NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Saint Marys, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Saint Marys, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 15
- 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 Saint Marys
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Saint Marys; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Saint Marys begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 13 miles away. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 89% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Saint Marys. The strongest of the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 1, 1986; its path came within 22 miles. Of the 15, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 6 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on May 9, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Saint Marys. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1989, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Saint Marys.
Compare Saint Marys's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Saint Marys
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 2 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 Saint Marys: 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 Saint Marys
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 2000s2
- 1990s3
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 1986 | F3 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 10, 2003 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 8, 1998 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 2 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 9, 2024 | EF1 | 11 mi | 3.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 3 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F1 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 22 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1973 | F1 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1950 | F1 | 13 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF0 | 23 mi | 0.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF0 | 24 mi | 0.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Saint Marys
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Saint Marys since 1989, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on April 28, 2002. The most recent report is from June 14, 2021. June has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Saint Marys
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newport, OH, 3 miles northwest of Saint Marys at 676 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 45.6 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.6 inches is more than at 35 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (47%). Waverly, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Parkersburg Wood Co Airport, WV): 42.7 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 3.5 | 8 | 8.9 |
| Feb | 43 | 23 | 3.2 | 7 | 7.0 |
| Mar | 53 | 30 | 4.0 | 8 | 3.9 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.7 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 43 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 2.9 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.6 | 8 | 3.6 |
| Year | 64 | 42 | 45.6 | 90 | 23.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newport, OH (676 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 Saint Marys
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 118 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Saint Marys: 79 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 18 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 29, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 18. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 59 have had fewer than Saint Marys.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Saint Marys — 1 killed, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Large trees and branches were blown down in scattered locations throughout the county. One house had major damage and 2 others had minor damage.”
April 3, 2024: flood 10 miles from the centre of Saint Marys — 1 killed.
May 25, 2019: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Saint Marys — $1.0 million 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 Saint Marys's ZIP code 26170 have filed 33 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $375,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 13 claims (39% of all) and $228,000. 52% 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, 42 have fewer than Saint Marys.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 13 | $228,000 |
Pleasants County, which includes Saint Marys, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). 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 Pleasants County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding and 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 $5.6 million a year, the 51st highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (91%), 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 Saint Marys
- New Matamoras, OH11 mi
- Waverly, WV11 mi
- Pennsboro, WV12 mi
- Williamstown, WV15 mi
- Marietta, OH15 mi
- Harrisville, WV15 mi
- Sistersville, WV16 mi
- Walker, WV17 mi
- Middlebourne, WV18 mi
- Davisville, WV19 mi
- Vienna, WV20 mi
- Parkersburg, WV20 mi
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