Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Fayette County, WV

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
54019
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2027-09-06. Plan: RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485), approved 2022-09-07.

Since the plan was approved on 2022-09-07: 3 new hazard declarations (3 incidents) and 103 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($12,084,524 a year), Lightning ($1,036,151) and Strong Wind ($314,684).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2027-09-06
Plan:
RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)
Approved:
2022-09-07
Days to expiry:
341
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

What changed since your last plan (approved 2022-09-07)

New federal declarations:
3 new hazard declarations (3 incidents): DR-4679-WV (Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4783-WV (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), EM-3639-WV (Severe Winter Storm)
Storm Events records since approval:
103 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 2, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 29
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiry
Fayette CountyCountyApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Ansted townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Fayetteville townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Gauley Bridge townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Meadow Bridge townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Montgomery cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Mount Hope cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Oak Hill cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Pax townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Smithers cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341
Thurmond townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06RPDC 04 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108485)2022-09-072027-09-06341

Plan 108485 covers 20 other participants, named in the Excel file.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$11,473,481$1,459$609,584$12,084,52456
2LightningRelatively HighRelatively High$8,651n/a$1,027,500$1,036,1513
3Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$123,761$300$190,624$314,684139Includes 4 High Wind and 15 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
4Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$3,524$100$281,018$284,6422
5EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$183,125n/a$67,785$250,910Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
6HailVery LowVery Low$65,942$49$31,050$97,04067
7Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$41,417under $1$35,323$76,74055
8TornadoVery LowVery Low$31,917$8$28,305$60,2302
9Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$37,422n/a$14,448$51,8701
10LandslideRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$4,775n/a$37,323$42,0980Declared 10 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
11WildfireVery LowVery Low$22,690$4$14,763$37,4572
12HurricaneVery LowVery Low$26,843$300$1,652$28,7950Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
13Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$3under $1$18,730$18,7320No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14AvalancheRelatively LowVery Lowunder $1n/a$18,705$18,7060No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$2,004n/a$2,00410

