Wetzel County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54103 · population 14,420 · 358 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 291 records for Wetzel County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 211 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (120 records). The deadliest single record is the June 14, 2022 flash flood: 1 death and $5,042 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
- 291on 211 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest 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 Wetzel County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 120 since 1969. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 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 | 120 | 84 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 23 of 53 |
| Floods | 60 | 44 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $40M | 32 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $27K | 45 of 53 |
| Hail | 34 | 21 | 1986-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 12 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 0 | $412K | 51 of 53 |
| Drought | 7 | 7 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 53 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $24K | 41 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 Wetzel County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Wetzel County from 1996 to 1996, 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 1 tornado whose track touched Wetzel 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 Wetzel County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-30 | Paden City, Wetzel County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
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 Wetzel County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindBarker, Wetzel County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWileyville, Wetzel County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindPine Grove, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindArcher, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindSmithfield, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindJacksonburg, Wetzel County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindJacksonburg, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindDulaney, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormWetzel County · forecast zone Wetzel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-13 | Winter StormWetzel County · forecast zone Wetzel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-25 | Flash FloodMarion, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindGalmish, Wetzel County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-14 | Flash FloodKodol, Wetzel County Secondary roads in the vicinity of Wileyville and Jacksonburg have been closed due to flooding. At around 10:30 AM, one 20 year old woman was killed when she was swept off of a bridge in Wileyville by flood waters. | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-30 | Flash FloodCountywide, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2004-09-18 | FloodWetzel County · forecast zone Wetzel | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2005-01-05 | FloodWetzel County · forecast zone Wetzel | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 2000-02-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2024-04-11 | Flash FloodPricetown, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1996-01-19 | FloodWetzel County · forecast zone Wetzel | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1997-03-02 | Flash FloodNew Martinsville, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $919K | |
| 2024-04-02 | Flash FloodBard, Wetzel County | 0 | 0 | $879K |
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 Wetzel 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 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 27 | 29 | 48 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 16 | 12 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 9 | 10 | 26 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 24 · Mar 16 · Apr 28 · May 27 · Jun 59 · Jul 50 · Aug 17 · Sep 7 · Oct 5 · Nov 6 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wetzel County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Wetzel County: 21 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (7).
| 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 |
| 2017-08-18 | DR-4331 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-05-18 | DR-4220 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2010-04-23 | 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 |
| 2005-02-01 | DR-1574 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2004-09-20 | DR-1558 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | 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 |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1319 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms, and Landslides |
| 1998-07-01 | DR-1229 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-03-07 | DR-1168 | Flood | Heavy & Wind Driven Rain, High Winds,Flooding,Slides |
| 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 |
| 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 Wetzel County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 60 flood or flash flood records for Wetzel County from 1996 to 2025, on 44 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wetzel County ranks 505th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.4 million on 498 claims filed in Wetzel County; the most in one year was 220 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 7 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 8 · 1981: 17 · 1985: 2 · 1990: 6 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 4 · 1996: 78 · 1997: 16 · 1998: 3 · 1999: 2 · 2000: 23 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 20 · 2004: 220 · 2005: 37 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 18 · 2018: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 17 · 2025: 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 Wetzel County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wetzel County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.2 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 | $42K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $15M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $162K | 45 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $25K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $65K | once in about 43 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $83 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $94K | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $13K | 3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Wetzel 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 Wetzel CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wetzel County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis