West Virginia Natural Disaster Risk by County
Of West Virginia's 55 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Kanawha County (score 94.5 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $999 million a year.
OpenFEMA lists 84 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for West Virginia since 1954 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is DR-4953-WV, Severe Storms and Flooding, declared 7 October 2026.
Live weather alerts for West Virginia Latest FEMA declarations All official warnings
Most exposed counties, hazard by hazard
Top 10 by FEMA hazard risk scoreHurricane 55 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley County | Relatively Low | $2.6 million |
| 2 | Hardy County | Relatively Low | $618,237 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | Relatively Low | $660,415 |
| 4 | Hampshire County | Relatively Low | $327,768 |
| 5 | Grant County | Relatively Low | $257,617 |
| 6 | Kanawha County | Relatively Low | $293,887 |
| 7 | Monongalia County | Relatively Low | $351,300 |
| 8 | Morgan County | Relatively Low | $209,104 |
| 9 | Pendleton County | Relatively Low | $227,314 |
| 10 | Harrison County | Relatively Low | $194,263 |
Tornado 55 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabell County | Relatively Low | $1.3 million |
| 2 | Monongalia County | Relatively Low | $1.3 million |
| 3 | Berkeley County | Relatively Low | $1.2 million |
| 4 | Jefferson County | Relatively Low | $907,982 |
| 5 | Kanawha County | Relatively Low | $599,845 |
| 6 | Harrison County | Relatively Low | $588,001 |
| 7 | Wayne County | Relatively Low | $478,494 |
| 8 | Ohio County | Relatively Low | $693,346 |
| 9 | Wood County | Relatively Low | $533,996 |
| 10 | Marshall County | Relatively Low | $507,366 |
Inland flooding 55 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | Relatively High | $133 million |
| 2 | Cabell County | Relatively Moderate | $41 million |
| 3 | Wood County | Relatively Moderate | $33 million |
| 4 | Logan County | Relatively Moderate | $27 million |
| 5 | Wayne County | Relatively Moderate | $26 million |
| 6 | Putnam County | Relatively Moderate | $30 million |
| 7 | Harrison County | Relatively Moderate | $25 million |
| 8 | Mingo County | Relatively Moderate | $15 million |
| 9 | Marion County | Relatively Moderate | $27 million |
| 10 | Ohio County | Relatively Moderate | $30 million |
Wildfire 55 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Logan County | Relatively Low | $400,227 |
| 2 | Mingo County | Relatively Low | $269,212 |
| 3 | Wayne County | Relatively Low | $214,260 |
| 4 | Raleigh County | Relatively Low | $210,524 |
| 5 | Wyoming County | Relatively Low | $179,720 |
| 6 | Boone County | Relatively Low | $162,794 |
| 7 | Lincoln County | Relatively Low | $148,175 |
| 8 | McDowell County | Relatively Low | $93,680 |
| 9 | Cabell County | Relatively Low | $144,305 |
| 10 | Mercer County | Very Low | $77,202 |
Earthquake 55 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | Relatively Low | $1.1 million |
| 2 | Cabell County | Relatively Low | $776,586 |
| 3 | Mercer County | Relatively Low | $639,044 |
| 4 | Raleigh County | Relatively Low | $649,121 |
| 5 | Berkeley County | Relatively Low | $825,059 |
| 6 | Jefferson County | Relatively Low | $658,316 |
| 7 | McDowell County | Very Low | $235,812 |
| 8 | Greenbrier County | Very Low | $273,527 |
| 9 | Wood County | Very Low | $291,415 |
| 10 | Fayette County | Very Low | $250,910 |
Every West Virginia county, highest overall risk first
55| # | County | Overall risk | Score | Loss a year | Top hazard | Declarations | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | Relatively High | 94.5 | $143 million | Inland flooding | 33 | 15 |
| 2 | Cabell County | Relatively Moderate | 85.4 | $49 million | Inland flooding | 30 | 4 |
| 3 | Wood County | Relatively Low | 79.8 | $37 million | Inland flooding | 16 | 9 |
| 4 | Wayne County | Relatively Low | 79.8 | $31 million | Landslide | 31 | 2 |
| 5 | Logan County | Relatively Low | 79.2 | $30 million | Landslide | 34 | 0 |
| 6 | McDowell County | Relatively Low | 76.7 | $21 million | Landslide | 25 | 2 |
| 7 | Greenbrier County | Relatively Low | 75.8 | $25 million | Landslide | 25 | 7 |
| 8 | Putnam County | Relatively Low | 74.0 | $34 million | Landslide | 22 | 8 |
| 9 | Harrison County | Relatively Low | 73.6 | $28 million | Inland flooding | 23 | 6 |
| 10 | Mingo County | Relatively Low | 72.6 | $18 million | Landslide | 34 | 0 |
| 11 | Monongalia County | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $36 million | Landslide | 19 | 7 |
| 12 | Marion County | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $30 million | Landslide | 20 | 7 |
| 13 | Ohio County | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $32 million | Inland flooding | 21 | 2 |
| 14 | Boone County | Relatively Low | 69.4 | $19 million | Landslide | 29 | 0 |
| 15 | Berkeley County | Relatively Low | 68.3 | $35 million | Strong wind | 16 | 13 |
| 16 | Wyoming County | Relatively Low | 67.4 | $19 million | Landslide | 28 | 1 |
| 17 | Raleigh County | Relatively Low | 65.5 | $20 million | Landslide | 27 | 7 |
| 18 | Mercer County | Relatively Low | 65.2 | $18 million | Landslide | 25 | 2 |
| 19 | Lincoln County | Relatively Low | 59.7 | $15 million | Landslide | 37 | 5 |
| 20 | Nicholas County | Relatively Low | 58.2 | $14 million | Landslide | 24 | 4 |
