Enter any address in Clay County, West Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events are the most frequent type of flooding recorded in Clay County, WV over the last 30 years, with 33 occurrences, compared to 18 instances of general flooding. Recent events include flash flooding on April 11, 2024, and general flooding on February 13, 2024, which impacted multiple counties in the region.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties designated as Zone A have experienced 32 claims with an average payout of $19,223 and an average water depth of 10.6 feet. Properties in Zone X have had 24 claims, with a higher average payout of $24,834, though the reported water depth is an average of -0.0 feet. Seven claims were filed in Zone UNKNOWN, with an average payout of $2,769 and an average water depth of -0.6 feet.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, and those located near rivers or streams, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
41 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Clay County, West Virginia has recorded 51 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 33 flash floods and 18 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Aug 28, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 22, 2016 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Jul 10, 2015 |
| Chemical Spill | Chemical | Jan 9, 2014 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 28, 2023 | 1.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2023 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2022 | 0.50K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2022 | 0.10K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2022 | 3.00K |
| Flood | May 6, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2022 | 1.00K |
Flash Flood — May 13, 2025
A frontal boundary stalled over the state of West Virginia beginning on May 11th, then dissolved over the area while a disturbance approached from the southwest on the 12th. Widespread precipitation progressed northward across the area on the 12th, followed by rounds of scattered showers and thunderstorms continuing to impact the area over the next couple of days as an upper level trough and su...
Flood — Feb 13, 2024
Precipitation spread northwest into the area on the afternoon and evening of February 12th due to an approaching low-pressure system. The bulk of precipitation fell across western and central West Virginia as the system moved overhead, with most locations receiving between one and two inches of rain during the night. ||Flooding developed around midnight, with multiple reports of high water span...
Flash Flood — Apr 11, 2024
Showers and thunderstorms developed on the afternoon of April 11th due to the combination of unseasonably warm temperatures and a passing disturbance. Storms crossed in from the Ohio River Valley during the early afternoon and continued an eastward progression into the evening. A swath of tree damage and power outages were observed from Mingo County to the eastern half of the West Virginia from...
Flash Flood — Aug 28, 2023
During the early morning hours of August 28th, a ribbon of heavy showers spawned just above the southern West Virginia coalfields and propagated northeastward into the central portions of the state. An inverted surface trough feature festered over the Central Appalachians and was the primary culprit behind this swath of slow moving and heavy rainfall. Precipitation amounts recorded by local wea...
Flash Flood — Jul 15, 2023
Showers and thunderstorms developed in West Virginia on the afternoons of July 13th through 15th in the midst of weak disturbances passing through the area. Strong wind gusts accompanying storms resulted in multiple downed trees across the state. Flash flooding also blocked sections of a road in Raleigh County on the 13th while another isolated instance of flash flooding occurred on the 15th i...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Clay County, West Virginia:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Clay County, West Virginia that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.