NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Madison, 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 Madison, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 17 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 17
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Madison
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Madison; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The record near Madison begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm directly overhead. 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 Madison. The strongest of the 17 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on March 2, 2012; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 10 people. Of the 17, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 10 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 5. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Madison. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Madison.
Compare Madison's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Madison
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | overhead | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 69 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 Madison: 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 Madison
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s2
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 17 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 15 mi | 5.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 17 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 11 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 25 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F1 | 18 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 1980 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F1 | 3 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 18, 1969 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 17, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Madison
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Madison since 1962, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 23, 1962. The most recent report is from July 12, 2022. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Madison
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Madison 3NNW, WV, 5 miles northwest of Madison at 689 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. May and July are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.6 inches over 101 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 112 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.6 inches is more than at 60 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (80%). Chapmanville, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Logan, WV): 49.3 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 3.6 | 9 | 6.0 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 3.5 | 8 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 58 | 33 | 4.4 | 10 | 3.3 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 78 | 52 | 5.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 33 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 4.2 | 9 | 3.6 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 49.6 | 101 | 17.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Madison 3NNW, WV (689 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 Madison
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 195 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Madison: 147 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 flash floods, 14 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 24, 2017. April has had the most flash floods, 9 of 32. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 116 have had fewer than Madison.
July 25, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Madison — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Madison — $750,000 damage.
April 3, 2015: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Madison — $225,000 damage.
NWS: “Small streams quickly flooded in the southwestern portion of the county. A few examples included Turtle Creek south of Danville and Jarrells Branch near Uneeda.”
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 Madison's ZIP code 25130 have filed 136 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1978: 26 claims (19% of all) and $83,000, then April 2007 Nor'easter in 2007 with 14 and Not a named storm in 1978 with 12. 39% 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, 90 have fewer than Madison.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1978 | 26 | $83,000 |
| April 2007 Nor'easter2007 | 14 | $278,000 |
| Not a named storm1978 | 12 | $39,000 |
Boone County, which includes Madison, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 7 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). 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 Boone 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 $18.8 million a year, the 16th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.3 million (92%), 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.