Jack Walker Published

Berkeley County Tornado Marks Sixteenth This Year, Most In W.Va. History

A man looks at a digitized rendering of a cyclone on a computer screen.
Sixteen tornadoes have struck West Virginia so far this year, the most for one calendar year in the state's history.
Richard Bouhet/AFP via Getty Images
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A minor tornado struck a town in Berkeley County on Wednesday afternoon, according to a Thursday report from the National Weather Service.

The incident brings the total number of tornadoes to hit West Virginia this year to a staggering 16 — the most for one calendar year in the state’s history, with roughly six months still left to go.

The National Weather Service classified Wednesday’s tornado as “weak,” with winds reaching a maximum of 75 miles per hour. The organization classifies tornadoes with winds over 110 miles per hour as “strong,” and winds over 165 miles per hour as “violent.”

Despite the tornado’s minor classification, it still caused damage to a cow pasture and a gutter on the outskirts of Inwood. Its winds also took down tree branches and knocked shingles off of roofs.

The Berkeley County tornado was one of ten to strike the greater Baltimore-Washington D.C. area Wednesday. More severe tornadoes struck central Maryland, with residents suffering structural damage to their homes and some injuries being reported.