NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Morgantown, 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 Morgantown, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 38
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Morgantown
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Morgantown; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Morgantown begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 71 miles away. Of the 9 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Morgantown has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 72% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 38 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on June 16, 1982, killed 1 person. Of the 38, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Morgantown has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 87% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 83 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Morgantown has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
Compare Morgantown's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Morgantown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Morgantown: 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 Morgantown
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s8
- 2000s2
- 1990s5
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1960s6
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F3 | 7 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 17 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 1, 1986 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 21, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1977 | F2 | 23 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jul 13, 1971 | F2 | 11 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 7, 1967 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1982 | F1 | 3 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 16, 2025 | EF1 | 21 mi | 1.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 2018 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 22, 2017 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Morgantown
The Storm Prediction Center has 83 hail reports within 10 miles of Morgantown since 1963, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 8, 2022. The most recent report is from March 16, 2025. June and September have the most reports, 18 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Morgantown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Morgantown Hart Field, WV, 2 miles northeast of Morgantown at 1,240 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.2 inches over 93 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 102 nights a year. That 43.2 inches is more than at 21 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (28%). Point Marion, PA, 8 miles north, has its own station (Grays Landing, PA): 42.2 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 24 | 3.1 | 8 |
| Feb | 44 | 26 | 2.8 | 7 |
| Mar | 53 | 33 | 3.7 | 9 |
| Apr | 65 | 42 | 3.9 | 9 |
| May | 74 | 52 | 4.3 | 10 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Nov | 54 | 36 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Dec | 44 | 29 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 43.2 | 93 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Morgantown Hart Field, WV (1,240 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 Morgantown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 332 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Morgantown: 256 thunderstorm wind reports, 52 flash floods, 22 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $3.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 26, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 26 of 52. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 137 have had fewer than Morgantown.
June 6, 2026: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Morgantown — 5 injured.
NWS: “Tents blown down at Monongalia County Baseball Field. Five people were injured as a result.”
May 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Morgantown — 2 injured, $55,000 damage.
July 12, 2003: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Morgantown — $525,000 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 Morgantown's 4 ZIP codes have filed 251 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1980: 58 claims (23% of all) and $503,000. 24% 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, 109 have fewer than Morgantown.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1980 | 58 | $503,000 |
Monongalia County, which includes Morgantown, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monongalia County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $36.3 million a year, the 4th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $31.4 million (86%), 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 Morgantown
- Maidsville, WV5 mi
- Point Marion, PA8 mi
- Masontown, WV9 mi
- Reedsville, WV11 mi
- Rivesville, WV12 mi
- Smithfield, PA13 mi
- Masontown, PA15 mi
- Fairmont, WV15 mi
- Fairview, WV16 mi
- Fairchance, PA17 mi
- Kingwood, WV17 mi
- Albright, WV17 mi
All West Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Morgantown with another place →