Marion County
Population 55,584 (2025) 309 sq mi
Property owners in Marion County have filed 371 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 23rd most of 55 counties in West Virginia.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19507
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger5
- Major flood years since 19786
At a glance
The record for Marion County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi
4
9th of 55 in West Virginia
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsTornadoes since 1950
7
7th of 55 in West Virginia
3.5 times the typical West Virginia county
DetailsStrongest tornado
F2
June 21, 1981, 1.0 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 1.9 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 11 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
June 21, 1981
F2, 1.0 mile path
10 yards wide.
Most recent
Monday, June 14, 2021
EF0, 0.9 mile path
5 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 14, 2021 | EF0 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | EF1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 1996 | F1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 14, 1990 | F1 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 21, 1981 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 8, 1979 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 1954 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Marion County: 0.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
4 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 21, 1888
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
1.9 miles at closest approach, winds near 51 mph.
Most recent
October 30, 2012
Sandy, Post-tropical
76.6 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
| Sandy | 2012 | 76.6 | Post-tropical |
| Isabel | 2003 | 27.4 | Tropical storm |
| Hugo | 1989 | 42.5 | Tropical storm |
| Frederic | 1979 | 26.9 | Tropical storm |
| David | 1979 | 77.0 | Tropical storm |
| Audrey | 1957 | 22.2 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1934 | 62.8 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1915 | 9.2 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1896 | 76.8 | Post-tropical |
| Unnamed | 1888 | 1.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1878 | 32.4 | Post-tropical |
- Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 54 days
Heavy smoke on 16 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
13.6 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
12 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 32 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
371 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $5.8 million paid.
Most claims in one year
2017: 52 claims
$1.6 million paid.
2nd most
1980: 47 claims
$214,000 paid.
3rd most
2003: 37 claims
$419,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 26554 | 167 | $3.5 million |
| 26582 | 90 | $1.6 million |
| 26591 | 31 | $182,000 |
| 26571 | 21 | $228,000 |
| 26587 | 15 | $126,000 |
| 26578 | 14 | $89,000 |
| 26570 | 8 | $42,000 |
| 26588 | 8 | $50,000 |
| 26555 | 7 | $15,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood114
- Flood26
- Heavy Rain5
1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 105 of 1,581 months since 1895 (7%); the longest spell lasted 19 months.
105
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
45
Months in extreme drought
7%
Share of all months, severe or worse
6
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
January 1931
−6.96, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
19 months
August 1965 to February 1967.
Latest month
September 2026
+2.37, moderately wet
Last severe month: March 2025.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
12 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 2010; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
2
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
June 2, 2017
Magnitude 3.4
1 km WNW of Batesville, Ohio; 48.6 miles away, 1.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
June 2, 2017
Magnitude 3.4
1 km WNW of Batesville, Ohio; 48.6 miles away.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
5,356
Landslides mapped, probable or better
6
With a recorded date
2
Source inventories
Mapped by WV GS (5,350), NASA (6).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
481 events in the National Weather Service record, 440 of them since 1996.
23
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
1
Hail, 2 inches or larger
147
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
55
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
July 10, 1975
2.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
December 31, 2024
75 mph
More event types since 1996
| Debris flows | 5 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jun 28, 1998Flash Flood$5.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Torrential thunderstorm rains created widespread flash flooding across the county as numerous roads were closed. Several evacuations were required in the city of Bingamon, but the majority of problems were reported in the Mannington area. Flooding damaged 100 homes in Mannington, with around three feet of water reported in some of the city streets.
- Jun 15, 2025Flash Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
State official reported that Locust Ave near the 1300 block was completely underwater. Just east of that location an apartment complex wall collapsed as water flowed through and over the structure. Several individuals were trapped in the building and water rescues were performed.
