NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harts, 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 Harts, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 7 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 7
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Harts
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Harts; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The record near Harts begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 18 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 Harts. The highest rating among the 7 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 6 miles. Of the 7, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 5 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 4, 2016. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Harts. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Harts.
Compare Harts's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harts
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 62 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 Harts: 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 Harts
By decade
- 2010s4(2 EF3+)
- 2000s1
- 1970s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 6 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 20 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 9 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 14 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F1 | 2 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 4, 2016 | EF0 | 16 mi | 0.23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1979 | F0 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 7 of 7, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Harts
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Harts since 1962, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 1, 2016. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. April has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Harts
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Logan, WV, 13 miles southeast of Harts at 672 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. July is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 49.3 inches over 94 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. That 49.3 inches is more than at 59 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (79%). Danville, 14 miles east, has its own station (Madison 3NNW, WV): 49.6 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 59 | 35 | 4.3 | 9 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 4.4 | 9 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 5.3 | 10 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 4.9 | 9 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.9 | 9 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 36 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Dec | 48 | 31 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Year | 69 | 46 | 49.3 | 94 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Logan, WV (672 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 Harts
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 113 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Harts: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 flash floods, 22 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $10.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 60 mph, on June 29, 2012. April has had the most flash floods, 7 of 30. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 112 have had fewer than Harts.
April 3, 2015: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Harts — 1 killed, $450,000 damage.
July 4, 2015: heavy rain event 3 miles from the centre of Harts — 1 killed.
NWS: “During the night, a car with 4 occupants attempted to drive through a natural stream crossing off of Route 19 near Harts. A few mobile homes were located on the opposite side.”
June 10, 2014: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Harts — 1 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 Harts's ZIP code 25524 have filed 32 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $319,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 22% 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, 40 have fewer than Harts.
Lincoln County, which includes Harts, has been named in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 31 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 11 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 Lincoln 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 $15.4 million a year, the 25th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.5 million (87%), 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 Harts
- Chapmanville, WV7 mi
- Danville, WV14 mi
- Branchland, WV14 mi
- Logan, WV15 mi
- Madison, WV17 mi
- Hamlin, WV18 mi
- Kermit, WV19 mi
- Delbarton, WV22 mi
- Wayne, WV23 mi
- Williamson, WV24 mi
- Fort Gay, WV24 mi
- Inez, KY25 mi
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