West Virginia, 1998Tornadoes and Hail in West Virginia, June 2, 1998
June 2, 1998 · NWS RLX · 13 events in 5 counties and zones
The rotating supercell that formed in southeast Ohio cut a path southeast, up the Kanawha River Valley. The most damage was from large hail hitting the urban areas, especially the Kanawha City section of Charleston.
Every event with a place to put it. 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- $12 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 13
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 rotating supercell that formed in southeast Ohio cut a path southeast, up the Kanawha River Valley. The most damage was from large hail hitting the urban areas, especially the Kanawha City section of Charleston. Hundreds of vehicles were dented, including new cars at dealerships. Roofs, plus west facing siding and windows were also damaged. Large trees were also uprooted or snapped. The largest concentration of tree damage was from the South Hills and Kanawha City sections of Charleston on east, to Malden. So the wind damage was still substantial. One large tree damaged a church, another tree heavily damaged a home along Lower Donnally Road. The largest insurance company reported a total of about 10,000 claims for homes and vehicles combined.One Kanawha City business owner said, "I never saw anything like this before. I never thought I'd go through this in West Virginia." The junior high school in Kanawha City was to be letting students go home just before the storm hit. Instead, the staff and students took shelter in the interior hallways of the school. The warnings and the smart action by citizens of the Kanawha Valley prevented any injuries from this powerful thunderstorm.
Event by event
6 hail, 4 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado, Mason
- When
- June 2, 2:15 PM EST to 2:16 PM EST
- Where
- Mason County, Apple Grove to 5 mi SE of Apple Grove
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 0.7 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.600, -82.100
Large trees were uprooted along Mount Union Ridge, mainly south of County Route 37. One mobile home was destroyed. One man was injured when a large tree hit his van, trapping him inside. The tornado crossed into Putnam County.
Tornado, Putnam
- When
- June 2, 2:16 PM EST to 2:17 PM EST
- Where
- Putnam County, 2 mi W of Pliny
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 0.3 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.620, -82.020
The tornado crossed the Mason/Putnam County line about 2 miles west of Pliny and uprooted large trees mainly south of County Route 9.
Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam
- When
- June 2, 2:25 PM EST
- Where
- Putnam County, Buffalo
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.620, -81.980
Hail, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:28 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Cross Lanes
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.420, -81.780
Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:50 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Ruth
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph)
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.320, -81.720
Thunderstorm Wind, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:55 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Charleston to Malden
- Property damage
- $3.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -81.630
Hail, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:56 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, (Crw) Yeager Arpt
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
- Coordinates
- 38.370, -81.600
Hail, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:57 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Charleston
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Property damage
- $2.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -81.630
Hail, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:58 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Charleston to Rand
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Property damage
- $6.0 million
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.350, -81.630
Tornado, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 2:58 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Charleston to 2 mi SE of Charleston
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 1.5 mi
- Path width
- 80 yd
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.330, -81.600
The tornado moved up Chappell Hollow, in the Kanawha City section of Charleston. The path was along the east facing slope of the hollow, and narrowly missed several homes. A few homes were still damaged by fallen trees. The estimated winds were between 90 and 100 mph.
Tornado, Kanawha
- When
- June 2, 3:19 PM EST
- Where
- Kanawha County, Leewood to 1 mi S of Leewood
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 60 yd
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.050, -81.470
Hail, Fayette
- When
- June 2, 3:20 PM EST
- Where
- Fayette County, Kincaid
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 38.030, -81.280
Hail, Raleigh
- When
- June 2, 3:40 PM EST
- Where
- Raleigh County, Bragg to Abraham
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 37.770, -80.980
- 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.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Pennsylvania, June 2, 19982 deaths · 15 injured · $3.3 million · F3 · 10 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Maryland, June 2, 19985 injured · $5.5 million · F4 · 21 events
- Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, June 2, 199850 injured · $13 million · F1 · 2 events
- Tornado in West Virginia, June 2, 1998$7.0 million · F2 · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in West Virginia, June 2, 19985 injured · $593,000 · F2 · 6 events
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, June 2, 1998$5.0 million · F2 · 1 event
- Tornado in Pennsylvania, June 2, 1998F3 · 1 event
- Tornado in New York, June 2, 1998$1.0 million · F2 · 1 event
- Tornado in Maryland, June 2, 1998$1.0 million · F2 · 1 event
- Tornado in Maryland, June 2, 1998$500,000 · F2 · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in New York, June 2, 1998$665,000 · F1 · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, June 2, 1998$840,000 · 1 in hail · 15 events
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: 5659176, 5659177, 5659178, 5659179, 5659180, 5659185, 5659183, 5659181, 5659182, 5659184, 5659186, 5659187, 5659188.