| 21 | Mason County | Relatively Low | 57.4 | $15 million | Landslide | 19 | 3 |
| 22 | Randolph County | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $19 million | Landslide | 21 | 4 |
| 23 | Wetzel County | Relatively Low | 56.9 | $16 million | Landslide | 26 | 1 |
| 24 | Marshall County | Relatively Low | 56.8 | $18 million | Landslide | 23 | 2 |
| 25 | Jackson County | Relatively Low | 56.5 | $15 million | Landslide | 23 | 3 |
| 26 | Brooke County | Relatively Low | 54.2 | $13 million | Inland flooding | 16 | 0 |
| 27 | Fayette County | Relatively Low | 53.4 | $14 million | Lightning | 24 | 4 |
| 28 | Mineral County | Relatively Low | 52.8 | $15 million | Landslide | 17 | 2 |
| 29 | Jefferson County | Relatively Low | 47.8 | $19 million | Drought | 17 | 7 |
| 30 | Roane County | Relatively Low | 45.0 | $9.9 million | Landslide | 24 | 1 |
| 31 | Upshur County | Relatively Low | 44.8 | $12 million | Landslide | 20 | 1 |
| 32 | Lewis County | Relatively Low | 43.7 | $12 million | Landslide | 23 | 3 |
| 33 | Hardy County | Very Low | 42.5 | $11 million | Landslide | 20 | 0 |
| 34 | Hancock County | Very Low | 40.7 | $12 million | Landslide | 16 | 0 |
| 35 | Summers County | Very Low | 40.2 | $8.2 million | Landslide | 22 | 2 |
| 36 | Hampshire County | Very Low | 38.0 | $10 million | Landslide | 17 | 4 |
| 37 | Braxton County | Very Low | 36.2 | $8.8 million | Landslide | 22 | 1 |
| 38 | Tyler County | Very Low | 35.6 | $7.1 million | Landslide | 24 | 1 |
| 39 | Webster County | Very Low | 35.3 | $6.3 million | Landslide | 21 | 0 |
| 40 | Preston County | Very Low | 33.8 | $9.1 million | Landslide | 22 | 7 |
| 41 | Grant County | Very Low | 33.2 | $8.2 million | Landslide | 19 | 2 |
| 42 | Morgan County | Very Low | 30.4 | $7.7 million | Landslide | 15 | 1 |
| 43 | Pendleton County | Very Low | 30.1 | $9.8 million | Landslide | 22 | 2 |
| 44 | Monroe County | Very Low | 28.3 | $6.3 million | Landslide | 17 | 2 |
| 45 | Pocahontas County | Very Low | 27.5 | $6.8 million | Landslide | 21 | 1 |
| 46 | Barbour County | Very Low | 24.0 | $7.7 million | Landslide | 19 | 3 |
| 47 | Taylor County | Very Low | 23.5 | $7.8 million | Landslide | 18 | 3 |
| 48 | Clay County | Very Low | 22.3 | $4.7 million | Landslide | 24 | 0 |
| 49 | Pleasants County | Very Low | 20.3 | $5.6 million | Landslide | 14 | 1 |
| 50 | Calhoun County | Very Low | 16.8 | $4.9 million | Landslide | 22 | 0 |
| 51 | Ritchie County | Very Low | 16.1 | $5.9 million | Landslide | 19 | 1 |
| 52 | Doddridge County | Very Low | 14.4 | $6.1 million | Landslide | 23 | 2 |
| 53 | Tucker County | Very Low | 12.6 | $4.5 million | Landslide | 23 | 3 |
| 54 | Gilmer County | Very Low | 11.5 | $5.9 million | Landslide | 23 | 1 |
| 55 | Wirt County | Very Low | 9.0 | $3.9 million | Landslide | 19 | 1 |
Score: FEMA's national percentile (higher = more risk). Declarations: federal declarations that named the county since 1953, not counting COVID-19. Tornadoes: NOAA SPC tornadoes that touched the county, 1950–2025.
Latest federal declarations in West Virginia
Other states and territories
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Wisconsin Wyoming American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Virgin Islands
What this page shows, and what it misses
FEMA's National Risk Index compares every US county with every other for 18 natural hazards, combining expected losses with social vulnerability and community resilience. It is a planning-level estimate for nationwide comparison, not a flood-zone map and not the risk to any one property — for flood zones use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center ↗. Federal declarations exclude state declarations and SBA or USDA designations.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties - v1.20.0 (December 2025). Retrieved from https://services.arcgis.com/XG15cJAlne2vxtgt/ArcGIS/rest/services/National_Risk_Index_Counties/FeatureServer/0/query on November 2, 2026, 1:20 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2, retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries on November 2, 2026, 1:21 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Tornado records: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database, tornadoes 1950–2025 (https://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/data/1950-2025_actual_tornadoes.csv, downloaded 2 November 2026). Public domain; not endorsed by NOAA. Compiled by Global Incident Tracker.
Questions about West Virginia
Which county in West Virginia has the highest natural disaster risk?
Of West Virginia's 55 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Kanawha County (score 94.5 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $999 million a year.
Which West Virginia counties are most at risk from tornadoes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index tornado risk score: Cabell County, Monongalia County, Berkeley County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
Which West Virginia counties are most at risk from hurricanes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index hurricane risk score: Berkeley County, Hardy County, Jefferson County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has West Virginia had?
OpenFEMA lists 84 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for West Virginia since 1954 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is DR-4953-WV, Severe Storms and Flooding, declared 7 October 2026.