Natural disaster risk in McDowell County, West Virginia
West Virginia · population 19,078 · FIPS 54047
Overall: relatively low risk
McDowell County has a composite risk score of 76.7 out of 100 — higher than 76% of US counties. It ranks 6 of 55 in West Virginia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, landslide, inland (riverine) flooding.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of McDowell County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 9 weeks in a row.
Drought in McDowell County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 76.7 |
| Expected annual loss About $20.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 61.5 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 96.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 4.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in McDowell County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively high 92 |
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 95 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 84 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 72 |
| Avalanche | Relatively low 75 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 69 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 39 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 27 |
| Earthquake | Very low 58 |
| Hurricane | Very low 55 |
| Hail | Very low 23 |
| Ice storm | Very low 17 |
| Heat wave | Very low 12 |
| Tornado | Very low 11 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for McDowell County
Federal declarations that designated McDowell County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. McDowell County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3639-WV (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3639-WV | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| DR-4861-WV | Major disaster | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 26 Feb 2025 | Yes |
All FEMA declarations in West Virginia, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
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). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in McDowell County, West Virginia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in McDowell County as relatively low, with a score of 76.7 out of 100 (higher than 76% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in McDowell County?
The hazards rated highest for McDowell County are cold wave (relatively high), landslide (relatively moderate), inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in McDowell County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in McDowell County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has McDowell County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. McDowell County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3639-WV (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is McDowell County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of McDowell County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 9 weeks in a row.
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