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 204 (Very Low, 69.9); tract 209 (Very Low, 69.7); tract 207 (Very Low, 69.7)
Earthquaketract 202.02 (Relatively Low, 68.3); tract 203 (Relatively Low, 66.9); tract 201.01 (Relatively Low, 43.4)
Hurricanetract 202.02 (Very Low, 48.3); tract 207 (Very Low, 47.9); tract 208 (Very Low, 44.9)
Landslidetract 209 (Relatively Moderate, 98.1); tract 204 (Relatively Moderate, 97.4); tract 207 (Relatively Moderate, 97.3)
Tornadotract 202.02 (Very Low, 22.4); tract 207 (Very Low, 22.1); tract 208 (Very Low, 19.7)
Wildfiretract 206 (Relatively Low, 82.8); tract 207 (Relatively Low, 81.2); tract 204 (Relatively Low, 80.6)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 204 is Census Tract 204). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill2 records, 2026 (2 zone-level)21 days; 1 with a recorded value21 consecutive days, 2026-01-20 to 2026-02-09, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)10 records, 2024 to 2026 (10 zone-level)91 days to 122 days (median 91 days); 3 with a recorded value122 days (4 months), 2024-08-01 to 2024-11-30, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)78 records, 1968 to 20240.75 in to 3 in (median 0.88 in); 78 with a recorded value3 in hail, 2019-05-23Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Mount Hope city (12 records), Oak Hill city (7 records), Fayetteville town (5 records), Ansted town (4 records), Gauley Bridge town (2 records), Meadow Bridge town (2 records), Montgomery city (2 records), Pax town (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)1 record, 2018 (1 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2018-11-15, $20,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars); NWS zone WVZ518Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)56 records, 1996 to 2026Flash Flood, 2001-07-08, $47,000,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pax town (7 records), Montgomery city (4 records), Mount Hope city (2 records), Oak Hill city (2 records), Ansted town (1 record), Fayetteville town (1 record).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)3 records, 1997 to 2015Lightning, 2015-06-01, $0 property; $0 crops (2015 dollars), 1 direct death, 2 direct injuriesLightning, 2003-03-13, $16,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Mount Hope city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)19 records, 2017 to 2026 (19 zone-level)30 kt (35 mph) to 50 kt (58 mph) (median 40 kt (46 mph)); 19 with a recorded value50 kt (58 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2020-04-12; NWS zone WVZ517Strong Wind, 2019-02-24, $50,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)140 records, 1955 to 202645 kt (52 mph) to 96 kt (110 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 103 with a recorded value96 kt (110 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2024-05-26; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2024-04-02Thunderstorm Wind, 2012-06-29, $3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Oak Hill city (14 records), Montgomery city (12 records), Ansted town (10 records), Fayetteville town (10 records), Gauley Bridge town (5 records), Mount Hope city (5 records), Pax town (3 records), Smithers city (2 records), Thurmond town (2 records), Meadow Bridge town (1 record).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)5 records, 1961 to 2026F/EF1 to F/EF3 (median F/EF2); 5 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1974-04-04, 10.8 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 33 yd wide, $2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1974 dollars), 1 direct death, 8 direct injuriesNo event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)2 records, 1999 to 2001No damage reported in 2 records.No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)55 records, 2016 to 2026 (55 zone-level)No damage reported in 55 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 25 declarations covering 20 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-01-242026-01-23EM-3639-WVEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2024-05-222024-04-02DR-4783-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; TornadoPA not declared for this countynew since last plan; within last 5 years
2022-11-282022-08-14DR-4679-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$3,290,576.86new since last plan; within last 5 years
2020-04-032020-01-20DR-4517-WVMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3450-WVEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4517
2016-06-252016-06-22DR-4273-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide$2,168,199.51
2015-03-312015-03-03DR-4210-WVMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weather$43,469.78
2012-11-272012-10-29DR-4093-WVMajor disasterHurricane SandyHurricane$57,301.02
2012-10-292012-10-29EM-3358-WVEmergencyHurricane SandyHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4093
2012-07-232012-06-29DR-4071-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms and Straight-Line WindsStrong Wind$476,769.24
2012-06-302012-06-29EM-3345-WVEmergencySevere StormsHazard not mapped (severe storm title names no single hazard); not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4071
2010-03-292010-03-12DR-1893-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and LandslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$121,124.61
2010-03-022009-12-18DR-1881-WVMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weather$33,763.69
2005-09-052005-08-29EM-3221-WVEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-08-062004-07-22DR-1536-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and LandslidesInland Flooding; LandslidePA not declared for this county
2004-06-072004-05-27DR-1522-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and LandslidesInland Flooding; LandslidePA not declared for this county
2003-11-212003-11-11DR-1500-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and LandslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$105,327.71
2003-03-142003-02-16DR-1455-WVMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Record/Near Record Snow, Heavy Rains, Flooding and LandslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter WeatherPA not declared for this county
2001-06-032001-05-15DR-1378-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding and LandslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$1,364,283.07
1996-01-131996-01-06DR-1084-WVMajor disasterBlizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm)Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-171993-03-13EM-3109-WVEmergencySevere Snowfall & Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1980-08-151980-08-15DR-628-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
1977-01-191977-01-19EM-3021-WVEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1974-04-111974-04-11DR-426-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
1967-03-131967-03-13DR-224-WVMajor disasterFloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1964-03-201964-03-20DR-165-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1963-03-131963-03-13DR-147-WVMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-03-091962-03-09DR-125-WVMajor disasterSevere Storm, High Tides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Coastal Flooding
1961-07-231961-07-23DR-117-WVMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1957-01-311957-01-31DR-67-WVMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1954-08-041954-08-04DR-21-WVMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave2202001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought1010010101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail78303001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Ice Storm1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding56126181321996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide00001021996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 10 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Lightning3000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind159431053211955 to 2026-06-30Includes 4 High Wind and 15 Strong Wind records.
Tornado5202111950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather5531435611996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-01-20Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2026 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WVZ517 (NORTHWEST FAYETTE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2024-08-01Drought$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WVZ517 (NORTHWEST FAYETTE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2024-05-26Thunderstorm Wind96 kt (110 mph) estimated gust$5,000 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars)0, 0ROMONTnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2023-02-16Flood$2,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)1, 0LONG BRANCHnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2020-04-12High Wind50 kt (58 mph) measured gust$30,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2020 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WVZ517 (NORTHWEST FAYETTE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2019-05-23Hail3 in$250,000 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)0, 0JODIEB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2019-02-24Strong Wind45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WVZ517 (NORTHWEST FAYETTE), zone-levelB1-c most damaging: High Wind and Strong Wind
2018-11-15Ice Storm$20,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2018 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WVZ518 (SOUTHEAST FAYETTE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2015-06-01Lightning$0 property; $0 crops (2015 dollars)1, 2GATEWOODdeaths or injuries recorded
2003-03-13Lightning$16,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars)0, 8MT HOPEB1-c most damaging: Lightning
2001-07-08Flash Flood$47,000,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)0, 0WEST PORTIONB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1974-04-04TornadoF3, 10.8 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 33 yd wide$2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1974 dollars)1, 8location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (371 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

