Natural hazards · Keyser

Keyser, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Keyser comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 102 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Keyser?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Keyser to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Keyser faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Keyser flood?

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

102paid claims since 1978

$1.1Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Fran: 42 claims, $557K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Keyser isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Mineral County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

52flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Keyser

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KeyserDeclared for Mineral County only

2010

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms

$28K to the City of Keyser for repairs

2003

Hurricane Isabel

$33K to the City of Keyser for repairs

2003

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

$19K to the City of Keyser for repairs

Mineral County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

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. Keyser is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Keyser’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Keyser. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.