NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fort Gay, 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 Fort Gay, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Fort Gay
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Fort Gay; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Fort Gay begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 59 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Fort Gay 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 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 3 miles. Of the 15, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Fort Gay. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1967, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Fort Gay has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fort Gay
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 48 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 Fort Gay: 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 Fort Gay
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5(2 EF3+)
- 2000s1
- 1990s1
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 3 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 20 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | F3 | 16 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 2016 | EF2 | 2 mi | 2.63 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 12, 1980 | F2 | 19 mi | 29.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 3 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 21 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 1980 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fort Gay
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Fort Gay since 1967, made on 45 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on May 19, 1967. The most recent report is from June 17, 2022. June has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fort Gay
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dunlow 1 SW, WV, 13 miles southeast of Fort Gay at 1,113 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 100 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.2 inches is more than at 56 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (75%). Louisa, KY, 6 miles west, has its own station (Charley 2 SW, KY): 46.0 inches a year, 3.2 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.9 | 9 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.7 | 9 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.5 | 10 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 46 | 30 | 4.3 | 9 | 3.4 |
| Year | 65 | 45 | 49.2 | 100 | 17.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dunlow 1 SW, WV (1,113 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 Fort Gay
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 153 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fort Gay: 119 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 16 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 10, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 48 have had fewer than Fort Gay.
May 10, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Fort Gay — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees were blown down throughout the community. Extensive power outages and scattered damage to structures occurred.”
July 17, 2010: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Fort Gay — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees were blown down in the city. Roads were blocked and power lines were knocked down.”
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 Fort Gay's ZIP code 25514 have filed 33 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $332,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 10. 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, 42 have fewer than Fort Gay.
Wayne County, which includes Fort Gay, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 26 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 9 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 Wayne County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $30.9 million a year, the 8th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.4 million (85%), 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 Fort Gay
- Louisa, KY6 mi
- Prichard, WV10 mi
- Wayne, WV10 mi
- Lavalette, WV15 mi
- Inez, KY16 mi
- Catlettsburg, KY18 mi
- Rush, KY19 mi
- Kermit, WV19 mi
- Kenova, WV20 mi
- Branchland, WV21 mi
- Huntington, WV22 mi
- Paintsville, KY23 mi
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