Clay County, West Virginia
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 54015 · population 8,050 · 342 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 354 records for Clay County, West Virginia from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 303 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (90 records). 185 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The most damaging was the June 23, 2016 flood ($11.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1967, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 354on 303 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $28Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Clay County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 90 since 1980. 41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among West Virginia's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 90 | 67 | 1980-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 32 of 53 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 71 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 27 of 53 |
| Floods | 51 | 46 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $25M | 28 of 53 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 30 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $81K | 19 of 53 |
| Hail | 30 | 26 | 1989-2026 | 0 | 0 | $8K | 35 of 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 26 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $123K | 20 of 53 |
| Drought | 20 | 20 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 53 |
| Heat | 20 | 20 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 53 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 13 | 1998-2013 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 6 of 53 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 53 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 53 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Clay County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 20, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,500 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindValley Fork, Clay County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-20 | HailQueen Shoals, Clay County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Heavy SnowClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindProcious, Clay County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-03-13 | Strong WindClay County · forecast zone Clay | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-20 | Cold/Wind ChillClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-23 | FloodDuck, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2016-06-23 | Flash FloodBig Otter, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $9.8M | |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $919K | |
| 1996-07-31 | Flash FloodCountywide, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $659K | |
| 1998-06-28 | Flash FloodBomont, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $272K | |
| 2025-12-19 | Strong WindClay County · forecast zone Clay | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindProcious, Clay County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindCrosby, Clay County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Clay County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 17 | 38 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 10 | 23 | 28 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 11 | 12 | 21 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 11 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 9 | 5 | 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1980 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 46 · Feb 40 · Mar 28 · Apr 33 · May 33 · Jun 43 · Jul 33 · Aug 30 · Sep 12 · Oct 13 · Nov 19 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clay County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Clay County: 18 major disasters, 7 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3639 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-01-30 | DR-4756 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4517 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3450 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-06-25 | DR-4273 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-08-07 | DR-4236 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2014-01-10 | EM-3366 | Chemical | Chemical Spill |
| 2012-11-27 | DR-4093 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-10-29 | EM-3358 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2012-07-23 | DR-4071 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3345 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2010-03-02 | DR-1881 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2008-06-19 | DR-1769 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3221 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-20 | DR-1558 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2004-06-07 | DR-1522 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-11-21 | DR-1500 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1455 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides |
| 2001-11-16 | FM-2391 | Fire | Wv - Southeast Fire Complex - 11/16/2001 |
| 2001-06-03 | DR-1378 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides |
| 1998-07-01 | DR-1229 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-03-07 | DR-1168 | Flood | Heavy & Wind Driven Rain, High Winds,Flooding,Slides |
| 1996-08-14 | DR-1132 | Fire | Heavy Rains, High Winds, Flooding, and Slides |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1084 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3109 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1967-03-13 | DR-224 | Flood | Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Clay County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 51 flood or flash flood records for Clay County from 1996 to 2025, on 46 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clay County ranks 1446th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.6 million on 76 claims filed in Clay County; the most in one year was 40 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1983: 3 · 1991: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 9 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 4 · 2009: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 40 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Clay County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $49K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $2K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $66K | 48 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $8K | once in about 93 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $8K | once in about 513 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $29K | once in about 1,188 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $5K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clay County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Severe thunderstorm wind in West VirginiaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The West Virginia recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Clay CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clay County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis