NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Athens, WV
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Athens, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 12
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Athens
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Athens; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Athens begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 45% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Athens. The highest rating among the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 4, 1974, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 4, 1974, killed 1 person. Of the 12, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on October 7, 2014. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Athens. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1996, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Athens.
Compare Athens's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Athens
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Athens: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Athens
By decade
- 2010s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 32.2 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 9.2 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF2 | 13 mi | 3.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 1965 | F2 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 7 mi | 5.54 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F1 | 19 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 23 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 19, 1959 | F1 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F0 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 17, 1967 | F0 | 19 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Athens
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Athens since 1996, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 8, 2019. The most recent report is from June 4, 2023. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Athens
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bluestone Lake, WV, 15 miles northeast of Athens at 1,390 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 41.2 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 18.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.2 inches is more than at 12 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (16%). Princeton, 7 miles south, has its own station (Bluefield Mercer Co Airport, WV): 41.1 inches a year, 0.1 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 25 | 3.1 | 7 | 6.0 |
| Feb | 47 | 27 | 2.9 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 3.7 | 8 | 2.9 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 57 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 2.7 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 2.4 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 3.2 | 8 | 4.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 41.2 | 86 | 18.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bluestone Lake, WV (1,390 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Athens
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 116 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Athens: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 floods, 21 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 9, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 21. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 74 have had fewer than Athens.
June 24, 2019: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Athens — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
March 13, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Athens — $1.8 million damage.
July 29, 2018: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Athens — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “County dispatch reported significant flooding and gravel washouts on Brickyard Road in Princeton down to the Gardner Loop. Water on the road was described as rushing like a river.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Mercer County, which includes Athens, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on February 26, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mercer County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.5 million a year, the 19th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.6 million (73%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Athens
- Princeton, WV7 mi
- Peterstown, WV12 mi
- Rock, WV12 mi
- Narrows, VA13 mi
- Cool Ridge, WV15 mi
- Bluefield, WV17 mi
- Hinton, WV17 mi
- Shady Spring, WV18 mi
- Pearisburg, VA18 mi
- Daniels, WV20 mi
- Beaver, WV22 mi
- Pembroke, VA23 mi
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