Monroe County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Monroe 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.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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 (655).

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.

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 28, 2011Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   As much as five inches of rain fell in only a 90 minute time period in and around the community of Zenith. Several roads, including Zenith Road, Wallace Hollow Road and County Road 29/2 - Back County Road, were inundated due to flash flooding of small streams. The flash flood waters also damaged some downstream outbuildings and vehicles.

2. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds downed hundreds of trees and many power lines across the county. The greatest concentration of downed trees was to the north and west of Union. The damage extended into the Lindside area where a tree fell onto a moving vehicle. One occupant of the vehicle sustained scrapes and bruises. Damage values are estimated.

3. Jun 19, 2020Flash Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Reports mentioned up to 25 homes damaged on the Monroe County side of Alderson. Two homes suffered severe structural damage when basement walls were caved. Dark Hollow Road was flooded out and the bridge possibly damaged. At least one person was reported trapped in their home and requiring rescue. Follow-up reports mentioned several mudslide and some very significant road and culvert damage in parts of the area.

4. Apr 7, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A line of severe thunderstorms occurred along a cold front as is passed through the region. The most notable severe weather with the line of storms was damaging thunderstorm winds estimated as high as near 90 mph. Damage in Monroe county included 3 houses with roofs blown off, and others with roof damage, a church steeple blown off, and several buildings damaged -- all of this in the town of Union. Also, county wide, numerous trees were felled due to the high winds in both Monroe and Summers Counties. Severe hail, ranging from penny to quarter size, also accompanied the storms in Greenbrier County.

5. Jan 19, 1996Flash Flood$280,000
6. Feb 6, 1998Heavy Snow, Monroe$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy snow developed during the morning hours on the 6th and continued into the afternoon hours. Snowfall amounts were mainly from 3 to 6 inches in Mercer, Monroe, and Summers Counties and from 6 to 10 inches in Greenbrier County. The weight of the snow from this storm broke of tree limbs that resulted in some power outages, especially in Greenbrier County. The weight of the snow combined with recent rains and the weight of snow from the record breaking snow storm at the end of January collapsed roofs of two churches and toppled steeples at two other churches. In addition, roofs of several out buildings, homes, barns, and businesses collapsed under the weight of the snow. Numerous…

7. May 17, 2018Flash Flood$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Indian Creek was reported to be out of its banks and flowing across Route 219 at a depth of at least two feet in the Salt Sulphur Springs area. At least four homes in the same area received flood damage, including a bed and breakfast. The Union Rescue Squad office was also flooded. Several other creeks were reported to be flooded closing more roads. Route 122 was reported with water over the road in the Raines Corner area. The Indian Creek gauge near Red Sulphur Springs (INCW2) located downstream of the heaviest rain area, crested at 11.62 feet, above the Minor flood stage of 8 feet.

8. May 28, 2010Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash water waters washed out Hans Creek Road. Damage values are estimated.

9. Nov 19, 2003Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate to heavy rainfall late on the 18th and on the 19th resulted in widespread significant flash flooding and small stream flooding.In Mercer County, there was significant flooding across the county, as many creeks and smaller rivers flooded. Numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.In Greenbrier County, significant flash flooding occurred along many streams and creeks throughout the county. The flooding damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes.In Monroe County, significant flash flooding occurred along several creeks....resulting in damage to homes and businesses. Brush Creek flooded and caused evacuations in a trailer park in the Peterstown area. Indian Creek…

10. Sep 22, 2018Flash Flood$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Significant flooding took place in the Peterstown area as home along WV Highway 12 northwest of town was flooded and had to be evacuated as water rose in the home. A car in Peterstown was submerged and the passengers rescued. Extensive flooding also occurred in the Linside area with several cars flooded and abandoned along Route 219 and a water rescue of several passengers from one car. A home was badly damaged in Linside as a basement wall collapsed.

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

100°F4 times, most recently Aug 18, 1988

All-time low

−18°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

77°FJul 29, 1993

Coldest day

3°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Wettest day

4.92 inJun 28, 1995

Snowiest day

14.3 inJan 7, 1996

Hottest year

1991mean 56.4°F

Coldest year

1972mean 50.9°F

Wettest year

200352.01 in

Driest year

198824.58 in

Snowiest season

72.0 in1959-60

Station Pearisburg 4 Sse (USC00448022), 1,678 ft elevation, 17.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1970 to October 23, 2026; 97.3% 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 USC00448022.
• 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.