NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Nitro, 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 Nitro, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 32 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 32
- 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 Nitro
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Nitro; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Nitro begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 2 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Nitro. The strongest of the 32 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on March 2, 2012; its path came within 25 miles, and it killed 10 people. Of the 32, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Nitro has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 106 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Nitro has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Nitro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 44 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 Nitro: 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 Nitro
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s6
- 1980s2
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 25 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 2 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 2.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 5.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 3 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 6 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 9 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2016 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.06 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 4, 2014 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 16 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 2000 | F1 | 22 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 32, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Nitro
The Storm Prediction Center has 106 hail reports within 10 miles of Nitro since 1965, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 21, 2016. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Nitro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Winfield Locks, WV, 9 miles northwest of Nitro at 621 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 24°F. July is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 39.5 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.5 inches is more than at 7 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (9%). Saint Albans, 3 miles south, has its own station (Charleston WFO, WV): 48.2 inches a year, 8.7 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 2.7 | 6 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 2.9 | 7 | 2.7 |
| Mar | 56 | 32 | 3.7 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Apr | 69 | 42 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 60 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 2.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 2.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 3.1 | 7 | 1.3 |
| Year | 67 | 44 | 39.5 | 81 | 10.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Winfield Locks, WV (621 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 Nitro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 461 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Nitro: 323 thunderstorm wind reports, 74 flash floods, 48 floods, 8 heavy rain events and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 16, and the NWS estimated $12.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 24, 2019. July has had the most flash floods, 22 of 74. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 157 have had fewer than Nitro.
June 6, 2013: heavy rain event 2 miles from the centre of Nitro — 9 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Shortly after a local downpour, 38 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction accident on the east bound lanes of the Interstate 64 Nitro Bridge over the Kanawha River. Witnesses said there was standing water on the bridge.”
May 22, 2013: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Nitro — 2 injured, $125,000 damage.
July 25, 2009: thunderstorm wind in Nitro — 2 injured.
NWS: “A temporary tent was blown down. The tent was not anchored.”
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 Nitro's ZIP code 25143 have filed 50 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $216,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% 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, 56 have fewer than Nitro.
Kanawha County, which includes Nitro, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 10 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kanawha County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $142.9 million a year, the highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $132.7 million (93%), 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 Nitro
- Saint Albans, WV3 mi
- Cross Lanes, WV4 mi
- Scott Depot, WV4 mi
- Poca, WV5 mi
- Dunbar, WV6 mi
- Winfield, WV7 mi
- South Charleston, WV8 mi
- Hurricane, WV9 mi
- Red House, WV9 mi
- Culloden, WV13 mi
- Charleston, WV13 mi
- Sissonville, WV14 mi
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