Natural hazards · Oceana

Oceana, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oceana comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1979. 12 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oceana?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oceana to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Cold waves12%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Oceana faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Oceana flood?

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

33paid claims since 1979

$439Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

February West Virginia Flooding: 8 claims, $266K
April 2007 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $6K

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. Oceana isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Wyoming County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

39flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Oceana

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OceanaDeclared for Wyoming County only

2025

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

101 households applied for aid $617K aid approved $3.8M to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$24K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2012

Hurricane Sandy

$11K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$7K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

7 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$5K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

8 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$27K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

94 households applied for aid $208K aid approved $9K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

50 households applied for aid $99K aid approved $4K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

2003

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

1 household applied for aid

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$111K to the Town of Oceana for repairs

Wyoming County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Oceana 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 Oceana’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Oceana. 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.

Oceana, WV natural hazards

How exposed is Oceana?

What Oceana faces

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Oceana flood?

Biggest named events

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Hurricane Sandy

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

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

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

Nearby