Ritchie County, West Virginia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Ritchie County's overall risk Very Low (score 16.1 of 100, higher than 16% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 416 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 | 88.7 | $48K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 44.4 | $5.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 35.0 | $39K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 24.7 | $83K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 45.7 | $46K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 21.9 | $32K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 18.6 | $51K |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.0 | $48K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 14.3 | $9K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 13.4 | $122K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 12.0 | $9K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.3 | $72K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 9.0 | $51K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 3.9 | $1K |
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 | 0 | $3.0M | 24th of 53 | 1224th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 0 | $108K | 40th of 53 | 935th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 58 | 1 | $5.9M | 33rd of 53 | 583rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 34 | 0 | $178K | 40th of 53 | 2288th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 0 | $56K | 25th of 53 | 288th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 0 | $151K | 27th of 53 | 630th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 19 | 0 | – | 28th of 53 | 605th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | – | 32nd of 53 | 1225th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 4 | $12K | 37th of 53 | 532nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | $19K | 43rd of 53 | 2799th 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 Ritchie County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.