NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ronceverte, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ronceverte, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 7 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 7
- 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 Ronceverte
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ronceverte; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Ronceverte begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 59 miles away. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Ronceverte has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 7 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on April 4, 1974; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 7, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and none has come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on June 22, 1990. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ronceverte. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1989, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ronceverte.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ronceverte
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ronceverte: 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 Ronceverte
By decade
- 1990s1
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 32.2 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F2 | 3 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F2 | 11 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 1975 | F2 | 3 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 18, 1966 | F1 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1962 | F1 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F0 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 7 of 7, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ronceverte
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Ronceverte since 1989, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 26, 2011. The most recent report is from July 12, 2022. June has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ronceverte
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lewisburg 3 N, WV, 9 miles northeast of Ronceverte at 2,300 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 20°F. May is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 41.6 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 5 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 139 nights a year. Snowfall averages 29.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 41.6 inches is more than at 16 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (21%). Alderson, 10 miles west, has its own station (Alderson, WV): 40.7 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 20 | 3.2 | 7 | 8.4 |
| Feb | 43 | 22 | 2.9 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Mar | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | 8 | 5.4 |
| Apr | 64 | 38 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.6 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 4.5 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 39 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 53 | 29 | 2.5 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 42 | 24 | 3.5 | 8 | 5.4 |
| Year | 62 | 39 | 41.6 | 88 | 29.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lewisburg 3 N, WV (2,300 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 Ronceverte
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 169 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ronceverte: 125 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 14 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on May 9, 2003. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 38 have had fewer than Ronceverte.
May 9, 2003: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Ronceverte — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
June 19, 2020: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Ronceverte — $900,000 damage.
June 19, 2020: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Ronceverte — $400,000 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 Ronceverte's ZIP code 24970 have filed 245 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $9.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 120 claims (49% of all) and $4.5 million, then Summer severe storms in 2016 with 87. 84% 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, 108 have fewer than Ronceverte.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 120 | $4.5 million |
| Summer severe storms2016 | 87 | $4.0 million |
Greenbrier County, which includes Ronceverte, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 floods, 7 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on February 26, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Greenbrier County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hail and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.5 million a year, the 12th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.2 million (71%), 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 Ronceverte
- Lewisburg, WV5 mi
- Alderson, WV10 mi
- White Sulphur Springs, WV15 mi
- Meadow Bridge, WV22 mi
- Hinton, WV22 mi
- New Castle, VA23 mi
- Rainelle, WV23 mi
- Covington, VA24 mi
- Peterstown, WV28 mi
- Shady Spring, WV29 mi
- Pembroke, VA30 mi
- Richwood, WV34 mi
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