NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marlinton, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Marlinton, West Virginia since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 3 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 3
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Marlinton
The strongest storm to pass near Marlinton was an unnamed storm in 1896, a Category 1 hurricane with 74 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Marlinton begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Marlinton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 83% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 3 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 21, 2016, came within 20 miles. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marlinton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 13 times since 2006, with stones up to 1 inch (quarter size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Marlinton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marlinton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 71 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 29 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 Marlinton: 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 Marlinton
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2016 | EF1 | 20 mi | 5.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1959 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 25, 2024 | Unrated | 8 mi | 2.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 3 of 3, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marlinton
The Storm Prediction Center has 13 hail reports within 10 miles of Marlinton since 2006, made on 9 separate days. Of these, 5 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1 inch (quarter size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 9, 2021. The most recent report is from April 14, 2025. April has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marlinton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Marlinton, WV, 2 miles northwest of Marlinton at 2,150 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 78°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 16°F. May is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.2 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 167 nights a year. Snowfall averages 42.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.2 inches is more than at 31 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (41%). Hot Springs, VA, 18 miles southeast, has its own station (Gathright Dam, VA): 40.2 inches a year, 5.0 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 78°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 16 | 3.6 | 7 | 12.2 |
| Feb | 40 | 18 | 3.2 | 6 | 11.3 |
| Mar | 49 | 24 | 4.1 | 9 | 7.2 |
| Apr | 60 | 33 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.8 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 75 | 51 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 78 | 56 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 72 | 48 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 35 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 50 | 25 | 3.1 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Dec | 40 | 20 | 3.8 | 8 | 9.8 |
| Year | 59 | 35 | 45.2 | 87 | 42.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Marlinton, WV (2,150 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 Marlinton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 44 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marlinton: 22 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 floods, 3 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $736,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 29, 2012.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Marlinton — $320,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds downed thousands of trees and many power lines down across the county. Damage occurred to a home when one tree fell upon it.”
June 23, 2016: flood 6 miles from the centre of Marlinton — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Minor river flooding occurred on the Greenbrier River in the reach from Marlinton south through Watoga State Park.”
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 Marlinton's ZIP code 24954 have filed 598 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $13.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 282 claims (47% of all) and $9.3 million. 49% 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, 126 have fewer than Marlinton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 282 | $9.3 million |
Pocahontas County, which includes Marlinton, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pocahontas County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 45th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.6 million (82%), 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 Marlinton
- Hot Springs, VA18 mi
- White Sulphur Springs, WV25 mi
- Richwood, WV26 mi
- Webster Springs, WV26 mi
- Covington, VA29 mi
- Clifton Forge, VA30 mi
- Cowen, WV30 mi
- Huttonsville, WV33 mi
- Craigsville, WV33 mi
- Lewisburg, WV34 mi
- Ronceverte, WV39 mi
- Eagle Rock, VA39 mi
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