Natural Disaster Risk in Parkersburg

Natural Hazard Profile: Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg, in Wood County, is a city of approximately 28,005 residents situated in the interior eastern United States. Its humid continental climate brings cold winters, warm summers, and mountainous terrain that intensifies flooding, and in particular flash flooding and winter storms. These conditions collectively define the natural hazard environment that Parkersburg residents and property owners must navigate.

Parkersburg's overall natural disaster risk is rated 5.7/10 (Moderate) by FEMA's National Risk Index. The area faces significant landslide risk, where mountainous topography and saturated soils during wet periods combine to create hazardous mass movement conditions. Secondary hazards include lightning and ice storm.

Within West Virginia, Parkersburg's risk is, slightly above the 5.0/10 state average. Nationally, it ranks above the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. FEMA's analysis of Wood County identifies landslide as the foremost hazard, followed by lightning and ice storm. These rankings reflect the relative frequency and severity of each hazard type in the local environment.

Parkersburg's moderate risk profile means that while catastrophic events are less frequent, they do occur. Standard homeowners insurance typically covers many common hazards here, but confirming that landslide exposure is adequately protected is a worthwhile step for property owners.