67 flood insurance claims·$442,479 paid·6 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 Pendleton 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 dominates the flood character of Pendleton County, accounting for 34 out of 52 recorded flood events and 1 death over the last 30 years, alongside 18 general flood events. Recent events illustrate this pattern, such as February 6, 2025, when a slow-moving low pressure system and warm front dropped 2 to 3 inches of rain, causing elevated streamflows and increased runoff into Seneca Creek and the North Fork of the South Branch. Similarly, a slow-moving closed upper-level low brought long-duration rain and rates exceeding 2 inches an hour on May 13, 2025, producing 2 to 4 inches of rain across the eastern panhandle over a 6-hour period.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims are distributed across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest volume with 42 claims averaging a $7,419 payout and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X recorded 13 claims averaging a $4,910 payout and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches, while 11 claims in Zone UNKNOWN averaged a $15,716 payout with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. One claim occurred in Zone X_SHADED, averaging a $4,699 payout with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those with unmapped or unknown zones, should pay the most attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of Pendleton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
43 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 4 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 46 claims and $148,586 paid, the year of Flooding, Flooding, Heavy Winds 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.
22 NOAA storm reports from Pendleton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the West Virginia flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jun 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | May 28, 2018 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Dec 18, 2009 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Apr 14, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
52 since 1996: 34 flash floods and 18 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 15, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 14, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 8, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Sep 22, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 27, 2025. A nearly stationary boundary resided over the Allegheny Mountains with stable air to the east, and moist unstable air along and west of the mountains. This resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms slowly traversing the higher terrain. Localized rainfall amounts of two to five inches were observed across portions of Pendleton County, which resulted in flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Aug 20, 2025. A thunderstorm moved of the higher terrain of the Allegheny Mountains and stalled in western Pendleton County resulting in a localized two to four inches of rain.
Flood · Jul 15, 2025. An anomalously moist airmass with tropical moisture resided over much of West Virginia on July 15th. Another round of slow moving thunderstorms developed on remnant boundaries and terrain circulations. These thunderstorms moved into areas with suppressed flash flood guidance due to anteceding conditions. Ultimately, these storms produced localized rainfall amounts of one to four inches.
Flood · Jul 14, 2025. Another day of an anomalously moist airmass produced numerous showers and thunderstorms across West Virginia. This resulted in localized rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches in a short period of time, which resulted in instances of flooding and 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 Pendleton 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.