NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gallipolis Ferry, 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 Gallipolis Ferry, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 30 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 30
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Gallipolis Ferry
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gallipolis Ferry; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Gallipolis Ferry begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 58 miles away. 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 Gallipolis Ferry. The strongest of the 30 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 23, 1968; its path came within 4 miles, and it killed 7 people. Of the 30, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. April and June have had the most tornadoes, 9 each. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Gallipolis Ferry has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 74% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Gallipolis Ferry has more hail reports within 10 miles than 58% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
Compare Gallipolis Ferry's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gallipolis Ferry
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 15 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 Gallipolis Ferry: 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 Gallipolis Ferry
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s3
- 2000s6
- 1990s7
- 1980s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 1968 | F5 | 4 mi | 34 mi | 7 / 93 |
| May 8, 2002 | F2 | 10 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 15, 2000 | F2 | 10 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 13, 1967 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 14 mi | 0.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2020 | EF1 | 24 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2017 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 2014 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 30, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gallipolis Ferry
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Gallipolis Ferry since 1974, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 12, 1989. The most recent report is from July 18, 2023. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gallipolis Ferry
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gallipolis, OH, 4 miles north of Gallipolis Ferry at 578 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 23°F. June is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.7 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. That 44.7 inches is more than at 28 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (37%). Crown City, OH, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Hogsett Rc Byrd Dam, WV): 42.3 inches a year, 2.4 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 23 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 3.9 | 9 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.5 | 9 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 28 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 44.7 | 87 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gallipolis, OH (578 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 Gallipolis Ferry
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 175 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gallipolis Ferry: 125 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 floods, 16 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 7 of 16. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 48 have had fewer than Gallipolis Ferry.
May 26, 2015: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Gallipolis Ferry — 1 injured.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Gallipolis Ferry — $1.5 million damage.
May 29, 2014: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Gallipolis Ferry — $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
Mason County, which includes Gallipolis Ferry, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storms, on May 13, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mason 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 $15.5 million a year, the 23rd highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.4 million (86%), 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 Gallipolis Ferry
- Gallipolis, OH6 mi
- Point Pleasant, WV8 mi
- Crown City, OH11 mi
- Bidwell, OH13 mi
- Patriot, OH14 mi
- Leon, WV14 mi
- Letart, WV15 mi
- Middleport, OH17 mi
- Vinton, OH19 mi
- Racine, OH20 mi
- Red House, WV21 mi
- Winfield, WV22 mi
All West Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Gallipolis Ferry with another place →