Enter any address in Kanawha County, West Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding and riverine flooding have both impacted Kanawha County over the past 30 years. Recent flood events include those in January 2025, when widespread rainfall caused local creeks and streams to overflow their banks and led to water issues in low-lying areas due to backed-up culverts. Another event in February 2025 brought rain and thunderstorms, resulting in downed trees and power lines.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows a significant number of payouts in Zone A, with an average payout of $19,091 and an average water depth of 4.4 feet. Claims in Zone X_UNSHADED also show substantial payouts, averaging $27,253 with an average water depth of 3.3 feet. Properties located in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those in other designated flood zones, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
167 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Kanawha County, West Virginia has recorded 203 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 117 flash floods and 86 river or area floods. The county has received 34 federal disaster declarations, 10 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 | Apr 11, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Aug 28, 2023 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Feb 27, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jun 22, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2015 |
| Chemical Spill | Chemical | Jan 9, 2014 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jan 31, 2025 | 0.05K |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2025 | 0.15K |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2025 | 0.25K |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2025 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
Flood — Jan 31, 2025
An advancing low pressure system set forth ample amounts of lift and moisture to round out the month of January. Widespread rainfall first entered into the southwestern coalfields of West Virginia on the morning of January 31st, and continued to invade northeastward and up into the higher terrain of the state. Local creeks and streams quickly spilled out of their banks on that day in conjunctio...
Flash Flood — Jul 30, 2025
The final few days of July featured a cold front slowly approaching West Virginia and stalling overhead. While much of the area remained dry on July 30th, showers and thunderstorms formed along the mountains and made little progress during the afternoon. Scattered activity spread farther west into the lowlands during the evening and then fizzled out overnight. The next round of showers and stor...
Flash Flood — Jun 26, 2025
For the end of June, a stretch of active weather occurred due to a cold front that rippled across Ohio and Pennsylvania and then sank into northern West Virginia while high pressure sprawled across the southeastern United States. A low pressure system pushed the front back to the north before pivoting east out of the Great Lakes region and dragging yet another front towards the middle Ohio Vall...
Flash Flood — Jul 19, 2025
A stalled cold front settling over West Virginia set forth multiple days of active weather around the area from July 17th to the 21st. The boundary eventually slid north as a warm front on the 19th of July while a disturbance passed across the Great Lakes region and took aim for New England. A secondary cold front approached from the north and then sank down through the middle Ohio Valley and C...
Flood — Jul 19, 2025
A stalled cold front settling over West Virginia set forth multiple days of active weather around the area from July 17th to the 21st. The boundary eventually slid north as a warm front on the 19th of July while a disturbance passed across the Great Lakes region and took aim for New England. A secondary cold front approached from the north and then sank down through the middle Ohio Valley and C...
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 Kanawha 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 Kanawha 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.