West Virginia severe thunderstorm wind
Every recorded severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955 · 55 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 8,453 severe thunderstorm wind events in West Virginia from 1955 through June 30, 2026, about 248 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the June 29, 2012 thunderstorm wind: 3 deaths and $68.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 41 records. West Virginia ranks 28th of 52 states and territories by count and 19th of 51 per square mile.
Severe thunderstorm wind in West Virginia, 1955 to 2026
Thunderstorm wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: all 48 event types recorded from 1996
- Records
- 8,4531955 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 248average
- Deaths
- 19175 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $152Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 2025681 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events common in West Virginia?
West Virginia averages about 248 severe thunderstorm wind events a year since 2000, 28th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2025 (681). Per 10,000 square miles of land, West Virginia records 3516 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955, 19th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1955, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in West Virginia have the most severe thunderstorm wind events?
Per square mile, Ohio County leads West Virginia: 116 days with a severe thunderstorm wind event since 1955, 1096.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Kanawha County has the most thunderstorm wind records (554 since 1955); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1955 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the severe thunderstorm season in West Virginia?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The busiest month is June (2,247 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 59 · Feb 210 · Mar 341 · Apr 861 · May 1,132 · Jun 2,247 · Jul 1,990 · Aug 1,070 · Sep 256 · Oct 100 · Nov 146 · Dec 41 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1955.
What were the deadliest severe thunderstorm wind events in West Virginia?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindElkins, Randolph County One storm episode: 41 records in 34 places; the totals are the episode's. On the second day of a developing heat wave, under a sunny sky, afternoon temperatures reached record levels. The lowlands saw thermometers reach into the upper 90s and above 100 degrees. For example, both Huntington and Charleston had 103 degrees. Parkersburg and Clarksburg had 98 degrees. Even the mountainous ... | 56 kt wind | 3 | 0 | $68M |
| 1991-04-09 | Thunderstorm WindKanawha County Every thunderstorm wind record filed in the state that day (15, in 14 places; before 1996 NOAA filed no storm episodes); the totals are the day's. | 2 | 86 | – | |
| 2005-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindCharleston, Kanawha County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. After a hot and humid afternoon, strong to severe thunderstorms moved southeast, out of Ohio, and through much of West Virginia. Damaging wind gusts were common with the storms and the associated outflow boundary. One power company reported 50,000 customers without electricity at the peak of the outages. | 50 kt wind | 2 | 0 | $9K |
| 2019-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindRedhill, Preston County One man was killed and two were injured when a tree fell on them while on a kayaking trip near Seven Islands on the Cheat River. Story reported here: https://www.wvnews.com/prestoncountynews/news/kayaker-who-died-on-cheat-river-identified/article_23cdb16e-5aeb-5a46-90b5-6eedca78115c.html. | 45 kt wind | 1 | 2 | – |
| 2010-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindCharleston, Kanawha County Several trees and large branches were blown down from the East End of Charleston on toward Kanawha State Forest. Some branches fell onto vehicles. The dark screen at the baseball field was shredded by the wind. A delayed direct death occurred in a freak accident about 2 hours after the storms had ended. A man, his 2 ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $271K |
| 2025-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindAldridge, Jefferson County One storm episode: 3 records; the totals are the episode's. Several supercell thunderstorms and small thunderstorm clusters produced large hail and scattered damaging wind gusts. A few of the large hail and wind damage reports were considerable in nature. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $14K |
| 2009-02-11 | Thunderstorm WindMarytown, McDowell County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong low pressure center tracked from Missouri to Michigan. Meanwhile, its associated upper level trough pushed a cold front through West Virginia on either side of sunset. A fast moving band of rain, along and immediately ahead of the front, featured a narrow line of embedded showers. These convective showers ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $344K |
| 1997-08-17 | Thunderstorm WindGrafton, Taylor County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Several different lines or clusters of thunderstorms moved across the region during this Sunday afternoon. Most damage was isolated and relatively minor. The exception was in and around the mid Ohio Valley town of Parkersburg, on east, along the Route 50 corridor. | 1 | 0 | $377K | |
| 2019-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindWellington, Roane County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Abundant low level moisture was located over the middle Ohio River Valley and central Appalachians on the 29th. As a mid and upper level disturbance passed, showers and storms developed, with some of the storms producing damaging winds. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
| 2004-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindOmps, Morgan County Tractor trailer blown over by thunderstorm winds. The trailer was then hit by an oncoming truck. 1 fatality occurred. Amount of damage was unknown. | 55 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest severe thunderstorm wind events in West Virginia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindElkins, Randolph County One storm episode: 41 records in 34 places; the totals are the episode's. | 56 kt wind | 3 | 0 | $68M |
| 1998-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindCharleston, Kanawha County | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindRainelle, Greenbrier County One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. | 76 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.9M |
| 2006-04-07 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamson, Mingo County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $1.4M |
| 2022-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindRockoak, Hardy County One storm episode: 6 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1993-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindFrametown, Braxton County | 0 | 1 | $1.0M | |
| 1993-02-21 | Thunderstorm WindEast Lynn, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 1994-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindDoddridge County | 0 | 0 | $995K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are severe thunderstorm wind events becoming more frequent in West Virginia?
West Virginia's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | West Virginia | United States | West Virginia's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-59 | 24 | 3,482 | 0.7% |
| 1960s | 76 | 10,124 | 0.8% |
| 1970s | 95 | 18,714 | 0.5% |
| 1980s | 261 | 39,604 | 0.7% |
| 1990s | 1,138 | 85,554 | 1.3% |
| 2000s | 1,514 | 129,990 | 1.2% |
| 2010s | 2,418 | 161,286 | 1.5% |
| 2020-26 | 2,927 | 126,815 | 2.3% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent severe thunderstorm wind events in West Virginia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindRockland, Greenbrier County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindOrgan Cave, Greenbrier County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindHopper, Greenbrier County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindOrgan Cave, Greenbrier County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 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 |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindEdray, Pocahontas County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindRosemont, Taylor County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBarlow, Kanawha County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindReynoldsville, Harrison County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for severe thunderstorm wind events in West Virginia
FEMA files hail and wind disasters under the incident type Severe Storm: 28 declarations in West Virginia, 27 of them major disasters; the latest on February 26, 2025.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-26 | DR-4861 | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 12 |
| 2024-05-22 | DR-4783 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 15 |
| 2022-11-28 | DR-4679 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 1 |
| 2018-07-12 | DR-4378 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 7 |
| 2017-08-18 | DR-4331 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 12 |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4236 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 9 |
| 2015-05-14 | DR-4219 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 6 |
| 2015-03-31 | DR-4210 | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 32 |
| 2012-07-23 | DR-4071 | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds | 47 |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3345 | Severe Storms | 55 |
| 2012-03-22 | DR-4061 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Lanslides | 3 |
| 2012-03-16 | DR-4059 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | 11 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Ohio County: the county's whole recordThe West Virginia county with the most severe thunderstorm wind events per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in West VirginiaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Winter storms in West Virginia7,140 records
- Floods in West Virginia4,166 records
- Hail in West Virginia3,144 records