SHINNSTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia is not known for tornadoes, but they do occur in the Mountain State from time to time.
On one summer day in 1944, an area of West Virginia was devastated by an F4 tornado which still holds the record for the deadliest in the state.
June 23, 1944, was a dark day in the town of Shinnston as the only tornado to ever produce such damage in the state ripped through the town right before 9 PM that evening.
In total, the F4 tornado killed 66 people in Shinnston and surrounding areas and at least 103 in the state of West Virginia.
430 people were seriously injured. Two other strong tornadoes did strike the state that day, but they were not as violent.
Winds from this storm were estimated to be as high as 206 miles per hour, possibly higher.
The F4 tornado knocked out power, destroyed many homes and businesses, and sent an overwhelming amount of victims to nearby hospitals.
At the time, hospitals in the region did not have generators and had to use candles as the only source of light.
The tornado left a nearly 40-mile line of destruction.
