Webster County, West Virginia severe weather history spans 197 recorded events between 1979 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,460 nationally and #41 in West Virginia.
197
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$12.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Webster County, West Virginia severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Webster County, West Virginia severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 53 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 188 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 $6.1M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Webster County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 95 | 0 | $1.4M | 60 | 1979–2025 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $27K | 1.75 | 1981–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 0 | $6.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 21 | 0 | $5.1M | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2013 |
Decade by decade
Webster County, West Virginia severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Webster County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 2013 | Heavy Rain | SKELT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The flash flooding along the streams transitioned into river flooding along the Gauley and upper Elk Rivers. ||The highest stage on record occurred on the Gauley River at Camden on Gauley. See the episode narrative for the specifics. Of the 30 homes along Riverside Drive in Camden on Gauley, only 8 were located high enough on the hill to avoid the flood waters.
Severe flash flooding occurred in scattered locations throughout the county. Runoff also cascaded down steep mountains, generating their own water channels. ||Stream flooding transitioned into severe river flooding on the upper Gauley River during the evening of the 23rd. ||The combination of both the flash flooding and river flooding destroyed on the order of 60 to 70 homes. About 15 to 20 dwellings sustained major damage, with another 15 to 20 houses having minor flood damage.
Numerous roads were closed by flooding streams or runoff and debris off mountainsides. This included Route 15 and 20 between Webster Springs and Diana. Runoff came off the steep mountainsides and ran through the streets of Webster Springs. Water came down off of Spillman Mountain. The mountainside had a 26 percent grade or slope. The small unnamed stream overflowed. Its water ran down Euclyde Street and torn up the asphalt on Miller Mountain Road in front of the hospital. Water got inside the hospital too, causing it to close temporarily. The kitchen area of the hospital was most affected. A few windows were shattered. ||The emergency room opened shortly after the flooding. Inpatient services were up and running a few days after the flood through the use of a mobile kitchen.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,144
Population (ACS)
$76K
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Webster County, West Virginia?
197 events are on record between 1979 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $12.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Webster County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 95 recorded events — 48.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Webster County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Webster County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Webster County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Webster County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Webster 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
- Wayne County 366
- Wetzel County 200
- Upshur County 280
- Wirt County 107
- Tyler County 196
- Wood County 446
Cite this page
“Webster County, West Virginia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/west-virginia/webster-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.