558 | 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 |
| 1996-01-25 | DR-1096 | Flood | Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1972-07-03 | DR-344 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
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 Hancock County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 35 flood or flash flood records for Hancock County from 1996 to 2026, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hancock County ranks 653rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4.0 million on 365 claims filed in Hancock County; the most in one year was 146 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 41 · 1980: 77 · 1981: 2 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 7 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 6 · 1996: 30 · 2004: 146 · 2005: 24 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 7; 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 Hancock County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hancock County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $11M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $256K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $186K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $38K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $207K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $77K | once in about 36 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $76K | once in about 2,110 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hancock 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in West VirginiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Hancock CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hancock County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis