NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Martins Ferry, OH
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 Martins Ferry, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 31
- 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 Martins Ferry
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Martins Ferry; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Martins Ferry begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 64 miles away. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Martins Ferry has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 90% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on August 1, 2022, came within 12 miles. Of the 31, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. May and October have had the most tornadoes, 6 each. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Martins Ferry. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Martins Ferry has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 605 Ohio cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Martins Ferry
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Martins Ferry: 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 Martins Ferry
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s2
- 2000s3
- 1990s2
- 1980s5
- 1970s3
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2022 | EF2 | 12 mi | 1.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 15 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F2 | 24 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1954 | F2 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 9 mi | 1.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 19 mi | 4.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 8 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF1 | 15 mi | 2.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Martins Ferry
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Martins Ferry since 1962, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 49 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 2, 2025. The most recent report is from September 20, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 20 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Martins Ferry
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wheeling, WV, 3 miles south of Martins Ferry at 645 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 41.9 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. That 41.9 inches is more than at 67 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (52%). Rayland, 7 miles north, has its own station (Pike Island(Lock & Dam), WV): 41.3 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.7 | 7 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 3.5 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 41.9 | 88 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wheeling, WV (645 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 Martins Ferry
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 396 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Martins Ferry: 298 thunderstorm wind reports, 68 flash floods, 24 floods, 5 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 10 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $12.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on August 4, 2010. June has had the most flash floods, 29 of 68. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 592 have had fewer than Martins Ferry.
June 14, 2025: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Martins Ferry — 9 killed, $2.0 million damage.
May 31, 2010: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Martins Ferry — 1 killed, 5 injured.
May 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Martins Ferry — 1 injured, $75,000 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 Martins Ferry's ZIP code 43935 have filed 50 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1998: 12 claims (24% of all) and $105,000, then Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004 with 11. The year with the most claims was 2004, with 12. 46% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 318 Ohio cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 196 have fewer than Martins Ferry.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1998 | 12 | $105,000 |
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 11 | $183,000 |
Belmont County, which includes Martins Ferry, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 7 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Belmont County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.2 million a year, the 25th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.8 million (85%), 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 Martins Ferry
- Bridgeport, OH3 mi
- Wheeling, WV3 mi
- Bellaire, OH6 mi
- Triadelphia, WV7 mi
- Rayland, OH7 mi
- Dillonvale, OH8 mi
- Saint Clairsville, OH9 mi
- Shadyside, OH10 mi
- Glen Dale, WV11 mi
- Adena, OH11 mi
- Moundsville, WV13 mi
- Wellsburg, WV13 mi
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