Natural hazards · West Union

West Union, WV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Union comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1985. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West Union?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Union to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding92%Everything else8%

By hazard

What West Union faces

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

Inland flooding

92% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 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 West Union flood?

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

17paid claims since 1985

$121Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19852026

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

Insurance rates: Doddridge County.

Disasters that hit West Union

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West UnionDeclared for Doddridge County only

2017

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$54K to the Town of West Union for repairs

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and

33 households applied for aid $136K aid approved $7K to the Town of West Union for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides

29 households applied for aid $153K aid approved $2K to the Town of West Union for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

$7K to the Town of West Union for repairs

Doddridge County has had 20 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. West Union 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 West Union’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of West Union. 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.