West Virginia lightning risk
Kanawha County has the highest lightning risk in West Virginia, scoring 91.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanawha County | 91.3 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 2 | Fayette County | 90.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Greenbrier County | 80.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Raleigh County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 5 | Monongalia County | 76.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | Wood County | 76.1 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 7 | Harrison County | 73.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 8 | Cabell County | 69.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Marion County | 66 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 10 | Mercer County | 65.3 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 11 | Nicholas County | 64.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 12 | Barbour County | 59.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 13 | Ohio County | 58.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Upshur County | 57.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Berkeley County | 57.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Marshall County | 56.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Putnam County | 52.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 18 | Pocahontas County | 51.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Brooke County | 50.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Boone County | 49.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Jefferson County | 49.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Randolph County | 46.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 23 | Tyler County | 46.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 24 | Hancock County | 45.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 25 | Wayne County | 45.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 26 | Preston County | 45 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 27 | Webster County | 44.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 28 | Wetzel County | 44.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 29 | Jackson County | 44.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 30 | Logan County | 44.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Mason County | 42.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 32 | Lewis County | 42 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 33 | Monroe County | 40.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 34 | McDowell County | 39.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 35 | Wyoming County | 39.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 36 | Summers County | 38.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 37 | Mingo County | 38.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 38 | Braxton County | 34.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Taylor County | 33 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Lincoln County | 32 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Mineral County | 31 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Pleasants County | 30.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Clay County | 30.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Roane County | 29.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Ritchie County | 24.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Hardy County | 22.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Grant County | 19.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Calhoun County | 19.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Hampshire County | 19.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 50 | Morgan County | 18.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Pendleton County | 18.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Gilmer County | 16.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Tucker County | 15.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | Doddridge County | 15.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Wirt County | 12.1 | Very Low | 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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in West Virginia?
Kanawha County, WV has the highest lightning risk in West Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 91.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in West Virginia?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.