FEMA declarations
84
Above median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
West Virginia Natural Disasters
West Virginia's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 84 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by flood, with $303.3M in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 12,026 recorded weather events resulting in 63 fatalities, numbers that shape which hazards get priority in the state's preparedness planning.
- 84
- FEMA declarations
- 12,026
- NOAA storm events
- 63
- Storm fatalities
- $303.3M
- Property + crop damage
The West Virginia risk picture
1 of the 55 counties FEMA scores, 2%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. West Virginia has 72 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 47 injuries statewide.
- 2%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 84
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $303.3M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 27,146
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
86%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
12,026
Observed severe-weather records
How does West Virginia compare?
West Virginia vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
84 Top 42% higher than 58% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
West Virginia county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
49.2 49th percentile higher than 49% of 55 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
West Virginia sits at the 55th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 49th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes West Virginia's record?
FEMA declaration types in West Virginia
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Flood
Flood
35 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
28 declarations
- Hurricane 5
Hurricane
5 declarations
- Snowstorm 4
Snowstorm
4 declarations
- Fire 3
Fire
3 declarations
- Biological 2
Biological
2 declarations
- Drought 2
Drought
2 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 1
Severe Ice Storm
1 declarations
What this shows Flood leads West Virginia's FEMA declaration mix with 35 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in West Virginia
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2025 (2,187 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
53 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
West Virginia · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
14/30
84 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) High
14/25
12026 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.1x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Low
5/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (0.5x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
12 different disaster types declared in West Virginia
What does West Virginia's hazard record show?
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 55West Virginia counties have filed 27,146 NFIP claims totaling $376.1M, or an average of $13.9K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $0.9B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, West Virginia recorded 12,026 individual storm events, causing 63 fatalities and 47 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $303.3M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (3,644 events), Winter Weather (1,939 events), Flood (1,127 events). Across the 55counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 1 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 49.2/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
West Virginia (WV) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 84 FEMA declaration records, including 72 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Flood, followed by Severe Storm (28), Hurricane (5), Snowstorm (4). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Disaster Types in West Virginia
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Flood
41.7%
35 declarations
Severe Storm
33.3%
28 declarations
Hurricane
6.0%
5 declarations
Snowstorm
4.8%
4 declarations
Fire
3.6%
3 declarations
Biological
2.4%
2 declarations
Drought
2.4%
2 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
1.2%
1 declarations
Winter Storm
1.2%
1 declarations
Mud/Landslide
1.2%
1 declarations
Chemical
1.2%
1 declarations
Tropical Storm
1.2%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for West Virginia (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,644 | 4 | 9 | $16.4M |
| Winter Weather | 1,939 | 0 | 22 | $1.3M |
| Flood | 1,127 | 13 | 0 | $109.0M |
| Flash Flood | 1,003 | 33 | 1 | $141.5M |
| Hail | 757 | 1 | 0 | $6.5M |
| Heavy Snow | 618 | 1 | 0 | $1.1M |
| Winter Storm | 617 | 0 | 0 | $578.0K |
| Strong Wind | 570 | 2 | 3 | $5.2M |
| Dense Fog | 310 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Drought | 306 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 295 | 0 | 1 | $6.3M |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 242 | 1 | 0 | $500.0K |
| Frost/Freeze | 143 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 113 | 2 | 0 | $4.1M |
| Heavy Rain | 84 | 3 | 0 | $111.0K |
| Heat | 72 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Ice Storm | 56 | 0 | 0 | $300.0K |
| Tornado | 45 | 0 | 6 | $3.9M |
| Lightning | 22 | 1 | 5 | $2.1M |
| Excessive Heat | 18 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,187 | 13 | 2 | $23.5M |
| 2024 | 1,575 | 3 | 7 | $19.4M |
| 2023 | 846 | 1 | 0 | $8.3M |
| 2022 | 1,205 | 3 | 0 | $23.9M |
| 2021 | 860 | 1 | 2 | $4.0M |
| 2020 | 925 | 1 | 3 | $5.6M |
| 2019 | 967 | 3 | 7 | $8.3M |
| 2018 | 1,041 | 3 | 7 | $6.7M |
| 2017 | 631 | 3 | 2 | $6.9M |
| 2016 | 894 | 26 | 14 | $172.5M |
| 2015 | 895 | 6 | 3 | $20.7M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 84 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 84 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
84 unique disaster declarations in West Virginia.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3639 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4884 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2025-07-22 |
| 4861 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-02-26 |
| 4851 | POST-TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-12-09 |
| 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 |
| 4756 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2024-01-30 |
| 4679 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-11-28 |
| 4678 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2022-11-28 |
| 4605 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2021-05-20 |
| 4603 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-05-13 |
| 4517 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-03 |
| 3450 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4455 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2019-08-02 |
| 4378 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-07-12 |
| 4359 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Mud/Landslide | 2018-04-17 |
| 4331 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-08-18 |
| 4273 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2016-06-25 |
| 4236 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-08-07 |
| 4221 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-05-21 |
| 4220 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-05-18 |
| 4219 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-05-14 |
| 4210 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-03-31 |
| 3366 | CHEMICAL SPILL | EM | Chemical | 2014-01-10 |
| 4132 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-07-26 |
| 4093 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-11-27 |
| 3358 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-29 |
| 4071 | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-07-23 |
| 3345 | SEVERE STORMS | EM | Severe Storm | 2012-06-30 |
| 4061 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-03-22 |
| 4059 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-03-16 |
| 1918 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2010-06-24 |
| 1903 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-04-23 |
| 1893 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-03-29 |
