Mercer County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 341 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 30.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,549 nationally and #14 in West Virginia.
341
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$16.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Mercer County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mercer County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 5.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 334 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mercer County, West Virginia record is heavy rain, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $14.6M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Mercer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 105 | 0 | $494K | 65 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 87 | 0 | $61K | 3 | 1994–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 77 | 0 | $14.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 34 | 0 | $720K | 0 | 2015–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 22 | 2 | $130K | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $520K | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Debris Flow | 7 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 2015–2025 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $178K | F2 | 1965–2014 |
Decade by decade
Mercer County, West Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-10-07 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mercer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 1998 | Heavy Rain | COUNTYWIDE | 2 | 0 | $80K |
| Oct 8, 2014 | Tornado | PINOAK | 0 | 2 | $175K |
| Jun 24, 2019 | Lightning | GLENWOOD | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread flooding was reported across the county. Around two dozen roads were reported closed by WV DOT and significant road damage occurred also per WV DOT. The Bluestone River in Mercer County flooded through much of the county with a peak crest above the Moderate Flood Stage (17 feet) at the Spanishburg gage (SPNW2), reaching 17.1 feet early on the 5th. Route 19 was closed in six places along a 3-mile stretch by flooding from the Bluestone River according to the county Emergency Services Director, but no evacuations were required.
County dispatch reported significant flooding and gravel washouts on Brickyard Road in Princeton down to the Gardner Loop. Water on the road was described as rushing like a river. Route 20 was closed heading into Athens as streams and creeks crested out of their banks. Stafford Road was described as a 'lake' in local news reports. Several businesses in the Princeton area experienced flooding with water 2 to 3 feet deep and residents were evacuated from a home surrounded by water.
Flooding was reported on several small creeks, including Laurel Creek and Tracy Fork north and east of Athens and at the town water treatment plant. Several private bridges were destroyed in the area near Red Sulphur Turnpike near Athens. A section of Red Sulphur Turnpike was badly damaged and impassable.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
58,563
Population (ACS)
$122K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Feb 26, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Dec 9, 2024 | Tropical Storm | POST-TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 31, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mercer County, West Virginia?
341 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $16.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mercer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 105 recorded events — 30.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mercer County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mercer County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mercer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mercer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mercer County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 65 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mercer County, West Virginia severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Mason County 292
- Mineral County 207
- Marshall County 296
- Mingo County 271
- Marion County 367
- Monongalia County 458
Cite this page
“Mercer County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/mercer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.