361 flood insurance claims·$3.2M paid·4 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 Monongalia 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 heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk profile in Monongalia County, accounting for 78 out of 103 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 25 general flood events. This hazard is illustrated by events such as the May 2025 surface low-pressure system, which dropped 2 to 3.5 inches of rain on saturated ground in Monongalia and Marion Counties, causing widespread flooding of roads, creeks, and streams, debris flow incidents, and a water rescue.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties across multiple zones experience flood impacts, with the highest claim volume concentrated in high-risk areas. Specifically, Zone A accounts for 190 claims with an average payout of $12,312 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Moderate- and lower-risk areas also face vulnerability; Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 51 claims with an average payout of $11,907 and an average water depth of 2 inches, Zone X recorded 48 claims with an average payout of $10,034 and an average water depth of 8 inches, and Zone X_SHADED logged 28 claims with an average payout of $6,016 and an average water depth of 5 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and unshaded Zone X areas where dozens of historical claims and standing water depths averaging up to 8 inches demonstrate measurable flood vulnerability outside of traditional high-risk zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
29% of Monongalia County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
269 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 5 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 1980, with 82 claims and $912,457 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
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.
47 NOAA storm reports from Monongalia County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the West Virginia flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 14, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jul 28, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Mar 3, 2015 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
103 since 1996: 78 flash floods and 25 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2025 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2025 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2025 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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 15, 2025. Following the catastrophic flooding that occurred in portions of Wheeling, WV late on the 14th, another round of slow moving storms developed along a stationary boundary over portions of northern West Virginia. With climatologically high precipitable water values, rainfall was efficient, allowing for 2-4 inch/hr rates. This impacted several counties in northern West Virginia but the hardest hit was the city of Fai…
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of a prefrontal trough and again along lake and residual outflow boundaries. With PWAT values near 2.00 inches, some storms did produce efficient rainfall for flash flooding.
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 Monongalia 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.