Mingo County, WV

FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data

Population: 23,504

Relatively Low Riskier than 73% of US counties
Very Low Relatively Low Relatively Moderate Relatively High Very High

Mingo County has experienced 36 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Mingo County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, inland flooding, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 68% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

Past disasters & FEMA designations

A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Mingo County has been designated in 36 declarations since 1967, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (16), flood (11), snowstorm (3).

2002–2026
Year Type Event name
2026 Winter Storm Severe Winter Storm
2025 Severe Storm Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
2021 Flood Severe Storms And Flooding
2020 Biological Covid-19 Pandemic
2020 Biological Covid-19
2015 Severe Storm Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
2015 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
2013 Hurricane Hurricane Sandy
2012 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides
2012 Severe Storm Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Lanslides

Showing the 10 most recent of 36 total declarations since 1967.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.

Risk by hazard type

Hazard Risk rating Risk score Recorded events Deaths Prop. damage
Wildfire Relatively Low 81.8 0 0
Inland Flooding Relatively Moderate 86 38 0 $5.7M
Coastal Flooding Not Applicable 0 0
Earthquake Very Low 48.5 1
Heat Wave Relatively Low 66.5 1 1
Tornado Very Low 12.2 0 0
Hurricane Very Low 51.6 0 0
Hail Very Low 27.5 11 0 $20K
Strong Wind Relatively Low 46.6 0 0
Winter Weather Relatively Low 47.8 0 0
Ice Storm Relatively Low 30.3
Cold Wave Relatively Low 56
Lightning Relatively Low 38.2 1 0 $5K
Drought Very Low 13.6 0 0
Landslide Relatively Moderate 93.8 0 0
Avalanche Relatively Low 74.4
Tsunami Not Applicable
Volcanic Activity Not Applicable

Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.

Community vulnerability

Mingo County ranks in the 68th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.

SVI theme Percentile Vulnerability level
Overall 68th Moderate
Socioeconomic status 84th High
Household characteristics 47th Low
Racial & ethnic minority status 3rd Very low
Housing type & transportation 71st Moderate

Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.

Future risk outlook

Wildfire metric National percentile Level
Burn probability 95th Very High
Risk to homes 92nd Very High
Buildings in direct exposure zone 79.3%

NOAA tracked 51 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 19 in 2016–20 vs 32 in 2021–25 (+68% — frequency increasing).

Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.

Nearby counties

Compare Mingo County with other counties → All West Virginia counties →

Frequently asked questions

What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Mingo County?

According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Mingo County, West Virginia are landslide, inland flooding, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.

Has Mingo County received federal disaster declarations?

Yes. Mingo County has received 36 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (16 declarations).

Has Mingo County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?

Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Mingo County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.

How does Mingo County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?

Among neighboring counties, Pike County, KY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Martin County, KY has the lowest (Relatively Low). Mingo County is rated Relatively Low overall.

How is Mingo County's composite disaster risk index calculated?

Mingo County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Mingo County's composite score of 73 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 73% of US counties.

Embed this county

Copy the code below to embed a live risk summary for Mingo County in an article, report, or dashboard.

FIPS: 54059 · JSON API · See national hazard leaderboards to compare Mingo County against top counties nationwide.