204 flood insurance claims·$3.1M 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 Morgan 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.
Morgan County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by general riverine flooding, with 53 recorded flood events and 18 flash flood events, including one flash flood fatality, over the last 30 years.
Recent weather events illustrate these risks. In January 2024, low pressure tracking through the Ohio River Valley brought an extended period of moderate rain driven by a strong low-level jet, causing widespread minor flooding with isolated moderate flooding. In May 2025, a slow-moving closed upper-level low originating from the Gulf of Mexico delivered anomalous moisture, producing localized heavy rain and a long-duration moderate rain event.
Historical NFIP claim data shows that properties in high-risk Zone A face the most significant exposure, accounting for 167 claims with an average payout of $17,095 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches. However, properties in Zone X are also vulnerable, recording 27 claims with an average payout of $18,923 and an average water depth of 3 inches, alongside 10 claims in unknown zones averaging a $12,088 payout with an average water depth of 6 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents near designated flood zones and lower-elevation areas should pay the closest attention to these risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Morgan County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
167 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 7 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 1996, with 127 claims and $2.2M paid, the year of Flooding and Hurricane Fran and Associated Heavy Rains,flooding Highwind.
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.
29 NOAA storm reports from Morgan County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the West Virginia flood stories →
17 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 | May 28, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms | Feb 5, 2010 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Sep 16, 2004 |
| Hurricane Isabel | Sep 18, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
71 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 53 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 14, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 28, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Aug 9, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 7, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | — |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2021 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2020 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 14, 2025. A slow moving closed upper level low originating from the Gulf of America brought anomalous moisture into the area bringing localized heavy rain and a long duration moderate rain event.
Flood · Jan 28, 2024. An area of low pressure moved by to the south during the early morning hours of January 29th bringing a widespread inch and a half to two inches of rain. This resulted in some rivers rising into Minor Flood Stage and several streams overflowing their banks.
Flood · Jan 10, 2024. An area of low pressure tracked through the Ohio River Valley and up through the Great Lakes Region. A strong low level jet enhanced moisture flow into the low pressure system leading to an extended period of moderate rain that caused widespread minor flooding with isolated moderate flooding.
Flood · Aug 9, 2024. The remnants of Debby tracked through the area Thursday night into Friday, August 8th into August 9th. Tropical moisture combined with lift from the remnants to cause heavy rain across much of Virginia. The heavy rain led to several instances of flash flooding and 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 Morgan 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.