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West Virginia had a whopping 5 tornadoes last week, more than double the yearly average

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The National Weather Service on Monday confirmed a fifth tornado touched down during severe storms that barreled across West Virginia last week. That’s more than double the state’s average for an entire year.

A tree covers a road after severe storms hit Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Cross Lanes, W.Va.
A tree covers a road after severe storms hit Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Cross Lanes, W.Va. [John Raby | AP]
West Virginia saw an average of two tornadoes per year from 1993 to 2022. The most tornadoes recorded in the state by the weather service in one year was 15, back in 1998.

The weather service said the weak tornado hit along the Wayne-Cabell county line, south of the Ohio River community of Huntington. It had maximum winds of 100 mph (161 kph) and a path length of about a half mile (730 meters). It caused extensive tree damage and destroyed or damaged several structures.

No deaths were reported from any of the five tornadoes on April 2. Three twisters were confirmed in Kanawha County and one was in Fayette County.

Gov. Jim Justice has declared a state of emergency from the storms in 15 of West Virginia’s 55 counties, allowing state resources to be used and emergency response efforts to be expedited. The storms produced moderate flooding along some Ohio River communities.