Fayette County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Fayette County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.4 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 615 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.9 | $1.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 89.0 | $42K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.0 | $77K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 76.5 | $19K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 72.9 | $12M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 43.8 | $52K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 37.8 | $315K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.1 | $285K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.3 | $251K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 49.5 | $37K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 42.0 | $29K |
| Hail | Very Low | 30.2 | $97K |
| Drought | Very Low | 18.1 | $2K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 11.5 | $19K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10.7 | $60K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 175 | 0 | $11M | 28th of 53 | 668th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 140 | 0 | $4.4M | 45th of 53 | 1847th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 78 | 0 | $525K | 29th of 53 | 1987th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 59 | 1 | $99M | 44th of 53 | 951st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 0 | $441K | 41st of 53 | 859th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 0 | $56K | 41st of 53 | 509th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | – | 36th of 53 | 1275th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 21 | 0 | – | 37th of 53 | 747th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 1 | $8K | 30th of 53 | 472nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 1 | $18M | 21st of 53 | 2520th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $26K | 17th of 53 | 1312th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 7th of 53 | 544th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Fayette County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.