West Virginia drought risk
Jefferson County has the highest drought risk in West Virginia, scoring 76.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 76.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 2 | Berkeley County | 68.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Mason County | 58.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 4 | Hampshire County | 58.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 5 | Hardy County | 52.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Morgan County | 51.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 7 | Mineral County | 51.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Pendleton County | 47.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Putnam County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Grant County | 44.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Roane County | 42.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Upshur County | 41.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Barbour County | 38.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Marshall County | 37.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Harrison County | 35.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Cabell County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Monroe County | 35.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Ritchie County | 35 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Pocahontas County | 34.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Jackson County | 34 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Braxton County | 33.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Lewis County | 33.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 23 | Tyler County | 33.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 24 | Calhoun County | 30.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Randolph County | 30.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Preston County | 28.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Tucker County | 28.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Wood County | 27.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Summers County | 27.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Ohio County | 26.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Marion County | 26.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Nicholas County | 26.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Greenbrier County | 26.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Wetzel County | 26.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Wirt County | 26.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Pleasants County | 25.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Mercer County | 24.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Wayne County | 24 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Lincoln County | 23.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Gilmer County | 23.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Kanawha County | 23 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Clay County | 22.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Brooke County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Monongalia County | 21.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Raleigh County | 18.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Fayette County | 18.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Wyoming County | 14.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Mingo County | 13.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Boone County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 50 | Doddridge County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 51 | Hancock County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 52 | Logan County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 53 | McDowell County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 54 | Taylor County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 55 | Webster County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in West Virginia?
Jefferson County, WV has the highest drought risk in West Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 76.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Moderate").
What causes drought risk in West Virginia?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.