NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit New Martinsville, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of New Martinsville, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isabel in 2003. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 12
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for New Martinsville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed New Martinsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near New Martinsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Isabel in 2003, a tropical storm 62 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than New Martinsville. The strongest of the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 1, 1986; its path came within 24 miles. Of the 12, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on February 28, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than New Martinsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1986, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than New Martinsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near New Martinsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 14 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 New Martinsville: 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 New Martinsville
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 1986 | F3 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 4.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F1 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 9, 1998 | F1 | 11 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 4 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1986 | F1 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1969 | F1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 1990 | F0 | 24 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F0 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 29, 1987 | F0 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1979 | F0 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in New Martinsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of New Martinsville since 1986, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 27, 2014. The most recent report is from May 11, 2024. June has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in New Martinsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH, 2 miles northwest of New Martinsville at 620 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 20°F. July is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.1 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 120 nights a year. That 45.1 inches is more than at 30 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (40%). Sistersville, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Middlebourne 3 ESE, WV): 47.3 inches a year, 2.2 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 20 | 3.7 | 8 |
| Feb | 42 | 22 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 3.9 | 8 |
| Apr | 64 | 38 | 3.9 | 8 |
| May | 73 | 48 | 4.5 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 43 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Year | 63 | 41 | 45.1 | 88 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hannibal Locks & Dam, OH (620 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 New Martinsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of New Martinsville: 93 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods and 6 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 27, 2014. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 16. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 48 have had fewer than New Martinsville.
April 2, 2024: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of New Martinsville — $934,000 damage.
NWS: “Portions of Shortline Highway was closed due to flooding. Wetzel County declared $933,000 in damage from storms between April 2-6th.”
March 25, 1996: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of New Martinsville — $100,000 damage.
July 27, 2014: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of New Martinsville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A NWS Storm Survey found a micro-burst occurred in New Martinsville. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 80 MPH.”
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 New Martinsville's ZIP code 26155 have filed 337 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $4.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 157 claims (47% of all) and $2.8 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 81. 72% 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, 118 have fewer than New Martinsville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 157 | $2.8 million |
| Flooding1996 | 81 | $369,000 |
Wetzel County, which includes New Martinsville, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 8 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wetzel County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.2 million a year, the 22nd highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.2 million (94%), 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 New Martinsville
- Paden City, WV6 mi
- Sistersville, WV10 mi
- Middlebourne, WV12 mi
- Powhatan Point, OH15 mi
- Woodsfield, OH16 mi
- New Matamoras, OH17 mi
- Moundsville, WV19 mi
- Jacobsburg, OH20 mi
- Glen Dale, WV22 mi
- Shadyside, OH22 mi
- West Union, WV25 mi
- Pennsboro, WV25 mi
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