West Virginia earthquake risk
Kanawha County has the highest earthquake risk in West Virginia, scoring 76.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | 76.3 | Relatively Low |
| 2 | Cabell County | 71.8 | Relatively Low |
| 3 | Mercer County | 71 | Relatively Low |
| 4 | Raleigh County | 70.4 | Relatively Low |
| 5 | Berkeley County | 66.1 | Relatively Low |
| 6 | Jefferson County | 62.8 | Relatively Low |
| 7 | McDowell County | 58.6 | Very Low |
| 8 | Greenbrier County | 56 | Very Low |
| 9 | Wood County | 53.6 | Very Low |
| 10 | Fayette County | 52.3 | Very Low |
| 11 | Harrison County | 51.9 | Very Low |
| 12 | Logan County | 48.9 | Very Low |
| 13 | Mingo County | 48.5 | Very Low |
| 14 | Wayne County | 48.2 | Very Low |
| 15 | Monongalia County | 44.4 | Very Low |
| 16 | Monroe County | 44.1 | Very Low |
| 17 | Mason County | 44 | Very Low |
| 18 | Putnam County | 43 | Very Low |
| 19 | Marion County | 42.1 | Very Low |
| 20 | Jackson County | 41.6 | Very Low |
| 21 | Wyoming County | 40.7 | Very Low |
| 22 | Nicholas County | 39.5 | Very Low |
| 23 | Boone County | 38.8 | Very Low |
| 24 | Lincoln County | 37.2 | Very Low |
| 25 | Randolph County | 33.9 | Very Low |
| 26 | Upshur County | 33.4 | Very Low |
| 27 | Hardy County | 33.1 | Very Low |
| 28 | Summers County | 33.1 | Very Low |
| 29 | Hampshire County | 32.6 | Very Low |
| 30 | Mineral County | 32.3 | Very Low |
| 31 | Roane County | 31 | Very Low |
| 32 | Hancock County | 30.6 | Very Low |
| 33 | Morgan County | 30.4 | Very Low |
| 34 | Brooke County | 29.3 | Very Low |
| 35 | Ohio County | 28.9 | Very Low |
| 36 | Grant County | 28.6 | Very Low |
| 37 | Marshall County | 28.2 | Very Low |
| 38 | Preston County | 27.8 | Very Low |
| 39 | Braxton County | 27.4 | Very Low |
| 40 | Lewis County | 26 | Very Low |
| 41 | Clay County | 25.8 | Very Low |
| 42 | Calhoun County | 24.6 | Very Low |
| 43 | Barbour County | 24.5 | Very Low |
| 44 | Webster County | 24.3 | Very Low |
| 45 | Pocahontas County | 23.1 | Very Low |
| 46 | Wetzel County | 22.8 | Very Low |
| 47 | Ritchie County | 21.9 | Very Low |
| 48 | Tyler County | 21.9 | Very Low |
| 49 | Doddridge County | 21.7 | Very Low |
| 50 | Taylor County | 21.5 | Very Low |
| 51 | Pendleton County | 18.7 | Very Low |
| 52 | Gilmer County | 18.3 | Very Low |
| 53 | Tucker County | 16.1 | Very Low |
| 54 | Pleasants County | 15.5 | Very Low |
| 55 | Wirt County | 12.1 | Very Low |
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.
Earthquake risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest earthquake risk county in West Virginia?
Kanawha County, WV has the highest earthquake risk in West Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 76.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes earthquake risk in West Virginia?
Earthquake risk reflects expected annual losses from ground shaking. High scores concentrate in California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (spanning Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and neighboring states). NOAA's Storm Events Database does not track earthquakes, so recorded event counts are not shown.