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Ohio County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 265 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,005 nationally and #26 in West Virginia.
265
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$5.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Ohio County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ohio County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 85 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 24 events fall before 1990 and 241 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Ohio County, West Virginia record is flash flood, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $3.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Ohio County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 173 | 0 | $1.4M | 70 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 43 | 9 | $3.9M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 37 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1962–2021 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $31K | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $0 | F1 | 1961–1977 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2025 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Ohio 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
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ohio County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 2025 | Flash Flood | RONEYS PT | 9 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Jul 25, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Jun 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | WHEELING | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| May 21, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELM GROVE | 0 | 1 | $75K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Reports of flash flooding began to come in around 8:30pm, starting near Peters Run Road and Battle Run Road. The water quickly rose along Little Wheeling Creek and the tributaries into Little Wheeling Creek. Emergency management reported at 9pm that there were several water rescues involving stranded vehicles and water rescues from buildings, especially along Route 40/National Road from Elm Grove to the PA State line.
Torrential thunderstorm rains forced small creeks and storm sewers to overflow. Several streets in the Wheeling area were closed due to flooding, including US Route 40. Carters Run Creek overflowed, flooding a house and causing it to collapse. No injuries were reported.
An 80-foot long portion of a cinder block wall was blown in by thunderstorm winds. A large tree was blown onto a house, damaging the porch roof. A large plate glass window of a car dealership was blown in. A portion of a cinder block wall at Wheeling Downs Racetrack was blown over. Several roads in the Wheeling area were closed by fallen trees. Numerous fallen trees were reported throughout the city.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
41,582
Population (ACS)
$166K
Median home value
23
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 24, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Wheeling 132
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Ohio County, West Virginia?
265 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 9 direct deaths and $5.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ohio County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 173 recorded events — 65.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ohio County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ohio County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ohio County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ohio County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ohio County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 70 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ohio 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
- Nicholas County 196
- Pendleton County 160
- Morgan County 240
- Pleasants County 91
- Monroe County 167
- Pocahontas County 143
Cite this page
“Ohio County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/ohio-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.