NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wheeling, 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 Wheeling, West Virginia since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 32 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 32
- 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 Wheeling
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wheeling; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Wheeling begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 64 miles away. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 45% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Wheeling. The highest rating among the 32 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 5 times; the most recent, on August 1, 2022, came within 9 miles. Of the 32, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Wheeling has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 161 West Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 71 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Wheeling has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
Compare Wheeling's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wheeling
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Wheeling: 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 Wheeling
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s2
- 2000s2
- 1990s3
- 1980s5
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2022 | EF2 | 9 mi | 1.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 14 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 16 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1968 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 27, 1954 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 17 mi | 4.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 9 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF1 | 12 mi | 2.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 32, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wheeling
The Storm Prediction Center has 71 hail reports within 10 miles of Wheeling since 1962, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 2, 2025. The most recent report is from September 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wheeling
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wheeling, WV, 2 miles southwest of Wheeling at 645 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 41.9 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. That 41.9 inches is more than at 17 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (23%). Shadyside, OH, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Moundsville, WV): 46.2 inches a year, 4.3 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 3.4 | 8 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.7 | 7 |
| Mar | 51 | 30 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 3.5 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 41.9 | 88 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wheeling, WV (645 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 Wheeling
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 370 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wheeling: 273 thunderstorm wind reports, 69 flash floods, 24 floods and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 9 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $16.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 14, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 29 of 69. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 148 have had fewer than Wheeling.
June 14, 2025: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Wheeling — 9 killed, $2.0 million damage.
May 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Wheeling — 1 injured, $75,000 damage.
NWS: “A microburst ripped through Elm Grove. It was 150 yards wide and 600 yards long, with an estimated wind of 80 mph (69 kt).”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Wheeling — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported numerous trees down throughout the county.”
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 Wheeling's ZIP code 26003 have filed 3,002 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $30.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004: 958 claims (32% of all) and $16.2 million, then Flooding in 1996 with 820 and Not a named storm in 1979 with 27. 60% 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, 130 have fewer than Wheeling.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ivan2004 | 958 | $16.2 million |
| Flooding1996 | 820 | $3.5 million |
| Not a named storm1979 | 27 | $9,885 |
Ohio County, which includes Wheeling, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 floods, 7 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ohio County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.5 million a year, the 7th highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $29.5 million (94%), 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).
Wheeling in the notable storm records: Hurricane Ivan (2004)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Wheeling
- Martins Ferry, OH3 mi
- Triadelphia, WV4 mi
- Bridgeport, OH5 mi
- Bellaire, OH6 mi
- Shadyside, OH8 mi
- Glen Dale, WV9 mi
- Rayland, OH10 mi
- Dillonvale, OH11 mi
- Moundsville, WV11 mi
- Saint Clairsville, OH12 mi
- Jacobsburg, OH14 mi
- Adena, OH14 mi
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