Hurricane, West Virginia Facts for Kids

Hurricane (/ˈhɜːrʌkɪn/ hur-UH-kin) is a city in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 6,977 at the 2020 census. Located roughly equidistant from Charleston and Huntington, it is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2010 census
Harrah Organ
Notable people
See also

History

Hurricane was named after Hurricane Creek, which was, in turn, named after a group of trees at the arm of the river bent in one direction. A party of surveyors commissioned by George Washington noted the site appeared to have been struck by a hurricane, giving rise to the name. Locals pronounce the town (HURR-i-KINN) not (HURR-i-CANE). Less than 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Hurricane is a post office named Tornado.

A town named Hurricane Bridge was located where West Virginia Route 34 now crosses the creek, near current-day Hurricane. The town can be traced back to an 1811 Virginia map. The town primarily consisted of a large Inn. On March 28, 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought a Civil War battle at Hurricane Bridge, now known as the Battle of Hurricane Bridge.

Hurricane itself can be traced back to 1873, when a railroad track was laid through the town and a small depot was constructed. It was during this period that Main Street developed, along with other businesses in the area. Hurricane was a trading and residential town for tobacco growers and other farmers in the early 1900s. The fire department was established March 2, 1936. It was incorporated as a town in 1889, and as a city in the 1970s.

The three oldest continuously operating businesses are:

The Hurricane Breeze, a weekly newspaper established October 1900.
Putnam County Bank, established October 25, 1901.
Rappold's Barber Shop, established June 1906.

In the early 1990s, the old depot, which once served as the catalyst for the town's development, was torn down and replaced with a small gazebo. It was also during the 1990s that the city began to see a surge in urban growth as several subdivisions were established in the city limits. The population increase resulted in the widening of Route 34, a connecting road to Teays Valley, and an expansion of Hurricane High School.

Geography

Hurricane is located at 38°25′57″N 82°1′11″W / 38.43250°N 82.01972°W / 38.43250; -82.01972 (38.432483, -82.019718).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.77 square miles (9.76 km²), of which 3.74 square miles (9.69 km²) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) is water. Hurricane is also unique as it sits on a very active rift.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	67	—
1890	207	209.0%
1900	240	15.9%
1910	422	75.8%
1920	666	57.8%
1930	1,293	94.1%
1940	1,103	−14.7%
1950	1,463	32.6%
1960	1,970	34.7%
1970	3,491	77.2%
1980	3,751	7.4%
1990	4,461	18.9%
2000	5,222	17.1%
2010	6,284	20.3%
2020	6,977	11.0%
2021 (est.)	6,919	10.1%
Source:

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,284 people, 2,499 households, and 1,785 families living in the city. The population density was 1,680.2 inhabitants per square mile (648.7/km²). There were 2,627 housing units at an average density of 702.4 per square mile (271.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.7% White, 1.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 2,499 households, of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.6% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the city was 38.1 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Harrah Organ

Hurricane has a massive, six-manual hybrid pipe organ (a combination of pipes and digital voices) with 456 stops, located at the Forrest Burdette Memorial United Methodist Church. Built by Allen Harrah, formerly with Rodgers Organs, it was inaugurated on September 28, 2003. A concert series featuring notable organists from around the U.S., such as Frederick Swann, Paul Jacobs, Isabelle Demers (Canada), and Hector Olivera, is an ongoing feature.

Notable people

John "Doc" Holliday, former head football coach at Marshall University
Lauren Oyler, author and critic
Tyler Payne, professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs
Alex Wilson, MLB relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox

Hurricane, West Virginia facts for kids

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