West Virginia, 1998

Tornado and Flooding in West Virginia, January 8 to 11, 1998

January 8 to 11, 1998 · NWS RLX · 11 events in 6 counties and zones

Rare January dew points, in the upper 50s and lower 60s on the 8th, along with strong winds aloft, helped trigger severe weather. The rains from the past few days were heavier in Ohio, and eventually caused minor river flooding along the mainstem of the Ohio River.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$520,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS RLX wrote it up.

Rare January dew points, in the upper 50s and lower 60s on the 8th, along with strong winds aloft, helped trigger severe weather. The rains from the past few days were heavier in Ohio, and eventually caused minor river flooding along the mainstem of the Ohio River. The high water was from the mouth of the Hocking River to the mouth of the Kanawha River. The crest at Pt. Pleasant was 41.5 feet. These levels closed some roads, parks, and parking lots, but did not reach into the towns.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Mason

When
January 8, 10:41 PM EST
Where
Mason County, Southside
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
38.720, -81.970

Hail, Putnam

When
January 8, 10:54 PM EST
Where
Putnam County, Hurricane
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
38.430, -82.030

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
January 8, 11:05 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Ravenswood
Property damage
$175,000
Coordinates
38.950, -81.750

An estimated wind gust of 80 mph blew in windows on store fronts. Poles, power lines, and trees were knocked down. A few chimneys were damaged. Siding was ripped off a few homes. A lot of debris was scattered about the town.

Hail, Jackson

When
January 8, 11:09 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, New Era
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
38.900, -81.670

Cars and house siding were damaged.

Hail, Wood

When
January 8, 11:40 PM EST
Where
Wood County, Mineral Wells
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Coordinates
39.180, -81.530

Hail, Wood

When
January 8, 11:45 PM EST
Where
Wood County, Davisville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
39.200, -81.500

Tornado, Wood

When
January 8, 11:50 PM EST to 11:57 PM EST
Where
Wood County, Murphytown to 2 mi NE of Murphytown
Rating
F2
Path length
2 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$200,000
Coordinates
39.220, -81.420

One mobile home along Farrow Hill Road was completely destroyed. Luckily, the owner was not at home. One church sustained roof damage. A side to a barn was ripped off. An old farm house was damaged. Some bark from a tree went through a cars windshield. One van was pushed several yards. Numerous trees were knocked down. Nobody was injured.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pleasants

When
January 9, 12:15 AM EST to 12:20 AM EST
Where
Pleasants County, Bellmont to Borland
Property damage
$80,000
Coordinates
39.380, -81.270

Trees and telephone poles were knocked down. A tree limb crashed through a house in Eureka. A large pine tree fell onto the middle school along Route 2.

Hail, Nicholas

When
January 9, 1:48 AM EST
Where
Nicholas County, Summersville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.280, -80.850

Flood, Jackson

When
January 10, 12:00 AM EST to January 11, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Mason

When
January 10, 12:00 AM EST to January 11, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Mason forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.770, -82.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for West Virginia, 1998Warnings in West Virginia, January 1998

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: 5627975, 5627977, 5627976, 5627978, 5627979, 5627980, 5628123, 5628124, 5628125, 5628126, 5628127.