FEMA's declaration data list no tribal or special-area declarations for this state.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave1.97event-days per yearabout 1.97 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)37.52005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought0.938event-days per yearabout 0.938 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)282000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00115annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.114%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.63events per yearabout 2.63 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)99.9 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave0.178event-days per yearabout 0.178 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)2.692005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricane0.00929events per yearabout 1 in 108 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)41851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.258event-days per yearabout 0.258 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)181946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding1.5event-days per yearabout 1.5 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 24 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (80%)421996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide1.81events per year (modeled)about 1.81 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning46.7days per year with a strikeabout 46.7 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind1event per yearabout 1 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)391986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0407events per yearabout 1 in 25 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00209annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.209%PossibleStorm Events records in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather15event-days per yearabout 15 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 10 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (33.3%)2852005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202530301
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202581302.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202529300.967
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20250300
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche10 of 1368.469.469.9Very Low 10, Not Applicable 3
Cold Wave13 of 1324.136.344.3Relatively Low 13
Drought1 of 1382.682.682.6Relatively Low 1, No Rating 12
Earthquake13 of 1315.839.168.3Relatively Low 5, Very Low 8
Hail13 of 1334.156.267.6Relatively Low 12, Very Low 1
Heat Wave13 of 132.13.13.8Very Low 13
Hurricane13 of 1329.741.948.3Very Low 13
Ice Storm13 of 139.844.573.5Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 10, Very Low 2
Inland Flooding13 of 133.549.099.4Very High 2, Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 4, Very Low 2
Landslide13 of 1346.095.698.1Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 6, Very Low 1
Lightning13 of 1385.798.499.3Very High 7, Relatively High 6
Strong Wind13 of 1332.564.881.9Relatively Moderate 10, Relatively Low 3
Tornado13 of 134.314.022.4Very Low 13
Wildfire13 of 1365.573.982.8Relatively Low 9, Very Low 4
Winter Weather13 of 1349.375.687.1Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 8

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its plan
Fayette CountyCountyApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 1, SRL 0; any 18$1,745,350.200 total; 0 since its plan
Ansted townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$111,710.1215 total; 4 since its plan
Fayetteville townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$159,024.9316 total; 0 since its plan
Gauley Bridge townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 1, SRL 0; any 1$1,108,362.447 total; 0 since its plan
Meadow Bridge townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded3 total; 0 since its plan
Montgomery cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$018 total; 3 since its plan
Mount Hope cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 6$204,747.7120 total; 1 since its plan
Oak Hill cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$156,370.8723 total; 1 since its plan
Pax townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 4$11,203.9711 total; 2 since its plan
Smithers cityCityApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$239,046.772 total; 0 since its plan
Thurmond townTownApproved, expires 2027-09-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$1,892.252 total; 0 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2022-09-07county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$1,410,393n/a4under $1n/a$18,705under 0.0001%
Cold Wave$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$3,524$100$281,018under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$818,885n/an/a$2,004n/a0.245% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$11,299,806,928n/a40,488$183,125n/a$67,7850.00162%
Hail$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$65,942$49$31,0500.00101%$0
Heat Wave$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$3under $1$18,730under 0.0001%
Hurricane$6,522,411,940$2,196,20140,246$26,843$300$1,6520.000412%
Ice Storm$6,537,343,584n/a40,383$37,422n/a$14,4480.000572%
Inland Flooding$6,527,212,031$406,9561,691$11,473,481$1,459$609,584n/a (see note)$4,000$3,290,576.86NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$871,268,077n/a6,200$4,775n/a$37,3230.000548%$3,290,576.86
Lightning$6,537,343,584n/a40,383$8,651n/a$1,027,5000.000132%
Strong Wind$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$123,761$300$190,6240.00189%$108,250$33,750no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)Storm Events damage since the plan includes 1 zone-level High Wind record ($15,000) and 8 zone-level Strong Wind records ($18,750): NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$31,917$8$28,3050.000488%$125,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Wildfire$134,358,371$283,1123,651$22,690$4$14,7630.0169%
Winter Weather$6,537,343,584$2,209,02840,383$41,417under $1$35,3230.000634%$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)

Totals since 2022-09-07 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 49 county-coded records, 49 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $237,250; 54 zone-level records, 54 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $33,750 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $3,290,576.86 on 3 counted declarations, 1 of them with Public Assistance.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population40,383
Building value (total, not at risk)$6,537,343,584
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$2,209,028
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$12,027,775
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$2,376,808
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)2Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition28Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county total and NFIP communities

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total202802901
of which: Fayette County (unincorporated area)101701801
of which: Pax town0040400
of which: Mount Hope city0060600
of which: Gauley Bridge town1010100

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Fayette County540026101701801
Ansted town5400270000000
Fayetteville town5402930000000
Gauley Bridge town5402941010100
Meadow Bridge town5400280000000
Montgomery city5400290000000
Mount Hope city5402800060600
Oak Hill city5400310000000
Pax town5400320040400
Smithers city5400330000000
Thurmond town5400500000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential102402501
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential1040400
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 1 property is FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 27 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Fayette County, WV: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 54019). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/wv/54019/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]