NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ridgeley, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ridgeley, West Virginia since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 21
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Ridgeley
The strongest storm to pass near Ridgeley was Hazel in 1954, a Category 1 hurricane with 83 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 42 miles. The record near Ridgeley begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 51 miles away. The 1890s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 18 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Ridgeley has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 88% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 2, 1998; its path came within 4 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1998, killed 1 person. Of the 21, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on August 31, 2024. Ridgeley has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Ridgeley has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ridgeley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 74 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 42 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ridgeley: 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 Ridgeley
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s3
- 2000s3
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1998 | F4 | 4 mi | 36.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 31, 1998 | F3 | 14 mi | 13 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F2 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1969 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 1, 2012 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 7 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 12 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 1984 | F1 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 28, 1973 | F1 | 11 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1971 | F1 | 23 mi | 14.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 31, 2024 | EF0 | 13 mi | 0.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ridgeley
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Ridgeley since 1960, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently May 1, 2025. The most recent report is from May 1, 2025. May has the most reports, 30.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ridgeley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cumberland 2, MD, 5 miles north of Ridgeley at 730 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 39.3 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (20.0 of 39.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 79°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 37 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. Snowfall averages 28.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.3 inches is more than at 6 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (8%). Frostburg, MD, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Frostburg 2, MD): 45.3 inches a year, 6.0 more than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 23 | 2.8 | 6 | 8.2 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 2.4 | 6 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 53 | 31 | 3.4 | 7 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 66 | 41 | 3.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 43 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 3.1 | 6 | 5.4 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 39.3 | 79 | 28.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cumberland 2, MD (730 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 Ridgeley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 261 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ridgeley: 189 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 floods, 31 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 19 of 31. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 113 have had fewer than Ridgeley.
April 19, 2025: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Ridgeley — 4 injured, $500,000 damage.
June 30, 2001: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Ridgeley — 2 injured.
September 1, 2021: flood 5 miles from the centre of Ridgeley — $200,000 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
Mineral County, which includes Ridgeley, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mineral County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.7 million a year, the 26th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.3 million (90%), 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 Ridgeley
- Cumberland, MD5 mi
- Fort Ashby, WV6 mi
- Frostburg, MD9 mi
- Hyndman, PA14 mi
- Keyser, WV14 mi
- Westernport, MD15 mi
- Romney, WV18 mi
- Burlington, WV18 mi
- Meyersdale, PA19 mi
- Paw Paw, WV19 mi
- Salisbury, PA20 mi
- Grantsville, MD22 mi
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