West Virginia tornado risk
Cabell County has the highest tornado risk in West Virginia, scoring 55.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across West Virginia have increased 80% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabell County | 55.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 2 | Monongalia County | 46 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 3 | Berkeley County | 42.6 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | 36.6 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 5 | Kanawha County | 35.2 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 6 | Harrison County | 35 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 7 | Wayne County | 34.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 8 | Ohio County | 33.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Wood County | 32.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 10 | Marshall County | 31.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 11 | Marion County | 30.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 12 | Preston County | 27.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 13 | Hancock County | 23 | Very Low | 1 |
| 14 | Brooke County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 15 | Hampshire County | 20 | Very Low | 2 |
| 16 | Putnam County | 18.8 | Very Low | 3 |
| 17 | Mineral County | 18.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Morgan County | 18.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 19 | Mercer County | 17.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Hardy County | 16.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Mason County | 16 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Wetzel County | 15.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Raleigh County | 15.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Taylor County | 15.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Grant County | 14.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Tyler County | 14.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Logan County | 13.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Greenbrier County | 12.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 29 | Jackson County | 12.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 30 | Upshur County | 12.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Pleasants County | 12.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Mingo County | 12.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Lincoln County | 11.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 34 | Barbour County | 11.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 35 | Lewis County | 11.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | McDowell County | 11.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Fayette County | 10.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 38 | Boone County | 10.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Doddridge County | 9.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Monroe County | 9.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Nicholas County | 9.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 42 | Wyoming County | 9.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Randolph County | 9.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Ritchie County | 9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Tucker County | 8.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Roane County | 8.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Wirt County | 7.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Summers County | 6.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Braxton County | 6.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Pendleton County | 6.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Clay County | 5.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Calhoun County | 5.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Pocahontas County | 5.6 | Very Low | 1 |
| 54 | Gilmer County | 4.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Webster County | 4.5 | 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.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in West Virginia:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in West Virginia?
Cabell County, WV has the highest tornado risk in West Virginia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 55.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes tornado risk in West Virginia?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.