NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Webster Springs, 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 Webster Springs, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Hugo in 1989. Since 1950, 4 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 4
- 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 Webster Springs
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Webster Springs; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Webster Springs begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Webster Springs has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles is F1 or EF1, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 21, 2016, came within 16 miles. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Webster Springs. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Webster Springs.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Webster Springs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 48 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 Webster Springs: 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 Webster Springs
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s2
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2016 | EF1 | 16 mi | 5.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 6, 1969 | F1 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 25, 2024 | Unrated | 25 mi | 2.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 4 of 4, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Webster Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Webster Springs since 1984, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 8 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 23, 2000. The most recent report is from June 2, 2019. May and June have the most reports, 6 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Webster Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Webster Springs 8 N, WV, 4 miles northwest of Webster Springs at 1,850 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 20°F. July is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 60.2 inches over 119 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 140 nights a year. Snowfall averages 91.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 60.2 inches is more than at 74 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (99%). Craigsville, 18 miles southwest, has its own station (Richwood 1SSE, WV): 56.0 inches a year, 4.2 less than here, and a July average high of 78°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 20 | 4.3 | 12 | 28.9 |
| Feb | 45 | 23 | 3.9 | 10 | 15.5 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 5.3 | 12 | 17.1 |
| Apr | 65 | 37 | 5.1 | 11 | 3.9 |
| May | 73 | 46 | 5.9 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 54 | 6.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 58 | 6.6 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 5.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 51 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 39 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Nov | 55 | 30 | 4.3 | 9 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 45 | 24 | 4.7 | 10 | 18.5 |
| Year | 64 | 39 | 60.2 | 119 | 91.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Webster Springs 8 N, WV (1,850 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 Webster Springs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 77 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Webster Springs: 56 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 floods, 6 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on March 1, 2017. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 7 have had fewer than Webster Springs.
November 26, 2013: heavy rain event 6 miles from the centre of Webster Springs — 1 injured.
NWS: “After dark, around 2100E a man and a woman began to drive their ATV into the swollen waters of remote Sugar Creek. The stream was still within its banks.”
July 13, 2015: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Webster Springs — $600,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads were closed by flooding streams or runoff and debris off mountainsides. This included Route 15 and 20 between Webster Springs and Diana.”
August 9, 2000: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Webster Springs — $350,000 damage.
NWS: “Sixty structures received general damage, such as blown out windows, trees blown onto dwellings, and down electrical lines. Two businesses were damaged.”
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 Webster Springs's ZIP code 26288 have filed 120 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $845,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Summer severe storms in 2016: 26 claims (22% of all) and $438,000, then Flooding in 1985 with 25. 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, 84 have fewer than Webster Springs.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Summer severe storms2016 | 26 | $438,000 |
| Flooding1985 | 25 | $94,000 |
Webster County, which includes Webster Springs, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1980, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Webster 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 $6.3 million a year, the 46th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.2 million (82%), 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 Webster Springs
- Cowen, WV9 mi
- Craigsville, WV18 mi
- Sutton, WV19 mi
- Richwood, WV20 mi
- Huttonsville, WV25 mi
- French Creek, WV26 mi
- Marlinton, WV26 mi
- Gassaway, WV27 mi
- Summersville, WV29 mi
- Beverly, WV35 mi
- Buckhannon, WV37 mi
- Weston, WV39 mi
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