NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Williamson, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Williamson, 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, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 4
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Williamson
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Williamson; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 27 miles away. The record near Williamson begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Hugo in 1989. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Williamson. The strongest of the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on March 2, 2012; its path came within 11 miles, and it killed 2 people. The most recent tornado was on October 7, 2014. Of the 161 West Virginia cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Williamson. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1980, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Williamson has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 161 West Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Williamson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 30 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 Williamson: 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 Williamson
By decade
- 2010s2(1 EF3+)
- 1990s1
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 11 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F1 | 24 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1998 | F0 | 13 mi | 0.1 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 Williamson
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of Williamson since 1980, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 21, 2011. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Williamson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Williamson, WV, 2 miles south of Williamson at 760 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 inches over 102 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from April to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.3 inches is more than at 52 of the 75 West Virginia stations used on this site (69%). Kermit, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Dunlow 1 SW, WV): 49.2 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 3.4 | 8 | 4.4 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 3.4 | 8 | 3.0 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 4.7 | 9 | 3.1 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 4.0 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 4.3 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.8 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 47 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 3.0 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 50 | 30 | 4.1 | 9 | 2.4 |
| Year | 69 | 46 | 48.3 | 102 | 13.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Williamson, WV (760 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 Williamson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 212 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Williamson: 144 thunderstorm wind reports, 38 flash floods, 25 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $7.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 93 mph, on June 29, 2012. January has had the most flash floods, 8 of 38. Of the 161 West Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 125 have had fewer than Williamson.
April 7, 2006: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Williamson — 2 injured, $900,000 damage.
August 19, 2005: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Williamson — 1 injured, $225,000 damage.
February 15, 2025: flood 2 miles from the centre of Williamson — $5.0 million 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 Williamson's ZIP code 25661 have filed 722 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $15.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 538 claims (75% of all) and $11.9 million, then February West Virginia Flooding in 2025 with 50 and Not a named storm in 1978 with 11. 84% 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, 127 have fewer than Williamson.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 538 | $11.9 million |
| February West Virginia Flooding2025 | 50 | $2.2 million |
| Not a named storm1978 | 11 | $8,891 |
Mingo County, which includes Williamson, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 28 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 11 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 Mingo County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 55 West Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.5 million (88%), 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 Williamson
- Belfry, KY3 mi
- Delbarton, WV7 mi
- Kermit, WV12 mi
- Phelps, KY15 mi
- Raccoon, KY16 mi
- Logan, WV17 mi
- Inez, KY18 mi
- Pikeville, KY21 mi
- Chapmanville, WV22 mi
- Harts, WV24 mi
- Harold, KY24 mi
- Hurley, VA24 mi
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