McDowell County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates McDowell County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 76.7 of 100, higher than 76% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 473 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.8 | $5.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.3 | $78K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.7 | $14M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 72.0 | $578K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 75.9 | $10K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.3 | $94K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $88K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 27.4 | $15K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.6 | $236K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 55.2 | $70K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.9 | $49K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 17.6 | $7K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 12.4 | $15K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 11.1 | $44K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 146 | 1 | $2.5M | 42nd of 53 | 1758th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 86 | 0 | $5.1M | 39th of 53 | 915th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 67 | 6 | $246M | 38th of 53 | 687th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 67 | 0 | $234K | 30th of 53 | 1998th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 1 | $84K | 37th of 53 | 435th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 25 | 0 | $132K | 44th of 53 | 940th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 19 | 0 | – | 35th of 53 | 677th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 18 | 0 | – | 34th of 53 | 1265th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 0 | $1K | 33rd of 53 | 494th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 5th of 53 | 457th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $15M | 34th of 53 | 2696th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $26K | 29th of 53 | 1947th 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 McDowell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.