NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, 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 Salem, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isabel in 2003. Since 1950, 17 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 17
- 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 Salem
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Salem; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Salem begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Isabel in 2003, a tropical storm 61 miles away. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Salem has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The strongest of the 17 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 1, 1986; its path came within 11 miles. Of the 17, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. June and July have had the most tornadoes, 5 each. The most recent tornado was on June 23, 2017. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Salem. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1979, 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 Salem.
Compare Salem's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Salem: 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 Salem
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s3
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 1986 | F3 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 21, 1981 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 22, 1970 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 7, 1956 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 23, 2017 | EF1 | 5 mi | 4.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 19 mi | 1.07 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F1 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1998 | F1 | 9 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 25 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 5, 1989 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1986 | F1 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 17, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salem
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Salem since 1979, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 14, 2014. The most recent report is from May 11, 2024. June has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Union 2, WV, 11 miles west of Salem at 806 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. July is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 98 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 132 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.2 inches is more than at 58 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (77%). Clarksburg, 12 miles east, has its own station (Clarksburg 1, WV): 48.3 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.7 | 9 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 44 | 22 | 3.5 | 8 | 6.7 |
| Mar | 54 | 29 | 4.3 | 9 | 2.8 |
| Apr | 67 | 38 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 41 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 4.0 | 9 | 3.4 |
| Year | 65 | 41 | 49.2 | 98 | 23.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Union 2, WV (806 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 Salem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 120 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 flash floods, 16 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on March 16, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 28. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Salem.
May 4, 2009: heavy rain event 9 miles from the centre of Salem — 1 killed, 1 injured, $7,000 damage.
June 3, 2008: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Salem — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “ Evacuations and water rescues did occur. Examples of some of the creeks included Salem Fork, Thomas Fork, Booths Creek, and Mudlick Run.”
February 29, 2012: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Salem — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Salem's ZIP code 26426 have filed 37 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $277,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 14% 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, 48 have fewer than Salem.
Harrison County, which includes Salem, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Harrison County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.2 million a year, the 11th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $25.1 million (89%), 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 Salem
- West Union, WV11 mi
- Clarksburg, WV12 mi
- Lumberport, WV13 mi
- Lost Creek, WV14 mi
- Jane Lew, WV15 mi
- Mount Clare, WV16 mi
- Shinnston, WV17 mi
- Weston, WV18 mi
- Bridgeport, WV18 mi
- Mannington, WV20 mi
- Pennsboro, WV21 mi
- Middlebourne, WV21 mi
All West Virginia cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Salem with another place →