At 8:30 p.m. on June 23, 1944, a large tornado struck the Shinnston area without warning because weather news was banned during WWII. The violent tornado lifted the West Fork River from its bed and left a path of destruction up to 1,000 feet wide. The storm claimed 153 lives in 4 states and injured over 800 people. In the Shinnston area, 72 died, but volunteers saved countless lives.