NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Union, 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 West Union, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Isabel in 2003. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 12
- 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 West Union
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed West Union; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The record near West Union begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Isabel in 2003, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 45% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than West Union. The strongest of the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on October 1, 1986; its path passed within a mile of the city centre. Of the 12, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 3 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 4. The most recent tornado was on June 23, 2017. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than West Union. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1984, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than West Union.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near West Union
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 10 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 West Union: 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 West Union
By decade
- 2010s2
- 2000s1
- 1990s2
- 1980s3(1 EF3+)
- 1970s3
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 1986 | F3 | in town | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 28, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 7, 1956 | F2 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 23, 2017 | EF1 | 16 mi | 4.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 16 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F1 | 17 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1998 | F1 | 19 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 18 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1986 | F1 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1978 | F1 | 20 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1979 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 10, 1978 | F0 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in West Union
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of West Union since 1984, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on February 27, 1996. The most recent report is from April 7, 2020. April has the most reports, 5.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in West Union
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Union 2, WV, in West Union at 806 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. July is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 98 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 132 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.2 inches is more than at 58 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (77%). Middlebourne, 14 miles north, has its own station (Middlebourne 3 ESE, WV): 47.3 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.7 | 9 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 44 | 22 | 3.5 | 8 | 6.7 |
| Mar | 54 | 29 | 4.3 | 9 | 2.8 |
| Apr | 67 | 38 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 49 | 5.1 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 58 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 41 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 31 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 4.0 | 9 | 3.4 |
| Year | 65 | 41 | 49.2 | 98 | 23.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Union 2, WV (806 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 West Union
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 127 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Union: 87 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 17 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 64 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 77 have had fewer than West Union.
August 10, 2022: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of West Union — $1.4 million damage.
NWS: “The Doddridge County Senior Center in West Union observed substantial damage to its foundation due to the inundation of rain. The wall inside of the building was caved in from downed trees and water rushed down the hill into the basement.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind in West Union — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and large branches were blown down in scattered locations about the county. One house sustained major damage.”
June 3, 2008: flash flood in West Union — $300,000 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 West Union's ZIP code 26456 have filed 29 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $221,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 15 claims (52% of all) and $96,000. 59% 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, 35 have fewer than West Union.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 15 | $96,000 |
Doddridge County, which includes West Union, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Doddridge County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.1 million a year, the 48th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.7 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.
Cities near West Union
- Pennsboro, WV10 mi
- Salem, WV11 mi
- Middlebourne, WV14 mi
- Harrisville, WV17 mi
- Sistersville, WV20 mi
- Saint Marys, WV22 mi
- Lumberport, WV23 mi
- Jane Lew, WV23 mi
- Paden City, WV23 mi
- Clarksburg, WV23 mi
- Weston, WV24 mi
- New Matamoras, OH24 mi
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