NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Summersville, 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 Summersville, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 8 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 8
- 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 Summersville
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Summersville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The record near Summersville begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 50 miles away. 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 Summersville. The highest rating among the 8 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 2, 2024, came within 15 miles. Of the 8, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Summersville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1979, with stones up to 2.25 inches. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Summersville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Summersville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 73 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 Summersville: 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 Summersville
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 1990s2
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 15 mi | 5.31 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 26, 1990 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 21, 2016 | EF1 | 20 mi | 5.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 6, 1969 | F1 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 1967 | F1 | 9 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1970 | F0 | 22 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 8 of 8, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Summersville
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Summersville since 1979, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.25 inches, fell on April 14, 2025, the most recent report. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Summersville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Summersville Lake, WV, 6 miles south of Summersville at 1,768 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 81°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. July is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.0 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 2 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 127 nights a year. That 50.0 inches is more than at 61 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (81%). Craigsville, 12 miles east, has its own station (Richwood 1SSE, WV): 56.0 inches a year, 6.0 more than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 81°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.5 |
| Feb | 44 | 23 | 3.1 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 4.3 |
| Apr | 65 | 38 | 4.2 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 5.3 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 5.9 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 4.2 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.3 |
| Nov | 54 | 32 | 3.3 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 3.9 |
| Year | 63 | 41 | 50.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Summersville Lake, WV (1,768 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 Summersville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 43 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Summersville: 33 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $255,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 58 mph, on May 21, 2004. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 12 have had fewer than Summersville.
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 Summersville's ZIP code 26651 have filed 14 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 43% 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, 13 have fewer than Summersville.
Nicholas County, which includes Summersville, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 hurricanes, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on May 22, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Nicholas County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.2 million a year, the 28th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.3 million (58%), 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 Summersville
- Craigsville, WV12 mi
- Richwood, WV19 mi
- Cowen, WV20 mi
- Fayetteville, WV21 mi
- Rainelle, WV24 mi
- Sutton, WV25 mi
- Oak Hill, WV27 mi
- Clendenin, WV27 mi
- Gassaway, WV28 mi
- Webster Springs, WV29 mi
- Meadow Bridge, WV31 mi
- Elkview, WV34 mi
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