NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ravenswood, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ravenswood, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 19 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 19
- 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 Ravenswood
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ravenswood; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Ravenswood begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 72 miles away. None of the 7 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 45% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ravenswood. The strongest of the 19 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on September 16, 2010; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 19, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 9 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on July 10, 2017. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ravenswood. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ravenswood.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ravenswood
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 11 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 Ravenswood: 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 Ravenswood
By decade
- 2010s6(1 EF3+)
- 2000s3
- 1990s1
- 1980s3
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF3 | 11 mi | 9.05 mi | 1 / 16 |
| Jul 10, 2003 | F2 | 19 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 8, 1998 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 13, 1967 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2016 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.06 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 2007 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1989 | F1 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 12, 1989 | F1 | 24 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1973 | F1 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1963 | F1 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1951 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 19, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ravenswood
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Ravenswood since 1974, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 14 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 May 23, 2019. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ravenswood
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sandyville 9 NE, WV, 9 miles east of Ravenswood at 668 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 20°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.0 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 138 nights a year. Snowfall averages 24.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.0 inches is more than at 48 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (64%). Racine, OH, 10 miles west, has its own station (Ripley, WV): 46.2 inches a year, 1.8 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 20 | 3.4 | 8 | 7.8 |
| Feb | 45 | 22 | 3.5 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 54 | 28 | 4.3 | 8 | 4.3 |
| Apr | 67 | 37 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.4 |
| May | 75 | 47 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 56 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 60 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 59 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 40 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 3.0 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 44 | 25 | 3.9 | 8 | 4.4 |
| Year | 65 | 40 | 48.0 | 92 | 24.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sandyville 9 NE, WV (668 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 Ravenswood
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 107 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ravenswood: 63 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 floods, 17 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 6 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $5.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 29, 2019. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 17. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 53 have had fewer than Ravenswood.
December 6, 2014: heavy rain event 7 miles from the centre of Ravenswood — 5 killed, 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
June 23, 2016: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Ravenswood — 1 killed, $500,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Ravenswood — $2.5 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and large branches were blown down. A construction canopy on the bridge across the Ohio River at Ravenswood collapsed, closing the structure.”
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 Ravenswood's ZIP code 26164 have filed 39 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $349,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2004, with 10. 51% 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, 49 have fewer than Ravenswood.
Jackson County, which includes Ravenswood, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 8 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jackson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.4 million a year, the 24th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.6 million (88%), 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 Ravenswood
- Racine, OH10 mi
- Ripley, WV12 mi
- Letart, WV14 mi
- Mineral Wells, WV16 mi
- Washington, WV17 mi
- Coolville, OH18 mi
- Pomeroy, OH18 mi
- Elizabeth, WV18 mi
- Leon, WV19 mi
- Middleport, OH19 mi
- Little Hocking, OH20 mi
- Davisville, WV21 mi
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