NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wellsburg, 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 Wellsburg, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 38 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 38
- 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 Wellsburg
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wellsburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1878, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The record near Wellsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 51 miles away. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Wellsburg 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 38 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on May 7, 2024, came within 21 miles. Of the 38, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Wellsburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 87% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Wellsburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wellsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wellsburg: 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 Wellsburg
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s6
- 2000s1
- 1990s4
- 1980s5
- 1970s2
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 15.32 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 1, 2022 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 5 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1954 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 21, 2025 | EF1 | 18 mi | 13.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 6.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 17 mi | 4.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 21 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 38, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wellsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of Wellsburg since 1974, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently March 28, 2020. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wellsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wheeling Ohio Co Airport, WV, 7 miles southwest of Wellsburg at 1,179 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 37.6 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. That 37.6 inches is more than at 2 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (3%). Mingo Junction, OH, 4 miles northwest, has its own station (Steubenville, OH): 43.2 inches a year, 5.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 22 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 40 | 24 | 2.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Apr | 63 | 42 | 3.1 | 8 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Sep | 75 | 55 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 64 | 45 | 2.8 | 7 |
| Nov | 51 | 35 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 41 | 28 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Year | 61 | 43 | 37.6 | 82 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wheeling Ohio Co Airport, WV (1,179 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 Wellsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 363 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wellsburg: 309 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 17 floods, 7 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $7.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 121 mph, on May 18, 1997. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 111 have had fewer than Wellsburg.
June 13, 2008: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Wellsburg — 1 killed, 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
May 18, 2017: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Wellsburg — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
April 29, 2025: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Wellsburg — 1 injured, $5,000 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 Wellsburg's ZIP code 26070 have filed 414 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $4.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 170 claims (41% of all) and $2.9 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 110. 68% 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, 121 have fewer than Wellsburg.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 170 | $2.9 million |
| Flooding1996 | 110 | $707,000 |
Brooke County, which includes Wellsburg, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on May 24, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brooke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hail, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.6 million a year, the 29th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.6 million (92%), 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 Wellsburg
- Mingo Junction, OH4 mi
- Follansbee, WV4 mi
- Colliers, WV6 mi
- Steubenville, OH7 mi
- Rayland, OH8 mi
- Avella, PA8 mi
- Wintersville, OH9 mi
- Weirton, WV10 mi
- Dillonvale, OH10 mi
- Burgettstown, PA13 mi
- Martins Ferry, OH13 mi
- Bloomingdale, OH13 mi
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