NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Branchland, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Branchland, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 22
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Branchland
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Branchland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 49 miles away. The record near Branchland begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Branchland has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 8 miles. Of the 22, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2024. Branchland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1979, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Branchland.
Compare Branchland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Branchland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 49 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 Branchland: 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 Branchland
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1970s4
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 8 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | F3 | 20 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 4, 2016 | EF2 | 22 mi | 2.63 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 24 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 2014 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 5 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 1 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 22, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Branchland
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Branchland since 1979, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 22, 1979. The most recent report is from April 4, 2023. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Branchland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hamlin, WV, 6 miles northeast of Branchland at 680 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 23°F. July is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 125 nights a year. Snowfall averages 18.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.6 inches is more than at 46 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (61%). Barboursville, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Pea Ridge Psd, WV): 46.8 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 23 | 3.3 | 8 | 7.1 |
| Feb | 49 | 25 | 3.4 | 7 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 58 | 31 | 4.4 | 9 | 3.2 |
| Apr | 71 | 40 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 79 | 51 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 60 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 64 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 63 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 42 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 59 | 32 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 3.8 | 8 | 3.0 |
| Year | 69 | 43 | 47.6 | 91 | 18.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hamlin, WV (680 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 Branchland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Branchland: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 47 floods, 20 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $4.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on April 4, 2011. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 71 have had fewer than Branchland.
April 3, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Branchland — 1 killed, $450,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous streams overflowed and blocked roads. Examples were Newcomb Creek and Lynn Creek near East Lynn, Lick and Cove Creeks near Kiahsville, plus Mill Creek near Saltpetre.”
June 10, 2021: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Branchland — $1.0 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Branchland — $750,000 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 Branchland's ZIP code 25506 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1997, and were paid $34,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 15% 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, 12 have fewer than Branchland.
Lincoln County, which includes Branchland, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 31 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 11 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). 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 Lincoln County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.4 million a year, the 25th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.5 million (87%), 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.