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Ritchie County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 234 recorded events between 1967 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,219 nationally and #30 in West Virginia.
234
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$5.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Ritchie County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Ritchie County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 4.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 82 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 227 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Ritchie County, West Virginia record is heavy rain, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $3.3M 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 Ritchie County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 140 | 0 | $2.2M | 87 | 1975–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 41 | 0 | $3.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 34 | 0 | $116K | 1.75 | 1967–2025 |
| Flood | 14 | 1 | $284K | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 4 | $7K | 0 | 1996–2015 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $15K | EF1 | 2014–2014 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Ritchie 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: 0 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Ritchie County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 8, 1996 | Heavy Rain | 2NE PETROLEUM | 4 | 0 | $5K |
| Feb 4, 2022 | Flood | CISCO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The body of an elderly man was found after being swept away by floodwaters due to Hughes River being out of its banks. The vehicle was spotted by passing motorists near State Route 47 in the Cisco area nearly submerged underwater.
Numerous trees and large branches were blown down in scattered locations in the county. Over 8,000 customers lost electricity. One home was destroyed, 3 had major damage, and 4 others sustained minor damage. The public infrastructure damage assessment was near $62,000.
Serious flash flooding occurred. Outbuildings, mobile homes, and vehicles washed down Addis, Bear, and Buky Runs. A few wooden homes were moved off their foundations. A mother and her 3 teenage daughters were rescued by the Harrisville Volunteer Fire Department by boat after their mobile home started floating in the flood waters of Addis Run. The home was stopped and held by the block of their air condition unit. The mother later said, "I was in the living room hugging my kids with water up to our knees. We really thought we were about to meet our maker." Roads were extensively damage. About 20 people were without shelter. One volunteer fireman said, "It's the worst I've seen, and I've lived here 24 years."
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,286
Population (ACS)
$116K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 17, 2018 | Mud/Landslide | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 18, 2015 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| 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 Ritchie County, West Virginia?
234 events are on record between 1967 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $5.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Ritchie County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 140 recorded events — 59.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Ritchie County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 0 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Ritchie County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Ritchie County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Ritchie County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ritchie County as very low risk, placing it in the 16 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Ritchie 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
- Randolph County 260
- Roane County 227
- Raleigh County 388
- Summers County 178
- Putnam County 474
- Taylor County 187
Cite this page
“Ritchie County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/ritchie-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.