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Clay County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 167 recorded events between 1980 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,621 nationally and #46 in West Virginia.
167
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$20.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Clay County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clay County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 61 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 165 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $10.0M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Clay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 89 | 0 | $1.2M | 61 | 1980–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $10.0M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 29 | 0 | $6K | 1.75 | 1989–2025 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $9.2M | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $4K | 0 | 2001–2013 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–1999 |
Decade by decade
Clay County, West Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding transitioned into river flooding along the Elk River during the late afternoon and early evening. The river flooding continued into the morning of the 24th.||Damage associated with the river flooding may have exceeded that associated with the earlier flash flooding. The Clay County 911 Center had about 2 feet of water inside. Sections of Route 4 around Procious were washed out.
Severe flash flooding occurred in scattered locations along several streams. One stream was Porter Creek in the Bomont area. One 9 year resident in Bomont said, I really do not imagine how this would happen. It's just heartbreaking to see all the homes floating down the creek. A few of the other streams included Laurel Creek near Paxton and Big Otter near Ivydale.||This initial flash flooding along the small streams transitioned into river flooding along the Elk River.
Numerous trees and large branches were blown down. Electricity was lost to nearly 2,000 customers. One home was destroyed, 3 had major damage, and 4 others had minor damage. The public infrastructure damage assessment was around $325,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
7,835
Population (ACS)
$109K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jan 30, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 25, 2016 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Aug 7, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clay County, West Virginia?
167 events are on record between 1980 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $20.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clay County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 89 recorded events — 53.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clay County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County as very low risk, placing it in the 22 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clay 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
- Calhoun County 134
- Doddridge County 154
- Cabell County 391
- Fayette County 283
- Brooke County 198
- Gilmer County 166
Cite this page
“Clay County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/clay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.