Nicholas County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Nicholas County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 58.2 of 100, higher than 58% 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 537 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 | 89.9 | $5.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.9 | $44K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 64.3 | $284K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $5K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.0 | $8.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 57.4 | $59K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 36.1 | $31K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 30.2 | $208K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 46.1 | $36K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 40.6 | $19K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 39.5 | $105K |
| Hail | Very Low | 33.9 | $99K |
| Drought | Very Low | 26.4 | $11K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 9.7 | $42K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 8.0 | $9K |
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 | 201 | 0 | $13M | 19th of 53 | 503rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 92 | 0 | $3.1M | 50th of 53 | 2256th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 66 | 0 | $137K | 42nd of 53 | 2315th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 44 | 0 | $42M | 51st of 53 | 1246th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 0 | $263K | 48th of 53 | 1074th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 33 | 1 | $66K | 42nd of 53 | 515th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 29 | 0 | – | 38th of 53 | 1360th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 18 | 0 | – | 38th of 53 | 809th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 0 | $6K | 38th of 53 | 600th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $2.3M | 27th of 53 | 2580th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $91K | 30th of 53 | 2063rd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 14th of 53 | 998th 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 Nicholas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.