NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jane Lew, 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 Jane Lew, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isabel in 2003. Since 1950, 14 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 14
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Jane Lew
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Jane Lew; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Jane Lew begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Isabel in 2003, a tropical storm 59 miles away. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Jane Lew has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 14 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 1, 1986; its path came within 23 miles. Of the 14, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on June 23, 2017. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jane Lew. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 68 times since 1969, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Jane Lew has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jane Lew
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 56 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 Jane Lew: 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 Jane Lew
By decade
- 2010s3
- 1990s1
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 22, 1970 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1967 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 1956 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 23, 2017 | EF1 | 11 mi | 4.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 17, 2015 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.77 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 7 mi | 1.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1998 | F1 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 5, 1989 | F1 | 5 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1986 | F1 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1978 | F1 | 4 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 1975 | F1 | 8 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 14, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jane Lew
The Storm Prediction Center has 68 hail reports within 10 miles of Jane Lew since 1969, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 7, 2020. The most recent report is from October 21, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jane Lew
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Stonewall Jackson Dam, WV, 8 miles south of Jane Lew at 1,045 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.5 inches over 107 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 128 nights a year. Snowfall averages 24.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.5 inches is more than at 63 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (84%). Lost Creek, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Clarksburg 1, WV): 48.3 inches a year, 3.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.9 | 9 | 11.4 |
| Feb | 45 | 23 | 3.7 | 9 | 6.0 |
| Mar | 53 | 29 | 4.6 | 9 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 66 | 38 | 4.3 | 10 | 0.4 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 5.5 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 5.3 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 4.3 | 9 | 3.5 |
| Year | 65 | 42 | 51.5 | 107 | 24.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Stonewall Jackson Dam, WV (1,045 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 Jane Lew
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 189 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jane Lew: 131 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods and 18 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 24, 2010. May has had the most flash floods, 16 of 40. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 128 have had fewer than Jane Lew.
August 25, 2020: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Jane Lew — 1 injured, $8,000 damage.
May 27, 2004: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Jane Lew — $500,000 damage.
June 24, 2010: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Jane Lew — $420,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Jane Lew's ZIP code 26378 have filed 25 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $493,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 52% 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, 31 have fewer than Jane Lew.
Lewis County, which includes Jane Lew, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 7 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lewis County a Relatively 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 $11.9 million a year, the 30th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.8 million (91%), 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 Jane Lew
- Weston, WV5 mi
- Lost Creek, WV6 mi
- Mount Clare, WV10 mi
- Clarksburg, WV13 mi
- Buckhannon, WV14 mi
- Salem, WV15 mi
- Bridgeport, WV16 mi
- French Creek, WV19 mi
- Lumberport, WV19 mi
- Flemington, WV19 mi
- Shinnston, WV21 mi
- Philippi, WV22 mi
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