Natural disaster risk in Nicholas County, West Virginia
West Virginia · population 24,584 · FIPS 54067
Overall: relatively low risk
Nicholas County has a composite risk score of 58.2 out of 100 — higher than 58% of US counties. It ranks 20 of 55 in West Virginia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, landslide, lightning.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Nicholas County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 9 weeks in a row.
Drought in Nicholas 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 58.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $14.2 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 48.8 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 82.7 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 40.4 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Nicholas County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively high 89 |
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 64 |
| Avalanche | Relatively low 71 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 67 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 57 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 36 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 30 |
| Hurricane | Very low 46 |
| Wildfire | Very low 40 |
| Earthquake | Very low 39 |
| Hail | Very low 33 |
| Drought | Very low 26 |
| Tornado | Very low 9 |
| Heat wave | Very low 7 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Nicholas County
Federal declarations that designated Nicholas County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Nicholas 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-4783-WV | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 22 May 2024 | 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 Nicholas County, West Virginia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Nicholas County as relatively low, with a score of 58.2 out of 100 (higher than 58% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Nicholas County?
The hazards rated highest for Nicholas County are cold wave (relatively high), landslide (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Nicholas County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Nicholas County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Nicholas County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Nicholas 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 Nicholas County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Nicholas 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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