NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gassaway, 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 Gassaway, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 2 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 2
- 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 Gassaway
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gassaway; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Gassaway begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 47 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 Gassaway. The highest rating among the 2 tornadoes within 25 miles is F0, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 9, 1991, came within 6 miles. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gassaway. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1980, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gassaway.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gassaway
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gassaway: 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 Gassaway
By decade
- 1990s1
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1991 | F0 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 1975 | F0 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 2 of 2, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gassaway
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Gassaway since 1980, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 7, 1980. The most recent report is from December 31, 2024. June has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gassaway
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gassaway, WV, 3 miles southeast of Gassaway at 848 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 22°F. July is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.0 inches over 103 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 115 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.0 inches is more than at 62 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (83%). Glenville, 17 miles north, has its own station (Glenville, WV): 47.1 inches a year, 3.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 22 | 3.6 | 9 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 3.3 | 8 | 4.1 |
| Mar | 54 | 30 | 4.2 | 10 | 3.3 |
| Apr | 67 | 40 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 5.0 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 6.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 46 | 27 | 4.0 | 9 | 3.5 |
| Year | 65 | 43 | 51.0 | 103 | 17.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gassaway, WV (848 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 Gassaway
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 101 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gassaway: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods and 6 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on April 4, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 9 of 22. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 77 have had fewer than Gassaway.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Gassaway — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and large branches were blown down. The airport near Flatwoods recorded a gust to 53 mph, but higher gusts were likely in the county.”
May 27, 2004: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Gassaway — $500,000 damage.
July 13, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Gassaway — $500,000 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
Braxton County, which includes Gassaway, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Braxton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.8 million a year, the 38th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.8 million (89%), 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 Gassaway
- Sutton, WV8 mi
- Glenville, WV17 mi
- Cowen, WV24 mi
- Craigsville, WV27 mi
- Webster Springs, WV27 mi
- Summersville, WV28 mi
- Weston, WV29 mi
- French Creek, WV30 mi
- Spencer, WV30 mi
- Clendenin, WV34 mi
- Jane Lew, WV34 mi
- Harrisville, WV35 mi
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