Mercer County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mercer County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 65.2 of 100, higher than 65% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 514 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | $44K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.6 | $2.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $14M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $133K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 65.3 | $311K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 54.4 | $467K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.0 | $639K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.3 | $126K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.2 | $30K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 62.8 | $77K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 61.1 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 50.0 | $55K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.6 | $9K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.2 | $138K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 2.2 | $2 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 113 | 0 | $22M | 19th of 53 | 332nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 111 | 0 | $624K | 40th of 53 | 1691st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 105 | 1 | $2.0M | 18th of 53 | 486th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 87 | 0 | $78K | 9th of 53 | 1184th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 0 | $5.2M | 18th of 53 | 439th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 2 | $203K | 8th of 53 | 248th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | $459K | 26th of 53 | 1130th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | $9K | 47th of 53 | 1296th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 0 | $30K | 1st of 53 | 74th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $931K | 3rd of 53 | 440th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $242K | 29th of 53 | 2641st 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 Mercer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.