The Number of Weather Disasters that Hit West Virginia in the Last Decade
Nine out of 10 U.S. counties suffered a federally-declared climate disaster between 2011 and 2021, according to a recent report. Disasters such as flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, winter storms, or other extreme weather events affected nearly every part of the country.
This means most U.S. residents are potentially in the path of natural disasters, which are increasing in both frequency and severity.
According to data compiled in the Atlas of Disaster report published by Rebuild by Design, there were 17 climate disaster declarations in West Virginia from 2011 to 2021.
Over that period, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development spent a reported $870 million in post-disaster relief, the 12th highest amount of all 50 states. Adjusting for population, FEMA and HUD spending in the state totaled about $481 per resident.
All data in this story is from the Atlas of Disaster report published by Rebuild by Design, a nonprofit that helps communities struck by natural disasters.
StateClimate disaster declarations, 2011-2021FEMA and HUD total cost ($)Cost per capita, 2011-2021 ($)Alabama171.3 billion275Alaska15294 million401Arizona512.6 million2Arkansas16244 million81California256.2 billion157Colorado7799 million141Connecticut10532 million149Delaware513.6 million14Florida118.3 billion390Georgia11675 million64Hawaii10325 million229Idaho956.5 million32Illinois5311 million24Indiana446.5 million57Iowa21717 million228Kansas13175 million60Kentucky16470 million105Louisiana188.1 billion1,736Maine624 million18Maryland10237 million39Massachusetts9501 million73Michigan6235 million23Minnesota11276 million49Mississippi22476 million159Missouri14992 million162Montana1267 million63Nebraska14749 million390Nevada334 million11New Hampshire1674 million55New Jersey137.2 billion815New Mexico10203 million97New York1626.3 billion1,348North Carolina152.5 billion243North Dakota13561 million738Ohio6225 million19Oklahoma22849 million215Oregon12879 million210Pennsylvania9630 million49Rhode Island456.3 million53South Carolina81.5 billion289South Dakota13237 million269Tennessee20657 million97Texas1714.8 billion518Utah736.1 million11Vermont17370 million593Virginia11417 million49Washington16267 million36West Virginia17870 million481Wisconsin10154 million27Wyoming418.4 million32
