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Pendleton County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 160 recorded events between 1969 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,661 nationally and #50 in West Virginia.
160
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$11.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Pendleton County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pendleton County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 2.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 59 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 2 events fall before 1990 and 158 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Pendleton County, West Virginia record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $11.4M 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 Pendleton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 66 | 0 | $188K | 70 | 1969–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 1 | $11.4M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 30 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1991–2024 |
| Flood | 18 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2005 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $8K | F1 | 1970–1998 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Pendleton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pendleton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 1996 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Sep 19, 2003 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | $200K |
| Jul 17, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | BRANDYWINE | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The stream gage on the South Branch Potomac River near Franklin rose above flood stage during the specified timeframe, reaching a peak stream level of 7.45 feet at 12:45 AM EST. At 7 feet, a low spot on Dickenson Mountain Road (Route 220/12) 300 feet downstream from the bridge begins to flood. At 8 feet, the Franklin city park begins to flood.
The stream gauge on the South Branch Potomac River at Franklin exceeded flood stage. Video footage confirms numerous roads were closed, including Route 220/12 south of Franklin and US 220 between Franklin and Ruddle. The peak level of 9.10 feet was observed at 905 AM EDT, and was the highest level observed at this location since 2010.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
6,043
Population (ACS)
$184K
Median home value
23
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 |
| Aug 2, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jul 12, 2018 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Nov 27, 2012 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SANDY | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pendleton County, West Virginia?
160 events are on record between 1969 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $11.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pendleton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 66 recorded events — 41.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pendleton 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 Pendleton County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pendleton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pendleton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pendleton County as very low risk, placing it in the 30 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pendleton 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
- Ohio County 265
- Pleasants County 91
- Nicholas County 196
- Pocahontas County 143
- Morgan County 240
- Preston County 457
Cite this page
“Pendleton County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/pendleton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.