Enter any address in Nicholas County, West Virginia to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Nicholas County. Recent events include flash flooding on July 9, 2025, and August 11, 2022, driven by stalled weather systems and heavy downpours. Flooding also occurred on January 31, 2025, with creeks and streams spilling out of their banks due to widespread rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that Zone A, typically areas with higher flood risk, has the highest number of claims at 123, with an average payout of $58,128 and an average water depth of 4.6 feet. Zone X areas have seen 33 claims with an average payout of $20,345 and an average water depth of 1.3 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in low-lying areas or near creeks and streams, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
25 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Nicholas County, West Virginia has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 28 flash floods and 11 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations, 5 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, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jan 31, 2025 | 0.15K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2022 | 0.25K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2022 | 0.25K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2022 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 27, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2018 | 2.00K |
| Flood | Apr 16, 2018 | 4.00K |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2016 | 4.00M |
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 9, 2025
Active weather returned to West Virginia on July 9th in the midst of a cold front slowly approaching from the west. Additional moisture was ushered into the region from the remnants of a tropical system tracked north through the Carolinas and Virginia. While the bulk of precipitation associated with the tropical system stayed well east of the mountains, scattered showers and thunderstorms sprou...
Flood — Feb 6, 2025
Showers first entered into West Virginia on the evening of February 5th as a disturbance skirted by to the south. Precipitation continued into the next day, in addition to a few severe thunderstorms that developed ahead of a cold front in the early afternoon. Strong wind gusts from storms caused numerous downed trees and power line damage across Boone and Lincoln Counties during the early after...
Flash Flood — Jun 22, 2022
On the afternoon of June 22nd, a cold front made eastward progress into the Middle Ohio Valley, which served as the main contributor behind strong to severe thunderstorms in West Virginia. Optimal moisture levels and warm temperatures ahead of the front helped to promote these storms by the early afternoon on the 22nd, which spanned into the evening time frame as well. ||While an instance of qu...
Flash Flood — Jun 17, 2022
Abnormally warm temperatures contributed to another round of afternoon thunderstorms on June 17th. Numerous trees were blown down across the central portions of West Virginia from strong wind gusts in the early afternoon, followed by more trees down in the southeastern portions of the state a few hours later. The most significant damage caused by these storms was a roof being blown off of a hom...
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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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.