Mason County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Mason County: 0.
2. 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.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. 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.

Smoke overhead

1. 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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. 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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. 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).
2. 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

Mapped by WV GS (5,379).

1. 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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and large branches were blown down. Electricity was lost to about 13,700 customers. Three houses were destroyed, 5 had major damage, and 3 had minor damage. The public infrastructure damage assessment was around $160,000.

2. Feb 16, 2003Ice Storm, Mason$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe ice storm occurred across a narrow east to west band of counties. The severe ice continued west, into southeast Ohio and northeast Kentucky. Ice from freezing rain accumulated 1 to 3 inches on power lines and trees. The precipitation then ended as snow on the 17th. The added weight from the ice, broke limbs and snapped the tops off thousands of trees. Other trees were uprooted or left leaning at precarious angles. The fallen trees blocked many roads. Power outages were widespread, and lasted for more than 3 days. Refrigerated frozen foods thawed and spoiled. Phone and water services were also interrupted. The Red Cross opened shelters. One gas station in Ravenswood wired…

3. Mar 2, 1997Flood, Mason$700,000
4. Sep 17, 2004Flood, Mason$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   As the weakening Hurricane Ivan moved inland across Alabama, light rain began in southern West Virginia on the morning of the 16th. The rain shield moved into northern counties overnight. Heavy rain began before dawn on the 17th around Huntington. The heavier rain moved up the Ohio River counties and engulfed the Ravenswood, Parkersburg, and Sistersville vicinity during the mid morning on the 17th. The heavy rain continue along the Ohio River counties into the mid afternoon, before lifting north and east. The more significant rain rates pivoted through central West Virginia during the late afternoon hours on the 17th before diminishing to drizzle after dark that evening. The low…

5. Jun 13, 2013Heavy Rain$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A small 25 to 30 foot bridge over Potter Creek along County Route 12 was damaged. The section of the bridge that was damaged was built in 1950. ||The heavy rains on the 13th and the swollen waters of Potter Creek caused the road surface over the bridge to sag on the 14th. The road was closed during the evening of the 14th.||The stream did not flood over the bridge. According to highway engineers the water level rose to about two-thirds the way up the abutments. The water scoured, or undercut, the foundations of the abutments. The whole bridge was scheduled to be replaced.

6. Mar 1, 1997Flash Flood$300,000
7. Jun 23, 1996Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Guyan and Eighteenmile Creeks flooded in the extreme southernpart of the county. A few cars were swept into the creeks.

8. Jun 19, 2003Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding occurred around New Haven, Letart, and Upper Flats. A few evacuations were required. Combined with the downpour on the 16th, Mason County had 7 mobile homes destroyed.

9. Jan 6, 2014Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Mason$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An arctic cold front sweep through West Virginia between midnight and 0400E on Monday the 6th. Wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph were common with the front. Rain showers and temperatures in the 40s and 50s quickly became snow showers with temperatures falling through the 20s by dawn. Snow accumulations were less than 2 inches. Temperatures continued to fall during the day on the 6th, with blustery winds. Readings reached down into the single digits by sunset. ||Temperatures at dawn on the 7th across the lowlands were mostly 2 below zero to 8 below zero. The coldest temperatures came from the highest elevations. Readings around 10 below were common across the mountains. The coldest…

10. Jan 20, 1996Flood, Mason$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Prior to a rain, the extensive snow cover in the western lowlandshad melted during the prior 5 days. Only patches of snow remainedin the wooded areas. Yet, 10 to 20 inches of snow remained overthe mountainous counties. The water content of that remainingsnow was 2 to 3 inches. On Thursday the 18th, temperatures aheadof a cold front rose into the 50s and 60s. Dew points climbedinto the 50s. Meanwhile, the winds increased. Thus, the remaining mountain snow was melting rapidly as rain approached. Six hour rainfall of 1.25 to 1.75 inches was common late Thursday night,the 18th, into the predawn hours of Friday, the 19th. Heavier rain fell in northern Pocahontas County and the…

1. 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.

All-time high

113°FJul 21, 1934

All-time low

−28°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

80°FAug 12, 1937

Coldest day

1°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

4.96 inSep 10, 2026

Snowiest day

24.0 inJan 17, 1994

Hottest year

1990mean 58.3°F

Coldest year

1981mean 52.2°F

Wettest year

201858.70 in

Driest year

193024.70 in

Snowiest season

43.5 in1935-36

Station Gallipolis (USC00333029), 578 ft elevation, 6.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1934 to October 27, 2026; 94.0% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00333029.
• 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.