NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit South Charleston, 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 South Charleston, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 27 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 27
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for South Charleston
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed South Charleston; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The record near South Charleston begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. 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 South Charleston. The strongest of the 27 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on April 2, 2024; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 27, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. South Charleston has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 126 times since 1958, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). South Charleston has more hail reports within 10 miles than 96% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
Compare South Charleston's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near South Charleston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 51 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 South Charleston: 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 South Charleston
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s6
- 2000s2
- 1990s4
- 1980s2
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 6 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 16 mi | 2.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 8 mi | 5.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 2 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 13 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 2019 | EF1 | 2 mi | 7.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 23, 2016 | EF1 | 21 mi | 0.06 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 14 mi | 16.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 13, 1999 | F1 | 19 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1998 | F1 | 6 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F1 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 27, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in South Charleston
The Storm Prediction Center has 126 hail reports within 10 miles of South Charleston since 1958, made on 64 separate days. Of these, 67 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently October 7, 2014. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 41.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in South Charleston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Charleston WFO, WV, 2 miles south of South Charleston at 918 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 23°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 96 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 23 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 116 nights a year. That 48.2 inches is more than at 50 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (67%). Charleston, 6 miles east, has its own station (Charleston Yeager Airport, WV): 46.4 inches a year, 1.8 less than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 23 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 46 | 25 | 3.3 | 8 |
| Mar | 56 | 31 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Apr | 68 | 41 | 4.1 | 9 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 5.2 | 10 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Nov | 57 | 32 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Year | 66 | 43 | 48.2 | 96 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Charleston WFO, WV (918 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 South Charleston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 489 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of South Charleston: 360 thunderstorm wind reports, 69 flash floods, 39 floods, 13 heavy rain events and 8 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 20, and the NWS estimated $14.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 24, 2019. July has had the most flash floods, 20 of 69. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 148 have had fewer than South Charleston.
August 4, 2010: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of South Charleston — 1 killed, 1 injured, $200,000 damage.
July 25, 2005: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of South Charleston — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
June 6, 2013: heavy rain event 10 miles from the centre of South Charleston — 9 injured, $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 South Charleston's 2 ZIP codes have filed 91 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $2.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 34. 11% 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, 77 have fewer than South Charleston.
Kanawha County, which includes South Charleston, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 10 floods, 3 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on October 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kanawha County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and tornadoes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $142.9 million a year, the highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $132.7 million (93%), 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.