McDowell County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54047 · population 19,078 · 533 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 473 records for McDowell County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 358 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (146 records). The deadliest single record is the February 15, 2025 flash flood: 3 deaths and $5.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1972, 25 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
- 473on 358 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 81 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $269Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 McDowell County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 146 since 1975. 47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in May and June. 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 | 146 | 85 | 1975-2026 | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | 42 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 86 | 86 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $5.1M | 39 of 53 |
| Floods | 67 | 55 | 1996-2025 | 6 | 0 | $246M | 38 of 53 |
| Hail | 67 | 44 | 1977-2019 | 0 | 0 | $234K | 30 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 29 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $84K | 37 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 25 | 25 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $132K | 44 of 53 |
| Heat | 19 | 19 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 53 |
| Drought | 18 | 18 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 10 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 33 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 1999-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1974-1975 | 0 | 0 | $15M | 34 of 53 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 29 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 McDowell County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in McDowell County from 1974 to 1975, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched McDowell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, 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 McDowell County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-05-12 | McDowell County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-04 | McDowell County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 McDowell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 22, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindMaybeury, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindYukon, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindSandy Huff, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindLaeger, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindPanther, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindO Toole, McDowell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindMaybeury, McDowell County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindCrumpler, McDowell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindLeckie, McDowell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindAnawalt, McDowell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindAlpheus, McDowell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtMcDowell County · forecast zone McDowell | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-15 | Flash FloodKeystone, McDowell County Major flash flooding occurred in and around Welch. Homes and businesses were surrounded by water, roads and underpasses became impassable, and cars were stranded. People became trapped in their vehicles on Riverside Drive before the Havaco bridge. In Kimball, water entered multiple homes, businesses, and cars. A ... | 3 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2002-05-02 | Flash FloodCountywide, McDowell County Repetitive showers and thunderstorms moved rapidly across the southern coal fields, from the late morning hours to the early evening, on a Thursday, the 2nd of May. A few reports of large hail and gusty winds were received, but the major problem was the severe flash flooding in McDowell County. The heaviest rains were ... | 2 | 0 | $139M | |
| 2009-02-11 | Thunderstorm WindMarytown, McDowell County The gym roof of the Twin Branch Pentecostal Christian Academy was lifted up and shifted by the wind. The entire roof fell back down onto its cinderblock support walls. This caused the walls to collapse. Debris fell onto nearby vehicles. A 35 year old female was killed by the falling debris as she was standing in the ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $344K |
| 2005-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillMcDowell County · forecast zone McDowell An 84 year old woman, living alone in a house in Capels, died from exposure to the cold. A local minister had checked on her during Sunday afternoon the 23rd. Her house was warm at that time. Sometime afterwards, late on Sunday or during Monday, her furnace stopped working. She died sometime Monday afternoon or night, ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-07-29 | Flash FloodCountywide, McDowell County An unsupervised 3 year old boy ended up in the swollen Jenny Branch. Jenny Branch is a small stream across from his home. The location was on the lower reaches of County Route 7/4 near Davy. The tragedy occurred around 0930-1000E. His body was found in the Tug Fork. Huff Creek in Cyclone washed out private bridges. ... | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowMcDowell County · forecast zone McDowell A surprise heavy wet snow fell over these mountainous counties. Since the environment was near the freezing mark, through a deep layer, a wide variation in snow depth was observed. The variation was based on elevation. Elevations above 2000 feet were impacted the most. At these elevations of Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, ... | 0 | 1 | $3.6M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-05-02 | Flash FloodCountywide, McDowell County | 2 | 0 | $139M | |
| 2001-07-08 | Flash FloodEast Portion, McDowell County | 0 | 0 | $83M | |
| 2009-05-09 | FloodAshland, McDowell County | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2025-02-15 | Flash FloodKeystone, McDowell County | 3 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 1998-01-27 | Heavy SnowMcDowell County · forecast zone McDowell | 0 | 1 | $3.6M | |
| 2010-06-12 | Flash FloodPanther, McDowell County | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2009-12-18 | Heavy SnowMcDowell County · forecast zone McDowell | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2022-07-12 | Flash FloodPaynesville, McDowell County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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, McDowell 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 McDowell 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 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 42 | 60 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 16 | 27 | 27 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 19 | 31 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 26 | 28 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 9 | 4 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1975 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 56 · Feb 62 · Mar 33 · Apr 38 · May 72 · Jun 63 · Jul 52 · Aug 29 · Sep 15 · Oct 13 · Nov 16 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for McDowell County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include McDowell County: 20 major disasters, 6 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-02-26 | DR-4861 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-11-28 | DR-4678 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015-03-31 | DR-4210 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, 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 |
| 2010-06-24 | DR-1918 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2010-03-02 | DR-1881 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2009-05-15 | DR-1838 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2007-05-01 | DR-1696 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-07 | DR-1522 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-06-21 | 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 |
| 2002-05-05 | DR-1410 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides |
| 2001-11-16 | FM-2391 | Fire | Wv - Southeast Fire Complex - 11/16/2001 |
| 2001-06-03 | DR-1378 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides |
| 1996-05-23 | DR-1115 | Flood | Flooding, Heavy Winds |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1084 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3109 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1984-05-15 | DR-706 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-04-07 | DR-531 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-08-23 | DR-349 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 McDowell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 67 flood or flash flood records for McDowell County from 1996 to 2025, on 55 days, with 6 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), McDowell County ranks 322nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $9.7 million on 1,050 claims filed in McDowell County; the most in one year was 319 in 2002. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 117 · 1979: 23 · 1980: 10 · 1981: 28 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 157 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 4 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 21 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 5 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 125 · 2002: 319 · 2003: 33 · 2004: 11 · 2005: 3 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 7 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 25 · 2010: 54 · 2012: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 60 · 2026: 1; 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 McDowell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McDowell County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $20.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $78K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $14M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $578K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $10K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $94K | once in about 168 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $88K | 48 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $15K | 11 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 McDowell 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 McDowell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download McDowell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis