NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kermit, 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 Kermit, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 9 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 9
- 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 Kermit
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kermit; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Kermit begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Kermit has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 9 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 15 miles. Of the 9, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 7 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on August 7, 2023. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kermit. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 65 times since 1980, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Kermit has more hail reports within 10 miles than 57% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kermit
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 67 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 Kermit: 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 Kermit
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s6(2 EF3+)
- 1990s1
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 15 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 2 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Jul 4, 2016 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.63 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF1 | 22 mi | 6.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 23 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F1 | 17 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2013 | EF0 | 19 mi | 0.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1998 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 9 of 9, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kermit
The Storm Prediction Center has 65 hail reports within 10 miles of Kermit since 1980, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently June 2, 2019. The most recent report is from April 3, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kermit
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dunlow 1 SW, WV, 6 miles north of Kermit at 1,113 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 100 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.2 inches is more than at 56 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (75%). Williamson, 12 miles southeast, has its own station (Williamson, WV): 48.3 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.9 | 9 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.7 | 9 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.5 | 10 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 46 | 30 | 4.3 | 9 | 3.4 |
| Year | 65 | 45 | 49.2 | 100 | 17.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dunlow 1 SW, WV (1,113 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 Kermit
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 176 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kermit: 130 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 floods and 20 flash floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 10, 2003. April has had the most flash floods, 6 of 20. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 71 have had fewer than Kermit.
January 5, 1997: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Kermit — 3 injured, $15,000 damage.
October 24, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Kermit — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Kermit — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and large branches were blown down. Five homes were destroyed, 3 had major damage, and 6 other dwellings sustained minor 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 Kermit's ZIP code 25674 have filed 141 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 63 claims (45% of all) and $834,000, then Not a named storm in 1978 with 14. 62% 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, 93 have fewer than Kermit.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 63 | $834,000 |
| Not a named storm1978 | 14 | $48,000 |
Mingo County, which includes Kermit, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 28 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 11 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). 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 Mingo 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 $17.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.5 million (88%), 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 Kermit
- Inez, KY8 mi
- Williamson, WV12 mi
- Belfry, KY14 mi
- Delbarton, WV17 mi
- Harts, WV19 mi
- Fort Gay, WV19 mi
- Louisa, KY20 mi
- Logan, WV21 mi
- Chapmanville, WV21 mi
- Paintsville, KY22 mi
- Raccoon, KY24 mi
- Prestonsburg, KY25 mi
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