- Jul 10, 2001Flash Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Torrential thunderstorm rains produced significant flash flooding across the county. Radar-estimated rainfall totals of 3.7 inches occurred in the Glady Creek Basin, 3.6 inches in the Millersville and Robinson Run areas, and 3.3 inches in the city of Fairmont. Numerous roadways were closed as a result of the flooding, including portions of U.S. Route 19 in the Monongah, Worthington and White Rock areas. SR 73 at Boothville and portions of SR 310 near Valley Falls State Park were also closed. In the Valley Falls area alone, a total of 9 homes and 3 businesses reported major damage from the flooding with 7 homes reporting minor damage. Numerous homes across the county reported…
- Feb 29, 2012Flash Flood$350,000
National Weather Service narrative
Emergency Rescue reported flooding in Worthington and Fairmont.
- Feb 29, 2012Flash Flood$350,000
National Weather Service narrative
The public reported flooding in the city of Fairmont; streams in buildings.
- Feb 18, 2000Flash Flood$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain forced Buffalo Creek out of its banks near Mannington, closing several roads in the area. Widespread flooding was also reported in the Fairview and Worthington areas.
- May 4, 2009Flood$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous roads flooded across the county with bulk of high water along the West Fork River around Worthington. SR 19 flooded with some water in structures.
- Sep 26, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Emergency management reported some structural damage to homes with trees down on houses. Numerous power lines down and some roads closed.
- Jun 10, 2021Flash Flood$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Multiple reports of flooded areas, including Pike Street and Howard Street. Fairmont Bowl Center had water inside, 2 to 3 inches deep. The rain was so heavy on Kirckway Drive, in Fairmont, that it caused Coal Run Creek to overflow. The water came over the barrier and caused a sink hole.
- Jul 20, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$75,000
National Weather Service narrative
Emergency management reported numerous trees down from Mannington to Farmington.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Fairmont, 2.9 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1905.
- All-time high
- 108°FAug 8, 1918
- All-time low
- −21°FJan 20, 1994
- Warmest night
- 76°F2 times, most recently Jun 27, 1952
- Coldest day
- −1°F2 times, most recently Jan 20, 1994
- Wettest day
- 4.20 inJul 24, 1896
- Snowiest day
- 24.0 inFeb 4, 1926
- Hottest year
- 1911mean 57.1°F
- Coldest year
- 1981mean 49.7°F
- Wettest year
- 201863.40 in
- Driest year
- 193026.25 in
- Snowiest season
- 83.2 in1995-96
Median first snow
November 25
Earliest: October 19, 1972
Median last snow
March 26
Latest: May 1, 1963
0 of 98 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Fairmont (USC00462920), 1,300 ft elevation, 2.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1905 to October 23, 2026; 92.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
22 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3639-WV |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Flood | DR-4884-WV |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4517-WV |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3450-WV |
| Aug 18, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4331-WV |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3358-WV |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | EM-3345-WV |
| Mar 16, 2012 | Severe Storm | DR-4059-WV |
| Apr 23, 2010 | Snowstorm | DR-1903-WV |
| Jun 19, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1769-WV |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3221-WV |
| Nov 21, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1500-WV |
| Jun 21, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1474-WV |
| Mar 14, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1455-WV |
| Jun 3, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1378-WV |
| Feb 28, 2000 | Flood | DR-1319-WV |
| Jul 1, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1229-WV |
| Jan 13, 1996 | Snowstorm | DR-1084-WV |
| Mar 17, 1993 | Snowstorm | EM-3109-WV |
| Nov 7, 1985 | Flood | DR-753-WV |
| Aug 15, 1980 | Flood | DR-628-WV |
| Mar 13, 1967 | Flood | DR-224-WV |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Marion County stands among 55 counties in West Virginia and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 7 | 7 / 55 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 4 | 9 / 55 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 371 | 23 / 55 |
| Flood insurance paid | $5.8 million | 15 / 55 |
| Disaster declarations | 22 | 36 / 55 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 145 | 4 / 55 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 220 | 22 / 55 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 55 | 48 / 55 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $10.5 million | 31 / 55 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 105 | 31 / 55 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 13.6 | 17 / 55 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Harrison County | 6 | 4 |
| Monongalia County | 8 | 4 |
| Taylor County | 3 | 3 |
| Wetzel County | 1 | 4 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00462920.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.