Hardy County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54031 · population 14,289 · 582 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 627 records for Hardy County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 541 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (201 records). 391 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 most damaging was the January 19, 1996 flash flood ($17.9 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1967, 20 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
- 627on 541 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 05 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $40Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Hardy County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 201 since 1996. 60% 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 | 201 | 199 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 13 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 153 | 104 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 3 | $1.3M | 39 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 58 | 57 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 56 | 55 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 18 of 53 |
| Floods | 52 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 2 | $30M | 47 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 30 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $443K | 40 of 53 |
| Heat | 26 | 26 | 1999-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 53 |
| Hail | 25 | 24 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 50 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 14 | 1999-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 53 |
| Drought | 11 | 11 | 1997-1999 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 47 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 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.
When was the last damaging storm in Hardy County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindArkansas, Hardy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindRig, Hardy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-05-18 | HailMc Cauley, Hardy County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | Thunderstorm WindTaylor, Hardy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-19 | Cold/Wind ChillHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | Winter WeatherHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindHardy County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2003-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hardy County On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Coast. It moved northwest across Virginia and by 5 am on September 19, the center was over the heart of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Fortunately the storm had greatly weakened by this point. The heaviest rains appear to have been on ... | 0 | 2 | $481K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodAll, Hardy County | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 1996-09-06 | FloodHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2003-02-14 | Winter StormHardy County · forecast zone Hardy | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hardy County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2022-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindRockoak, Hardy County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $504K |
| 2003-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hardy County | 0 | 2 | $481K | |
| 2023-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindRockoak, Hardy County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $242K |
| 2022-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindWardensville, Hardy County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
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 Hardy 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 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 49 | 86 | 45 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 64 | 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 36 z | 14 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 18 | 25 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 19 | 17 | 8 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds in the 2010s: 36 records against 8 in the decade before, 36 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Hardy County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
60% 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 86 · Feb 76 · Mar 48 · Apr 45 · May 43 · Jun 64 · Jul 79 · Aug 47 · Sep 33 · Oct 37 · Nov 15 · Dec 54 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hardy County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Hardy County: 13 major disasters, 8 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (6) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-07-12 | DR-4378 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1903 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2007-05-01 | DR-1696 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-09-23 | DR-1496 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isabel |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1455 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides |
| 2001-11-16 | FM-2392 | Fire | Wv - Trough and Smoke Hole Fire Complex - 11/16/2001 |
| 1996-09-11 | DR-1137 | Severe Storm | Hurricane Fran and Associated Heavy Rains,Flooding Highwind |
| 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 |
| 1985-11-07 | DR-753 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-08-24 | EM-3051 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-01-19 | EM-3021 | Drought | Drought |
| 1972-07-03 | DR-344 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 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 Hardy County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Hardy County from 1996 to 2025, on 41 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hardy County ranks 971st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.4 million on 188 claims filed in Hardy County; the most in one year was 152 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 29 · 1987: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 152 · 2003: 1 · 2011: 2; 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 Hardy County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hardy County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.8 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 Moderate | $45K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $618K | once in about 26 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.7M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $136K | 3.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $131K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $430K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $29K | 14 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 Hardy County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 Hardy CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hardy County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis