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Wayne County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 366 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,400 nationally and #13 in West Virginia.
366
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$10.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Wayne County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wayne County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 5.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 119 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 352 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wayne County, West Virginia record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $5.6M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wayne County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 183 | 0 | $2.4M | 70 | 1966–2026 |
| Hail | 74 | 0 | $107K | 2.5 | 1962–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 54 | 1 | $5.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 39 | 0 | $534K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $2.2M | F3 | 1965–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $28K | 0 | 2001–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2009 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–1999 |
Decade by decade
Wayne 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
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | EF3 | 10 | 118 | 85.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 6.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-07-04 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 2.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-06-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wayne County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2015 | Flash Flood | COVE GAP | 1 | 0 | $450K |
| Apr 9, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 21, 2011 | Lightning | KENOVA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 18, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Countywide | 0 | 1 | $30K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Some 15 to 20 homes were flooded along Spring Valley Drive between the Interstate 64 overpass and Jefferson Park. Krout Creek left its bank and sent water surging into homes, most of which were located across the street from the stream. Furniture, appliances, and carpet were damaged or destroyed. Some vehicles were also flooded. The nearby cooperative observer in West Huntington, at the waste water treatment plant, recorded 3.3 inches of rain in their 24 hour report. Local residents were questioning whether excess dirt used to raise the elevation of a downstream field affected the crest.
The West Fork of Twelvepole Creek and other streams were flooding during the morning of the 4th. Eventually, flooding became restricted to near the major rivers, including the Ohio. Roads were blocked by the high water.
The Corps of Engineers measured 2.4 inches of rain. One home was moved off its foundation. The American Red Cross survey indicated one mobile home destroyed, and 4 single family homes had major damage. Numerous roads were flooded by small streams, such as Toms Creek.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
38,164
Population (ACS)
$127K
Median home value
33
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 |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| May 20, 2021 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 13, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wayne County, West Virginia?
366 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $10.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wayne County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 183 recorded events — 50.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wayne County?
6 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 Wayne County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wayne County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wayne County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wayne 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
- Upshur County 280
- Webster County 197
- Tyler County 196
- Wetzel County 200
- Tucker County 165
- Wirt County 107
Cite this page
“Wayne County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/wayne-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.