Damaging Winds in West Virginia, March 13, 2001

Name: Damaging Winds in West Virginia, March 13, 2001
Start: 2001-03-13T20:30
End: 2001-03-13T21:15
Location: West Virginia

March 13, 2001 · NWS LWX · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of showers and a few thunderstorms moved across the eastern panhandle of West Virginia between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM on the 13th. These storms produced winds in excess of 55 MPH.

Where it happened

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $44,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 LWX wrote it up.

A line of showers and a few thunderstorms moved across the eastern panhandle of West Virginia between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM on the 13th. These storms produced winds in excess of 55 MPH. In Berkeley County, a wind gust of 64 MPH was recorded at the Martinsburg Airport and an 83 MPH gust was measured on a ridge just outside of the city. A few trees and power lines were downed on county roads. Across Jefferson County, trees and power lines were downed. At the intersection of Route 51 and Leetown Road west of Charles Town, a gas pump island awning was toppled. A few miles south of Charles Town, one of 4 walls on a house under construction was blown over and a deck was dislodged from a townhouse. In Mineral County, a 65 MPH wind gust was recorded at the top of a 75 foot tower near Keyser. In Grant County, a wind gust of 47 MPH was reported at the Petersburg Airport.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 13, 8:19 PM EST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 8:19 PM EST, 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
819 PM EST TUE MAR 13 2001

SHRA/TSTM ENTERING CWFA ATTM. WL RAISE POPS ENTIRE AREA. EMPH ON
BRIEF HVY RA...BUT ELVTD RUMBLE OF THUNDER PSBL...ESP W. ZFP/RDF TO
FLLW.

.LWX...SMALL CRAFT ADVSRY UPR CHES BAY AND PTMC.

HTS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 8:05 PM EST, 25 minutes before

DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-
050>057-WVZ048>055-140400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON
805 PM EST TUE MAR 13 2001

...WIND GUSTS TO 50 MILES PER HOUR LIKELY TONIGHT...

A FINAL LINE OF SHOWERS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION BETWEEN 8 PM
AND 1030 PM TONIGHT. THIS LINE WILL BRING A STRONG GUST OF WIND WITH
BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.  WEST AND NORTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST AS
HIGH AS 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH THE SHOWERS.

THIS BAND OF GUSTY SHOWERS WILL ENTER THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
PANHANDLE AND WESTERN MARYLAND AROUND 8 PM...THEN PROGRESS EAST ACROSS
THE REGION. IT SHOULD REACH THE DC AND BALTIMORE METRO AREAS CLOSE TO
9 PM...AND THE BAY AROUND 10 PM. ALL OF THESE TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE.

IF YOU HAVE LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS IN YOUR YARD...YOU WILL WANT TO
SECURE THEM OR BRING THEM INDOORS. OTHERWISE...THEY MAY BLOW AWAY OR
BECCOME DANGEROUS AIRBORNE PROJECTILES.

STRONG/HTS

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mineral

When: March 13, 8:30 PM EST
Where: Mineral County, Keyser
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.433, -78.983

A wind gust of 65 MPH was recorded on a 75 ft. tower.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkeley

When: March 13, 8:52 PM EST
Where: Berkeley County, Martinsburg Arpt
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.400, -77.983

A wind gust of 64 MPH was recorded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkeley

When: March 13, 9:00 PM EST
Where: Berkeley County, Countywide
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.467, -78.017

Trees and power lines were downed across a few roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Berkeley

When: March 13, 9:06 PM EST
Where: Berkeley County, 4 mi N of Martinsburg
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.500, -77.967

A wind gust of 83 MPH was recorded on a ridge just outside of town.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: March 13, 9:10 PM EST
Where: Jefferson County, 7 mi W of Charles Town
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.300, -77.983

A fixed awning over a gas pump island was toppled.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: March 13, 9:13 PM EST
Where: Jefferson County, Charles Town
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.300, -77.850

Trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: March 13, 9:15 PM EST
Where: Jefferson County, 2 mi S of Charles Town
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.250, -77.850

A wall was blown down on a home under construction and a deck was dislodged from a townhouse.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in West Virginia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, March 2001

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: 5239940, 5239941, 5239942, 5239943, 5239944, 5239945, 5239946.