| 1881 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2010-03-02 |
| 1838 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-05-15 |
| 1769 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-19 |
| 1696 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-01 |
| 3221 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-05 |
| 1574 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-02-01 |
| 1558 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-09-20 |
| 1536 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-06 |
| 1522 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-07 |
| 1500 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-11-21 |
| 1496 | HURRICANE ISABEL | DR | Hurricane | 2003-09-23 |
| 1474 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-06-21 |
| 1455 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, RECORD/NEAR RECORD SNOW, HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-03-14 |
| 1410 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2002-05-05 |
| 2391 | WV - SOUTHEAST FIRE COMPLEX - 11/16/2001 | FM | Fire | 2001-11-16 |
| 2392 | WV - TROUGH AND SMOKE HOLE FIRE COMPLEX - 11/16/2001 | FM | Fire | 2001-11-16 |
Showing 50 of 84 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for West Virginia counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
49.2/100
High Risk Counties
1
of 55 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$0.9B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$858.6M EAL
#2
Cold Wave
$35.3M EAL
#3
Heat Wave
$19.1M EAL
#4
Strong Wind
$19.0M EAL
#5
Tornado
$12.7M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across West Virginia from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
27,146
Total Paid
$376.1M
Avg Per Claim
$13.9K
Counties With Claims
55
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in West Virginia
55 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln County | 39 | Relatively Low | 31 |
| 2 | Logan County | 36 | Relatively Low | 27 |
| 3 | Mingo County | 36 | Relatively Low | 28 |
| 4 | Kanawha County | 34 | Relatively High | 26 |
| 5 | Wayne County | 33 | Relatively Low | 26 |
| 6 | Cabell County | 32 | Relatively Moderate | 24 |
| 7 | Boone County | 31 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 8 | Wyoming County | 30 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 9 | Raleigh County | 29 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 10 | Wetzel County | 27 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 11 | McDowell County | 27 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 12 | Mercer County | 27 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 13 | Greenbrier County | 27 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 14 | Nicholas County | 26 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 15 | Roane County | 26 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 16 | Clay County | 26 | Very Low | 18 |
| 17 | Tyler County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 18 | Marshall County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 19 | Fayette County | 25 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 20 | Gilmer County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 21 | Jackson County | 25 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 22 | Harrison County | 24 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 23 | Tucker County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 24 | Doddridge County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 25 | Calhoun County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 26 | Preston County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 27 | Lewis County | 24 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 28 | Putnam County | 24 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 29 | Braxton County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 30 | Summers County | 24 | Very Low | 16 |
| 31 | Ohio County | 23 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 32 | Pocahontas County | 23 | Very Low | 16 |
| 33 | Pendleton County | 23 | Very Low | 15 |
| 34 | Webster County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 35 | Hardy County | 22 | Very Low | 13 |
| 36 | Marion County | 22 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 37 | Randolph County | 22 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 38 | Mason County | 21 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 39 | Upshur County | 21 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 40 | Monongalia County | 21 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 41 | Grant County | 21 | Very Low | 12 |
| 42 | Wirt County | 21 | Very Low | 15 |
| 43 | Taylor County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 44 | Ritchie County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 45 | Barbour County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 46 | Mineral County | 19 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 47 | Jefferson County | 19 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 48 | Hampshire County | 19 | Very Low | 11 |
| 49 | Monroe County | 19 | Very Low | 11 |
| 50 | Brooke County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 51 | Hancock County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 52 | Berkeley County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 53 | Wood County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 54 | Morgan County | 17 | Very Low | 11 |
| 55 | Pleasants County | 15 | Very Low | 9 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in West Virginia are Kanawha (Relatively High), Cabell (Relatively Moderate), Wood (Relatively Low), Wayne (Relatively Low), Logan (Relatively Low). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 55 counties in West Virginia are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for West Virginia: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. West Virginia: 49.2 across 55 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. West Virginia: 84. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
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Hazard Risk by Region
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Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect West Virginia?
West Virginia is affected by flood, severe storm, hurricane, snowstorm. Topping the list is Flood, based on 84 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has West Virginia had?
West Virginia has received 84 FEMA disaster declarations, including 72 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Flood (35), Severe Storm (28), Hurricane (5).
What severe weather events are most common in West Virginia?
The most common severe weather events in West Virginia include thunderstorm wind (3,644 events), winter weather (1,939 events), flood (1,127 events). Between 2015 and 2025, NOAA recorded these events causing 63 fatalities and $303.3M in property and crop damage.
How active is West Virginia's federal disaster declaration record?
West Virginia has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 84 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 63 fatalities and 47 injuries. NOAA property and crop damage records total $303.3M.
How many flood insurance claims has West Virginia had?
West Virginia has 27,146 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $376.1M total paid out. Per-claim payments average $13.9K, with 55 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in West Virginia have the most disaster declarations?
Among 55 counties in West Virginia, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Lincoln (39 declarations), Logan (36 declarations), Mingo (36 declarations). County-by-county figures show where the state's federal declaration history concentrates.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for West Virginia
Lincoln alone accounts for 46% of West Virginia's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 55 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Lincoln and Logan carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how West Virginia ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.