NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Belle, 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 Belle, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 20 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 20
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Belle
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Belle; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The record near Belle begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 15 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 7 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 45% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Belle. The highest rating among the 20 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 2, 2024, came within 16 miles. Of the 20, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 11 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 50% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Belle. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1965, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Belle.
Compare Belle's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Belle
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Belle: 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 Belle
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s5
- 2000s1
- 1990s4
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1990 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 5 mi | 0.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 3 mi | 5.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 11 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 19 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 7 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F1 | 4 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 1980 | F1 | 14 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F1 | 18 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 20, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Belle
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Belle since 1965, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 4, 2013. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. July has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Belle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is London Locks, WV, 8 miles east of Belle at 632 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 inches over 94 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 22 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 91 nights a year. That 46.4 inches is more than at 39 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (52%). Marmet, 2 miles west, has its own station (Charleston Yeager Airport, WV): 46.4 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.3 | 9 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 3.8 | 9 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.8 | 9 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Jul | 85 | 66 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Aug | 84 | 65 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 68 | 47 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Year | 66 | 45 | 46.4 | 94 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at London Locks, WV (632 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 Belle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 177 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Belle: 134 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 floods, 20 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $6.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on February 11, 2009. August has had the most flash floods, 8 of 20. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 71 have had fewer than Belle.
August 28, 2023: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Belle — $4.5 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Belle — $500,000 damage.
July 8, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Belle — $250,000 damage.
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Belle's ZIP code 25015 have filed 65 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $506,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 22. 14% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 131 West Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 62 have fewer than Belle.
Kanawha County, which includes Belle, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 10 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kanawha County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $142.9 million a year, the highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $132.7 million (93%), 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 Belle
- Marmet, WV2 mi
- Charleston, WV10 mi
- South Charleston, WV14 mi
- Dunbar, WV16 mi
- Elkview, WV16 mi
- Clendenin, WV19 mi
- Cross Lanes, WV19 mi
- Madison, WV20 mi
- Saint Albans, WV20 mi
- Nitro, WV22 mi
- Sissonville, WV22 mi
- Danville, WV22 mi
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