NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Charleston, 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 Charleston, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 26
- 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 Charleston
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Charleston; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Charleston begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 10 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 Charleston. The strongest of the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on April 2, 2024; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 26, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 15 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Charleston has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 119 times since 1958, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Charleston has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Charleston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 53 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 Charleston: 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 Charleston
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s2
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 6 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 5.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 6 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 2 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2016 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.06 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 18 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 13, 1999 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 2 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F1 | 8 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Charleston
The Storm Prediction Center has 119 hail reports within 10 miles of Charleston since 1958, made on 67 separate days. Of these, 66 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on May 23, 2019. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Charleston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Charleston Yeager Airport, WV, 3 miles northeast of Charleston at 910 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 46.4 inches over 93 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 31.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.4 inches is more than at 39 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (52%). South Charleston, 6 miles west, has its own station (Charleston WFO, WV): 48.2 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 26 | 3.3 | 8 | 10.3 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 3.4 | 8 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 4.1 | 9 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 3.6 | 8 | 0.5 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.5 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 3.6 | 8 | 5.0 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 46.4 | 93 | 31.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Charleston Yeager Airport, WV (910 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 Charleston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 357 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Charleston: 276 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods, 29 floods, 7 heavy rain events and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $11.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 24, 2019. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 128 have had fewer than Charleston.
August 4, 2010: thunderstorm wind in Charleston — 1 killed, 1 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees and large branches were blown down from the East End of Charleston on toward Kanawha State Forest. Some branches fell onto vehicles.”
July 25, 2005: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Charleston — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “Scattered locations throughout the city reported trees or large branches blown down. Garrison Ave was blocked by fallen trees.”
July 10, 2003: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Charleston — 3 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A large party tent, set up on the University of Charleston campus, collapsed, after being lifted up by gusty winds ahead of the squall line. Three people were slightly injured.”
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 Charleston's 8 ZIP codes have filed 813 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $7.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 62 claims (8% of all) and $435,000, then Summer severe storms in 2016 with 39 and Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 33. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 234. 21% 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, 129 have fewer than Charleston.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 62 | $435,000 |
| Summer severe storms2016 | 39 | $646,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 33 | $358,000 |
| West Virginia Flooding2022 | 31 | $850,000 |
Kanawha County, which includes Charleston, 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 Charleston
- South Charleston, WV6 mi
- Dunbar, WV7 mi
- Marmet, WV8 mi
- Cross Lanes, WV10 mi
- Belle, WV10 mi
- Elkview, WV11 mi
- Saint Albans, WV12 mi
- Sissonville, WV13 mi
- Nitro, WV13 mi
- Poca, WV14 mi
- Clendenin, WV17 mi
- Scott Depot, WV17 mi
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