NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elizabeth, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elizabeth, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 18 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 18
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Elizabeth
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Elizabeth; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Elizabeth begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 7 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Elizabeth. The strongest of the 18 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on September 16, 2010; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 18, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on May 9, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elizabeth. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1967, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elizabeth.
Compare Elizabeth's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elizabeth
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 12 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 Elizabeth: 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 Elizabeth
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5(1 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s3
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF3 | 12 mi | 9.05 mi | 1 / 16 |
| Jul 10, 2003 | F2 | 17 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 8, 1998 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 24 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 9, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 3.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 23 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF1 | 5 mi | 0.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1989 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1973 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1963 | F1 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1951 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 9, 1950 | F1 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 18, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elizabeth
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Elizabeth since 1967, made on 18 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 28, 2016. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elizabeth
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sandyville 9 NE, WV, 11 miles southwest of Elizabeth at 668 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 20°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.0 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 138 nights a year. Snowfall averages 24.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.0 inches is more than at 48 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (64%). Walker, 8 miles north, has its own station (Parkersburg, WV): 44.2 inches a year, 3.8 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 20 | 3.4 | 8 | 7.8 |
| Feb | 45 | 22 | 3.5 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 54 | 28 | 4.3 | 8 | 4.3 |
| Apr | 67 | 37 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.4 |
| May | 75 | 47 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 56 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 60 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 59 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 40 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 44 | 25 | 3.9 | 8 | 4.4 |
| Year | 65 | 40 | 48.0 | 92 | 24.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sandyville 9 NE, WV (668 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 Elizabeth
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 100 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elizabeth: 77 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 11 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 29, 2019. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 27 have had fewer than Elizabeth.
February 4, 2022: flood 8 miles from the centre of Elizabeth — 1 killed.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind in Elizabeth — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and large branches were blown down in scattered locations in the county. Roof and porch damage occurred in Elizabeth.”
June 28, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Elizabeth — $350,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and large braches fell throughout the town. Tree branches from 5 different trees fell on one house.”
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 Elizabeth's ZIP code 26143 have filed 57 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $502,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1997: 31 claims (54% of all) and $313,000. 56% 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, 60 have fewer than Elizabeth.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1997 | 31 | $313,000 |
Wirt County, which includes Elizabeth, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wirt County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.9 million a year, the 55th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 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 Elizabeth
- Walker, WV8 mi
- Mineral Wells, WV9 mi
- Davisville, WV10 mi
- Parkersburg, WV16 mi
- Waverly, WV16 mi
- Washington, WV17 mi
- Ravenswood, WV18 mi
- Belpre, OH19 mi
- Vienna, WV19 mi
- Harrisville, WV20 mi
- Spencer, WV20 mi
- Little Hocking, OH21 mi
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