Kanawha County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kanawha County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.5 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by riverine flooding, lightning, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,233 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.9 | $133M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.3 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 88.8 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.2 | $288K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 96.2 | $159K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | $3.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $921K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $409K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.3 | $1.1M |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 75.0 | $13K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $294K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.2 | $600K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.2 | $412K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 61.5 | $83K |
| Drought | Very Low | 23.0 | $7K |
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 | 554 | 3 | $20M | 15th of 53 | 865th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 207 | 0 | $26M | 15th of 53 | 1493rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 204 | 13 | $144M | 21st of 53 | 366th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 78 | 0 | $5.9M | 53rd of 53 | 1717th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 0 | $1.1M | 33rd of 53 | 726th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 1 | $795K | 44th of 53 | 768th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 26 | 0 | $311K | 12th of 53 | 326th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 24 | 0 | – | 39th of 53 | 1441st of 3,063 |
| Heat | 20 | 0 | – | 39th of 53 | 943rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 0 | $1.8M | 15th of 53 | 2417th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 11 | 1 | $169K | 8th of 53 | 647th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | $1.4M | 3rd of 53 | 199th of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 1 | $31K | 8th of 53 | 665th 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 Kanawha County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.