Pendleton County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54071 · population 6,135 · 696 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 908 records for Pendleton County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 637 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (464 records). 747 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 September 6, 1996 flash flood: 1 death and $2.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1977, 21 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
- 908on 637 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $40Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Pendleton County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 464 since 1996. 56% 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 | 464 | 345 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | 8 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 167 | 104 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 53 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 67 | 50 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 1 | $227K | 52 of 53 |
| Floods | 56 | 40 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 2 | $31M | 52 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 42 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 2 | $874K | 31 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 43 | 30 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 53 |
| Hail | 30 | 23 | 1991-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 53 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 1998-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2000-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 53 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 1999-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1970-1998 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 39 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 15 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 Pendleton County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Pendleton County from 1970 to 1998, 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 Pendleton 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 Pendleton County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-27 | Ruddle, Pendleton County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 1970-06-02 | Pendleton County | F1 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Pendleton 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 WindFranklin, Pendleton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-02 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Eastern Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Eastern Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-11 | Winter WeatherPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPendleton County · forecast zone Eastern Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter StormPendleton County · forecast zone Western Pendleton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillPendleton County · forecast zone Eastern Pendleton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Pendleton County | 1 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2003-09-18 | High WindPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton 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 ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $112K |
| 2003-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Pendleton 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 | $321K | |
| 2021-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindBrandywine, Pendleton County Numerous trees, wires, and branches were blown down in and around Brandywine. A tree blew through the windshield of a truck resulting in one injury. | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $27K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-19 | Flash FloodAll, Pendleton County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 1996-09-06 | FloodPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton | 0 | 0 | $9.6M | |
| 2003-02-14 | Winter StormPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | |
| 1996-09-06 | Flash FloodCountywide, Pendleton County | 1 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 1996-09-06 | High WindPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton | 0 | 0 | $564K | |
| 2003-09-19 | FloodPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton | 0 | 0 | $401K | |
| 2003-09-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Pendleton County | 0 | 2 | $321K | |
| 2003-09-18 | High WindPendleton County · forecast zone Pendleton | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $112K |
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 Pendleton 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 | – | – | – | – | 20 | 75 | 215 | 154 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 20 | 92 z | 54 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 28 | 22 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 10 | 17 | 15 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 21 | 18 | 10 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 26 z | 9 |
Extreme cold in the 2010s: 92 records against 20 in the decade before, 92 of them forecast-zone records. Fog, smoke and funnel clouds in the 2010s: 26 records against 8 in the decade before, 26 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 Pendleton 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?
56% 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 200 · Feb 152 · Mar 92 · Apr 63 · May 61 · Jun 42 · Jul 45 · Aug 26 · Sep 24 · Oct 36 · Nov 39 · Dec 128 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Pendleton County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Pendleton County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) 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 |
| 2019-08-02 | DR-4455 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2018-07-12 | DR-4378 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, 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 |
| 2010-03-02 | DR-1881 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2007-05-01 | DR-1696 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 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 |
| 1996-09-11 | DR-1137 | Severe Storm | Hurricane Fran and Associated Heavy Rains,Flooding Highwind |
| 1996-05-23 | DR-1115 | Flood | Flooding, Heavy Winds |
| 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 |
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 Pendleton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 56 flood or flash flood records for Pendleton County from 1996 to 2025, on 40 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Pendleton County ranks 1504th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Fran | 1996-09-06 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Isabel | 2003-09-18 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $442,000 on 67 claims filed in Pendleton County; the most in one year was 46 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1985: 9 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 46 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2024: 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 Pendleton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pendleton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.8 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 | $46K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $11K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $227K | once in about 35 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.6M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $121K | 2.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $28K | 24 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $368K | 7.5 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $210K | 2.2 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 Pendleton 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 Pendleton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Pendleton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis