FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
West Virginia · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Hancock County, WV
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2024–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 41
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Hancock County in the top 59% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Hancock County compare?
- Hancock County
- 3
- West Virginia county avg
- 2.1
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Hancock County?
Hancock County, West Virginia has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2024 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.5 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 40% above the West Virginia county average of 2.1 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 3 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 40.7/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $11.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively Moderate) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Landslide, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Taken together, Hancock County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. West Virginia Avg
+40%
State avg: 2.1
vs. National Avg
-20%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.5
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Hancock County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Hancock County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
54029
WV state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 1
Flood 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 66.7%
of all 3 declarations
Emergency - 1 33.3%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3639 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4787 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2024-05-24 |
| 4783 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-05-22 |
Storm Events in West Virginia
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,325 | 5 | 11 | $18.3M |
| Winter Weather | 2,269 | 0 | 22 | $1.3M |
| Flood | 1,411 | 13 | 0 | $119.1M |
| Flash Flood | 1,247 | 45 | 1 | $152.6M |
| Hail | 861 | 1 | 0 | $6.5M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 40.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$11.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in West Virginia
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Hancock County, West Virginia had?
Hancock County, West Virginia has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2024 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Hancock County?
The most common disaster type in Hancock County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Flood (1), Severe Storm (1).
How does Hancock County's disaster risk compare to the West Virginia average?
Hancock County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 40% higher than the West Virginia county average of 2.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Hancock County received?
Hancock County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in West Virginia?
The most common storm types in West Virginia include Thunderstorm Wind (4,325 events), Winter Weather (2,269 events), Flood (1,411 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Hancock County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Hancock County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2024 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Hancock County?
Hancock County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Hancock County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Hancock County, West Virginia has an overall risk score of 40.7 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $11.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Hancock County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Hancock County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Very Low) and Hail (Relatively Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Hancock County
Hancock County, WV has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 40% above the West Virginia county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. West Virginia overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.