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Kanawha County, West Virginia
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1957 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
15
Tornado reports
207
Hail reports
204
Floods since 1996
1,233
All events
19
Deaths
$144.6M
Property damage
Tornado paths in Kanawha County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 15 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
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Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
The flood of record occurred on the lower Elk River around Clendenin. Two women died. They were trying to save family heirlooms in the basement of a home in Elkview. In likely their last cell phone contact, 1 of the 2 women described the scene, as like the Titanic. An elderly man…
Severe flash flooding occurred in the northeastern portion of the county. Streams such as Jordan Creek, Doctors Creek, Thorofare Run, Little Sandy Creek, Wills Creek, and the lower reaches of Big Sandy Creek caused much destruction. Little Sandy Creek inundated one large culvert …
Several trees and large branches were blown down from the East End of Charleston on toward Kanawha State Forest. Some branches fell onto vehicles. The dark screen at the baseball field was shredded by the wind. A delayed direct death occurred in a freak accident about 2 hours aft…
A 53 year old male was on top of a car hauler, preparing to unload a vehicle, when he was struck and killed. The storm did not contain a lot of cloud to ground lightning, which may have been deceptive to the worker.
Scattered locations throughout the city reported trees or large branches blown down. Garrison Ave was blocked by fallen trees. A 79 year old man was killed by a falling tree in the 1400 block of Virginia Street. He was trying to get into his car, that was located off an alley beh…
Extensive flooding damage was observed in different neighborhoods within the Chelyan and Cedar Grove townships. On the Cedar Grove side of the Kanawha River, many homes were surrounded by water as Kelleys Creek rose out of its banks. The NWS Storm Survey crew noted a few areas al…
Numerous trees and large branches were blown down in the county. Seven homes were destroyed, 20 had major damage, and another 86 dwellings had minor damage. Nearly 79,000 customers were without electricity. The public infrastructure damage assessment was over 3 million dollars.
This area had received heavy rain 5 days earlier on the 12th. Another round of showers fell on the 14th. The ground was wetter than normal. Rain estimates of 2 to 3 inches fell in an hour. The most impact was along small tributaries to Rocky Fork, including Fishers Branch. An unn…
Hail, the size of golf balls to tennis balls, fell on the West Side hills of Charleston, then across the Knollwood and Mink Shoals vicinity, to Coonskin Park and Capital High School. The swath of hail then reached toward Crede and Big Chimney. This path narrowly missed the more d…
The initial flooding began along Grapevine Creek and Legg Fork in the Sissonville and Pocatalico region, but shifted southeast after dawn. The flooding became more severe after 0730E in the area from Charleston northeast toward Rutledge and Pinch. The axis of the heaviest rain wa…
Thunderstorm cells developed and intensified on the north side of a large complex of showers. Rains of 2.5 to 3.5 inches fell between 1340 and 1500E, in a narrow corridor from the Fort Hill section of Charleston on northeast, toward Big Chimney, Pinch, and Elkview. Charleston's a…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A downed tree occurred along I-79 south just before the Mink Shoals exit, blocking the right lane.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree fell and blocked Kanawha Turnpike at the 4600 block.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Over 800 customers in the Pocatalico area were without power due to tree damage.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Hundreds of homes around Elkview were without power due to tree and power line damage.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
In the South Hills of Charleston, a tree was blown down at the intersection of South Ruffner Road and Shady Lane.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A downed tree was observed along 7th Avenue in Dunbar.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A downed tree was observed along Parkway Road.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
High water issues arose on the interstate as water toppled down from the hill above and caused a mudslide at the I-64 Oakwood Road interchange by downtown Charleston. In Kanawha City, high water was also observed on 41st and 42nd Streets.
Drought Drought
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
In Kanawha City, a tree was blown down along a side street between Venable Avenue and MacCorkle Avenue.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Several trees were blown down at the intersection of Reamer Road and Youngstown Drive.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree down was blown down along Elk River Road.
Hail Hail
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
In Clendenin, a downed tree was observed along Route 119.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree was blown down along Thorofare Road. Local power outages were observed in the community as a result.
Drought Drought
Hail Hail
Drought Drought
Strong Wind Strong Wind
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A downed tree was observed near Simmons Creek Road in Belle.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A tree was blown down onto Poca River Road outside of Sissonville.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | 0 |
| 2025 | 95 | 0 |
| 2024 | 80 | 5 |
| 2023 | 49 | 0 |
| 2022 | 89 | 0 |
| 2021 | 31 | 0 |
| 2020 | 35 | 0 |
| 2019 | 47 | 2 |
| 2018 | 55 | 0 |
| 2017 | 20 | 0 |
| 2016 | 33 | 1 |
| 2015 | 24 | 0 |
| 2014 | 37 | 0 |
| 2013 | 47 | 0 |
| 2012 | 44 | 0 |
| 2011 | 50 | 0 |
| 2010 | 30 | 0 |
| 2009 | 27 | 0 |
| 2008 | 39 | 1 |
| 2007 | 29 | 0 |
| 2006 | 24 | 0 |
| 2005 | 11 | 0 |
| 2004 | 15 | 0 |
| 2003 | 19 | 0 |
| 2002 | 18 | 0 |
| 2001 | 24 | 0 |
| 2000 | 40 | 0 |
| 1999 | 22 | 0 |
| 1998 | 19 | 2 |
| 1997 | 25 | 0 |
| 1996 | 27 | 0 |
| 1995 | 7 | 0 |
| 1994 | 11 | 0 |
| 1993 | 4 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 |
| 1991 | 7 | 0 |
| 1990 | 5 | 1 |
| 1989 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988 | 3 | 0 |
| 1987 | 3 | 0 |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 0 |
| 1981 | 4 | 0 |
| 1980 | 5 | 2 |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 | 3 | 0 |
| 1977 | 1 | 0 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | 3 | 0 |
| 1969 | 5 | 1 |
| 1968 | 1 | 0 |
| 1967 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | 4 | 0 |
| 1964 | 1 | 0 |
| 1958 | 3 | 0 |
| 1957 | 1 | 0 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in Kanawha County, measured to its path.
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