Marion County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54049 · population 56,158 · 309 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 470 records for Marion County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 290 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (189 records). The deadliest single record is the May 25, 2004 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $23,000 in damage 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
- 470on 290 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 21 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F2
- 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 Marion County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 189 since 1970. 49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1970 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 189 | 119 | 1970-2026 | 1 | 1 | $2.2M | 11 of 53 |
| Floods | 136 | 76 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $14M | 5 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 55 | 55 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 36 of 53 |
| Hail | 44 | 30 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 18 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $419K | 34 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 8 | 1954-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 4 of 53 |
| Drought | 6 | 6 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 4 | 2012-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 53 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 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 Marion County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Marion County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 4th 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Marion County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in West Virginia.
Every tornado record filed for Marion County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Hopewell, Marion County | EF0 0.22 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2021-06-14 | Colfax, Marion County | EF0 0.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-07-08 | Mt Harmony, Marion County | EF1 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 1996-07-30 | Farmington, Marion County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1990-09-14 | Marion County | F1 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1981-06-21 | Marion County | F2 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-08-08 | Marion County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-07-14 | Marion County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Marion County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 tornado ($24,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
NWS Storm Survey confirms an EF-0 tornado with maximum wind of 80 mph.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1353573)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | TornadoHopewell, Marion County | EF0 0.22 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindIdamay, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindHopewell, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Fairmont, Marion County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMeadowdale, Marion County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindCarolina, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindCatawba Jct, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindKaty, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMeadowdale, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindForksburg, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMt Harmony, Marion County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherMarion County · forecast zone Marion | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindFarmington, Marion County Large trees blown down. One fell on top of car, killing a teen-aged girl. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $23K |
| 2003-06-14 | Flash FloodColfax, Marion County Major flooding along Route 310. Numerous roads washed out. Three boys, playing near a creek, were swept away. One died. Others rescued unharmed. Dead 10-yr old boy was found in Scratchers Creek near Hopewell Rd. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindBethlehem, Marion County Emergency manager reported that a mobile home slid off of it's foundation. | 60 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-28 | Flash FloodCountywide, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $9.1M | |
| 2025-06-15 | Flash FloodWatson, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2001-07-10 | Flash FloodCountywide, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $833K | |
| 2012-02-29 | Flash FloodMeadowdale, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $450K | |
| 1996-07-30 | TornadoFarmington, Marion County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-06-15 | Flash FloodNorth Fairmont, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2025-06-15 | Flash FloodWatson, Marion County | 0 | 0 | $40K | |
| 2014-07-08 | TornadoMt Harmony, Marion County | EF1 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 21, 1981 (tornado, Marion County).
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 Marion 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 | 28 | 34 | 48 | 68 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 40 | 26 | 60 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 10 | 11 | 27 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1970 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 35 · Feb 32 · Mar 27 · Apr 46 · May 62 · Jun 102 · Jul 62 · Aug 38 · Sep 23 · Oct 5 · Nov 12 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Marion County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Marion County: 16 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4884 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-08-18 | DR-4331 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3358 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3345 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2012-03-16 | DR-4059 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2010-04-23 | DR-1903 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms |
| 2008-06-19 | DR-1769 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-06-21 | DR-1474 | 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 |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1319 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms, and Landslides |
| 1998-07-01 | DR-1229 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and 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 |
| 1980-08-15 | DR-628 | 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 Marion County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 136 flood or flash flood records for Marion County from 1996 to 2025, on 76 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Marion County ranks 640th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.8 million on 371 claims filed in Marion County; the most in one year was 52 in 2017. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 30 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 47 · 1981: 11 · 1982: 5 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 11 · 1985: 28 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 6 · 1990: 6 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 9 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 8 · 2000: 32 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 37 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 12 · 2008: 7 · 2009: 3 · 2011: 5 · 2012: 21 · 2013: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 52 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 4; 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 Marion County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $27M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $419K | 45 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $35K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $516K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $181K | once in about 43 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $508K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $52K | 9.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $56K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Marion 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 Marion CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Marion County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis