Berkeley County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Berkeley County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 68.3 of 100, higher than 68% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 954 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.4 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $25M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $171K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 68.5 | $627K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 57.6 | $399K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 80.4 | $2.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.9 | $13K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.8 | $1.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.1 | $825K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $558K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 42.6 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 32.3 | $48K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.6 | $20K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 17.0 | $30 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 14.8 | $195K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 259 | 0 | $1.5M | 4th of 53 | 187th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 207 | 0 | $55K | 5th of 53 | 65th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 125 | 0 | $571K | 6th of 53 | 127th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 94 | 0 | $25K | 5th of 53 | 701st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 57 | 0 | $7.4M | 7th of 53 | 58th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 0 | $786K | 7th of 53 | 232nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 41 | 0 | – | 4th of 53 | 224th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $2.7M | 1st of 53 | 1175th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | $4.0M | 27th of 53 | 1132nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 0 | – | 9th of 53 | 281st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $48K | 5th of 53 | 575th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Berkeley County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.