Natural disaster risk in West Virginia, by county
All 55 counties in West Virginia, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Kanawha County (relatively high, score 94.5). Lowest: Wirt County (very low, score 9.0).
Top hazards in West Virginia
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 2 of 55 | 44.7 |
| Strong wind | 2 of 55 | 33.7 |
| Cold wave | 2 of 55 | 29.7 |
| Landslide | 1 of 55 | 86.9 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | 1 of 55 | 68.7 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | Relatively high 94.5 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively high) |
| 2 | Cabell County | Relatively moderate 85.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 3 | Wayne County | Relatively low 79.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 4 | Wood County | Relatively low 79.8 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 5 | Logan County | Relatively low 79.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 6 | McDowell County | Relatively low 76.7 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 7 | Greenbrier County | Relatively low 75.8 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 8 | Putnam County | Relatively low 74 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 9 | Harrison County | Relatively low 73.6 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 10 | Mingo County | Relatively low 72.6 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 11 | Marion County | Relatively low 71.5 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 12 | Monongalia County | Relatively low 71.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 13 | Ohio County | Relatively low 69.8 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 14 | Boone County | Relatively low 69.4 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 15 | Berkeley County | Relatively low 68.3 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 16 | Wyoming County | Relatively low 67.4 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 17 | Raleigh County | Relatively low 65.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 18 | Mercer County | Relatively low 65.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 19 | Lincoln County | Relatively low 59.7 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 20 | Nicholas County | Relatively low 58.2 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 21 | Mason County | Relatively low 57.4 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 22 | Randolph County | Relatively low 57.1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 23 | Wetzel County | Relatively low 56.9 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 24 | Marshall County | Relatively low 56.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 25 | Jackson County | Relatively low 56.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Brooke County | Relatively low 54.2 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 27 | Fayette County | Relatively low 53.4 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 28 | Mineral County | Relatively low 52.8 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | Jefferson County | Relatively low 47.8 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Roane County | Relatively low 45 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 31 | Upshur County | Relatively low 44.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 32 | Lewis County | Relatively low 43.7 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | Hardy County | Very low 42.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 34 | Hancock County | Very low 40.7 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 35 | Summers County | Very low 40.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 36 | Hampshire County | Very low 38 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Braxton County | Very low 36.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Tyler County | Very low 35.6 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 39 | Webster County | Very low 35.3 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 40 | Preston County | Very low 33.8 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 41 | Grant County | Very low 33.2 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 42 | Morgan County | Very low 30.4 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Pendleton County | Very low 30.1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 44 | Monroe County | Very low 28.3 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 45 | Pocahontas County | Very low 27.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 46 | Barbour County | Very low 24 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 47 | Taylor County | Very low 23.5 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 48 | Clay County | Very low 22.3 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 49 | Pleasants County | Very low 20.3 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 50 | Calhoun County | Very low 16.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 51 | Ritchie County | Very low 16.1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 52 | Doddridge County | Very low 14.4 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 53 | Tucker County | Very low 12.6 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 54 | Gilmer County | Very low 11.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 55 | Wirt County | Very low 9 | Landslide (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in West Virginia has the highest natural disaster risk?
Kanawha County has the highest composite risk score in West Virginia in FEMA's National Risk Index: 94.5, rated relatively high.
Which county in West Virginia has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Wirt County has the lowest composite risk score in West Virginia: 9.0, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is West Virginia most at risk from?
Across West Virginia, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are lightning, strong wind, cold wave, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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