Ritchie County flood history
West Virginia · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 65 flood insurance claims in Ritchie County, West Virginia since 1978. The NFIP paid $440,801 on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 1998, with 25, mostly from Flooding.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 2 claims, and the average paid claim was $46,893.
37% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 0.4% of homes in Ritchie County, West Virginia had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (23 of 5,233 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 3% (7 of 219).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 9 flood-related disaster declarations covering Ritchie County, West Virginia. The most recent was DR-4932-WV (Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), declared August 3, 2026.
Open FEMA registration: DR-4932-WV covers Ritchie County for individual assistance; apply by October 17, 2026. See how to apply.
NFIP claims by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | $0 |
| 2019 | 1 | $46,893 |
| 2013 | 4 | $75,972 |
| 2011 | 2 | $17,498 |
| 2003 | 2 | $13,206 |
| 2002 | 1 | $0 |
| 2001 | 2 | $20,799 |
| 2000 | 10 | $34,313 |
| 1998 | 25 | $201,040 |
| 1997 | 2 | $9,768 |
| 1996 | 3 | $4,533 |
| 1994 | 5 | $9,926 |
| 1989 | 1 | $0 |
| 1985 | 2 | $3,416 |
| 1980 | 1 | $0 |
| 1978 | 3 | $3,437 |
Named flood events
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flooding | 1998 | 25 | $201,040 |
| Flooding | 1997 | 1 | $9,443 |
| Flooding | 1985 | 2 | $3,416 |
| Not a named storm | 1978 | 2 | $3,310 |
How many homes have flood insurance
FEMA counts 23 residential NFIP policies in Ritchie County, against 5,233 residential buildings (0.4%). Of the 219 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 7 have an NFIP policy (3%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.
Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?
Flood-related disaster declarations
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4932-WV | Aug 3, 2026 | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Apply by Oct 17, 2026 → |
| DR-4359-WV | Apr 17, 2018 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4220-WV | May 18, 2015 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4210-WV | Mar 31, 2015 | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4059-WV | Mar 16, 2012 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides | Yes |
| DR-1769-WV | Jun 19, 2008 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and | Yes |
| DR-1500-WV | Nov 21, 2003 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | Yes |
| DR-1474-WV | Jun 21, 2003 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides | Yes |
| DR-1319-WV | Feb 28, 2000 | Flooding, Severe Storms, and Landslides | Yes |
Check your own address
County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of West Virginia.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.