NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Welch, 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 Welch, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 6 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 6
- 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 Welch
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Welch; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The record near Welch begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 89% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Welch. The strongest of the 6 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on April 4, 1974; its path came within 24 miles. Of the 6, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 2 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on October 7, 2014. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Welch. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1980, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Welch.
Compare Welch's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Welch
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Welch: 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 Welch
By decade
- 2010s2
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.2 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 20 mi | 5.54 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 12, 1975 | F1 | 3 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 12 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | F1 | 3 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 6 of 6, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Welch
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Welch since 1980, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on July 9, 1980. The most recent report is from May 5, 2018. May has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Welch
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pineville, WV, 11 miles north of Welch at 1,320 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.6 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 112 nights a year. Snowfall averages 20.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.6 inches is more than at 54 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (72%). Mullens, 16 miles northeast, has its own station (Mullens 3 E, WV): 48.6 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 3.9 | 8 | 9.8 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 3.5 | 8 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 4.3 | 9 | 2.7 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 74 | 51 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 65 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 64 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 57 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 2.8 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 4.0 | 9 | 2.6 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 48.6 | 97 | 20.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pineville, WV (1,320 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 Welch
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 91 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Welch: 79 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 floods, 4 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 4 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $6.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 11, 2009.
February 15, 2025: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Welch — 3 killed, $5.0 million damage.
NWS: “Major flash flooding occurred in and around Welch. Homes and businesses were surrounded by water, roads and underpasses became impassable, and cars were stranded.”
February 11, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Welch — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “The gym roof of the Twin Branch Pentecostal Christian Academy was lifted up and shifted by the wind. The entire roof fell back down onto its cinderblock support walls.”
March 4, 2015: flood 6 miles from the centre of Welch — $350,000 damage.
NWS: “Several streams flooded and closed roads. Longpole Creek was one example.”
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 Welch's ZIP code 24801 have filed 344 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $4.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 73 claims (21% of all) and $111,000, then February West Virginia Flooding in 2025 with 32. The year with the most claims was 2002, with 87. 34% 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, 119 have fewer than Welch.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 73 | $111,000 |
| February West Virginia Flooding2025 | 32 | $1.9 million |
McDowell County, which includes Welch, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on February 26, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McDowell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.5 million a year, the 13th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.2 million (69%), 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 Welch
- Mullens, WV16 mi
- North Tazewell, VA19 mi
- Bluefield, VA19 mi
- Rock, WV20 mi
- Tazewell, VA22 mi
- Bluefield, WV22 mi
- Hurley, VA24 mi
- Pounding Mill, VA25 mi
- Richlands, VA26 mi
- Sophia, WV26 mi
- Raven, VA26 mi
- Oakwood, VA27 mi
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