Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hedgesville, WV

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Martinsburg 2, WV, 7 miles southeast of Hedgesville at 460 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. May and September are the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 41.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (21.2 of 41.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 23 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 29 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. That 41.4 inches is more than at 14 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (19%). Berkeley Springs, 9 miles west, has its own station (Cacapon St Pk #2, WV): 42.8 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 295 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hedgesville: 218 thunderstorm wind reports, 63 floods, 13 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 83 mph, on March 13, 2001. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 13. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 30 have had fewer than Hedgesville.

Flood insurance policyholders in Hedgesville's ZIP code 25427 have filed 52 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $666,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 20 claims (38% of all) and $343,000, then Hurricane Fran in 1996 with 14. 71% 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, 58 have fewer than Hedgesville.