West Virginia, 1995

Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, May 18, 1995

May 18, 1995 · 23 events in 16 counties and zones

20 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$245,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
23

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When
May 18, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Wayne County, Countywide
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$30,000
Coordinates
38.146, -82.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When
May 18, 9:10 AM EST
Where
Lincoln County, Countywide
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
38.175, -82.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabell

When
May 18, 9:15 AM EST
Where
Cabell County, Barboursville
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
38.420, -82.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When
May 18, 9:20 AM EST
Where
Putnam County, Hurricane
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha

When
May 18, 9:25 AM EST
Where
Kanawha County, St. Albans
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,(G58)

Thunderstorm Wind, Boone

When
May 18, 9:30 AM EST
Where
Boone County, Madison
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha

When
May 18, 9:30 AM EST
Where
Kanawha County, S. Charleston
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,(G58)

Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha

When
May 18, 9:40 AM EST
Where
Kanawha County, Charleston
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

,,,,,,,,(G58)

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When
May 18, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Clay County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.463, -81.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When
May 18, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Fayette County, Fayetteville
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.029, -81.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Braxton

When
May 18, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Braxton County, Sutton
Coordinates
38.700, -80.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Nicholas

When
May 18, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Nicholas County, Birch River
Coordinates
38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When
May 18, 10:20 AM EST
Where
Webster County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Wyoming

When
May 18, 10:20 AM EST
Where
Wyoming County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, McDowell

When
May 18, 10:20 AM EST
Where
McDowell County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Pocahontas

When
May 18, 10:40 AM EST
Where
Pocahontas County, Greenbank
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Clay

When
May 18, 8:30 PM EST
Where
Clay County, Widen
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
38.463, -81.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Mingo

When
May 18, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Mingo County, Gilbert
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
37.726, -82.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Mingo

When
May 18, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Mingo County, Countywide
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
37.726, -82.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Wyoming

When
May 18, 9:15 PM EST
Where
Wyoming County, Pineville and to Hanover
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, McDowell

When
May 18, 9:15 PM EST
Where
McDowell County, Yukon
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms dumped one and one-half to three and one-half inches of rain in 36 hours. The morning thunderstorms caused wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph across much of southern and central West Virginia. Power lines and trees were blown down, a few onto homes. In Charleston, hundreds of bricks were blown off the facade of a county building, damaging four vehicles below. One person was injured when a tree fell on a school bus. In the evening, wind damage was concentrated over the extreme south. Widespread minor stream flooding occurred. Small headwater rivers, such as the Mud, the Pocatalico, and the Hughes also flooded. Damage was mostly to culverts and roads. A few people were evacuated from trailer parks along Route 95 in Wood County and along Spring Creek in Roane County. Flooded basements were most common in the urban area around Parkersburg.

Hail, McDowell

When
May 18, 9:30 PM EST
Where
McDowell County, Welch
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms dumped one and one-half to three and one-half inches of rain in 36 hours. The morning thunderstorms caused wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph across much of southern and central West Virginia. Power lines and trees were blown down, a few onto homes. In Charleston, hundreds of bricks were blown off the facade of a county building, damaging four vehicles below. One person was injured when a tree fell on a school bus. In the evening, wind damage was concentrated over the extreme south. Widespread minor stream flooding occurred. Small headwater rivers, such as the Mud, the Pocatalico, and the Hughes also flooded. Damage was mostly to culverts and roads. A few people were evacuated from trailer parks along Route 95 in Wood County and along Spring Creek in Roane County. Flooded basements were most common in the urban area around Parkersburg.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenbrier

When
May 18, 11:10 PM EST
Where
Greenbrier County, Neola
Coordinates
37.947, -80.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A severe thunderstorm during the late evening hours on the 18th produced damaging winds which broke off four inch diameter tree limbs 10 miles northeast of Neola.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 1995Every state in 1995This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 1995

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10358124, 10358241, 10356275, 10358277, 10358219, 10356227, 10358220, 10358221, 10356162, 10356173, 10356235, 10358181, 10356208, 10357685, 10358358, 10358216, 10356163, 10358107, 10358108, 10357686, 10358359, 10358360, 10356190.