Natural hazards · Dunbar

Dunbar, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dunbar comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1992. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Dunbar?

91
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dunbar to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding94%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Dunbar faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

94% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Dunbar flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dunbar, from FEMA’s records.

41paid claims since 1992
$239Kpaid to owners
6homes flooded more than once
19922026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dunbar isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kanawha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Dunbar

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Dunbar itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Dunbar.

Brought FEMA money into DunbarDeclared for Kanawha County only
2024

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

13 households applied for aid $23K aid approved
2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

174 households applied for aid $392K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid
2021

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $5K aid approved
2016

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

8 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

25 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $4K to the City of Dunbar for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

3 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

57 households applied for aid $184K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

23 households applied for aid $48K aid approved $5K to the City of Dunbar for repairs
2003

Severe Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
Kanawha County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Dunbar

Dunbar and the towns around it

South Charleston: Very high, mostly inland floodingWest Dunbar: Very high, mostly inland floodingCharleston: Very high, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Very high, mostly inland floodingMalden: Very high, mostly inland floodingDunbar: Very high, mostly inland flooding DunbarSouth CharlestonWest DunbarCharleston
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Dunbarmostly inland floodingVery high
West Dunbarmostly inland floodingVery high
Charlestonmostly inland floodingVery high
South Charlestonmostly inland floodingVery high
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Dunbar covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dunbar’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dunbar. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Dunbar total about $6.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01