371 flood insurance claims·$5.8M paid·5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Marion County, West Virginia. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk in Marion County, West Virginia. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records from the last 30 years, flash floods account for 110 events and 1 death, compared to 26 standard flood events. Severe weather patterns drive this activity, such as the slow-moving storms on June 15, 2025, that dropped up to 4 inches of rain per hour over the city of Fairmont. Additional heavy rainfall events driven by high precipitable water values and training storms occurred on July 31, 2025, producing localized flash flooding across the area.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property owners in designated high-risk areas face the most substantial impacts. Zone A properties account for 185 claims with an average payout of $26,647 and an average recorded water depth of 10 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 50 claims with an average payout of $30,971 and an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN properties recorded 135 claims with an average payout of $5,483 and an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 1 claim with a $5,422 average payout and an average water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate professionals in Zone A and locations with unmapped or unknown zones should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Marion County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
186 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 6 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2017, with 52 claims and $1.6M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
73 NOAA storm reports from Marion County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the West Virginia flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jun 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jul 28, 2017 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides | Feb 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And | Jun 3, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
136 since 1996: 110 flash floods and 26 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2025 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2025. A weak shortwave riding along a southward sagging boundary supported a broken convective line. A gradient of 1500-2000 J/kg of MLCAPE and near 30 knots of effective shear was enough for a few stronger storms within the broken line. One became severe as it progressed east along the Mason Dixon line and resulted in some damaging wind. Within this environment, PWAT values of 1.9-2.0 inches supported heavy rainfall, e…
Flash Flood · May 30, 2025. Surface low pressure tracked across northern West Virginia on May 30th. Some instances of wind damage were noted, especially due to saturated ground and wind generally in the range of 30 to 40 MPH. However, flash flooding had the higher impact, especially in Marion and Monongalia Counties, as 2 to 3.5 inches of rain fell on ground that was already saturated. Widespread flooding of roads, creeks, and streams was r…
Flash Flood · Jul 27, 2025. Morning showers congealed into a cluster of thunderstorms along the Mason Dixon line in the early afternoon hours. A very moisture rich environment with mid 70s dew points, highly anomalous PWAT values up to 2.3, and 3000 J/kg MUCAPE resulted in flash flooding. Observed and radar estimated rainfall rates reached as high as 2 inches per hour and storm totals of 3-4 inches around urban areas.
Flash Flood · Jun 26, 2025. A warm, moist airmass remained in place through the latter half of the month which allowed for daily shower and thunderstorm chances. Training storms was the primary factor to the resultant flash flooding as cells developed upshear of the initial updrafts in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. One of these storms did result in yet another round of flash flooding for portions of Wheeling WV.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Marion County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.