Prevalent climate hazards in West Virginia include floods, drought, heat and cold waves, ice and snow storms, and tornadoes. Flooding, the most dangerous and costly climate impact in West Virginia, shapes many of the state’s adaptation and resilience efforts. The West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) publishes the state’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and works with FEMA to administer individual and public assistance programs. 

West Virginia’s State Resiliency Officer (SRO) and State Resiliency Office, established in 2017, coordinate disaster recovery and preparedness among state agencies. The West Virginia State Resiliency Office Board (SROB) supports the SRO. West Virginia’s flood resilience has several components, including the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Framework (WVFRF), the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Trust Fund, and the WV Flood Resiliency Plan. Additionally, West Virginia’s State Code outlines floodplain area management requirements for state-owned property. The overview below provides a more detailed summary of West Virginia’s key climate-related risks, the governance framework for overseeing adaptation work at the state level, and central laws and guidelines affecting how adaptation planning, investments, and funding are carried out in the state. 

West Virginia’s Climate Vulnerability and Risk Profile

West Virginia’s climate is defined by mild winters, warm and humid summers, and frequent storms. The forested, mountainous topography leads to variable climate conditions in different parts of the state. For example, the high elevation of the state can keep summers cooler in general, and the more mountainous central and northeastern parts of the state have cooler summers and winters than the southern part of the state. In the west, closer to the Ohio River, West Virginia experiences less precipitation than the central region. The Eastern Panhandle experiences even less precipitation due to a rain shadow. The state has recently (2015-2020) experienced an increase in precipitation compared to the historical average.^{See footnote 1} Climate hazards include floods, drought, heat and cold waves, ice and snow storms, and tornadoes. Flooding is the most dangerous and costly climate impact in West Virginia, and increased drought conditions combined with increased rainfall have fostered conditions that increase the risk of flood events. These conditions combined with the state’s aging drainage infrastructure have resulted in massive floods in recent years.^{See footnote 2}  The state is experiencing increased temperatures and is expected to see worsening drought conditions, extreme precipitation events, flooding, worse heat waves, and decreased cold wave intensity.^{See footnote 3} 

Adaptation Governance in West Virginia

West Virginia Emergency Management Division

The West Virginia Emergency Management Division (WVEMD) operates under the West Virginia State Code and the West Virginia Emergency Operations Plan.^{See footnote 4}  It publishes the state’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, most recently updated in 2023.^{See footnote 5} As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 3, WVEMD works with FEMA to administer individual and public assistance programs. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Huntington and Pittsburgh Regulatory Districts cover the state.^{See footnote 6 See footnote 7} WVEMD partners with USACE on projects benefitting WV’s climate adaptation from these districts, including the Stonewall Jackson Lake project,^{See footnote 8} Bluestone Dam,^{See footnote 9} and the upcoming Lower Mud River project.^{See footnote 10} 

State Resiliency Office

West Virginia’s State Resiliency Officer (SRO) and State Resiliency Office were established in 2017 by House Bill 2935 and codified by W. Va. Code § 29-31-2(a), in response to intense flooding across the state.^{See footnote 11} The Office, which is housed within the Office of the Governor, was created to coordinate disaster recovery and preparedness amongst the state agencies under the leadership of the SRO. The Office was originally tasked with updating and reviewing the West Virginia Flood Protection Plan (2004), but the passage of Senate Bill 677 (2023) directed the Office to create a Flood Resiliency Plan instead, using the Flood Protection Plan as the foundation.^{See footnote 12} The SRO is responsible for updating the Flood Resiliency Plan biennially, as well as educating agencies and residents on flood risk, coordinating disaster recovery, monitoring federal funding opportunities and notifying localities of state funding opportunities, and recommending legislation to mitigate flood damage.^{See footnote 13} 

West Virginia State Resiliency Office Board

The West Virginia State Resiliency Office Board (SROB) was established by House Bill 2935 and codified by W. Va. Code § 29-31-2(b)(1). The SROB is chaired by the SRO and is composed of relevant state agency secretaries, party representatives from the state House and Senate, and the Adjunct General of the West Virginia National Guard.^{See footnote 14} The Board is responsible for supporting the SRO, including establishing mechanisms for inter-agency coordination during and after disasters, reviewing state legislation for laws that may impede disaster resilience, balancing adaptation and mitigation priorities with economic and private property interests, and conducting risk assessments and creating working groups to conduct sector-specific risk assessments.^{See footnote 15}

Climate Data

The West Virginia Division of Forestry hosts resources pertaining to wildfire danger in the state, including the US Geological Survey (USGS) Wildfire Danger Map and warnings during high fire-risk conditions.^{See footnote 16} WVEMD and West Virginia University GIS Technical Center host the WV Flood Tool, which includes county-by-county 100- and 500-year flood risk, FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) status, and other metadata to help assess risk.^{See footnote 17}  The West Virginia Risk Explorer (WVRE), created from the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Framework, also hosts tools for local flood risk assessment. WVRE provides informational videos and websites, a technical guide, risk data, reports, and flood visualizations to support localities in flood preparedness.^{See footnote 18} The State Resiliency Office website links to resources for drought monitoring in the state, including the US Drought Monitor and the National Integrated Drought Information System pages for West Virginia, as well as the drought component of the WV Emergency Operations Plan.^{See footnote 19} The Department of Environmental Protection also hosts various mapping applications, including watershed data, precipitation totals, wetland function, and more through its Technical Applications and GIS Unit.^{See footnote 20} 

Adaptation Law and Policy in West Virginia 

West Virginia Flood Resilience 

West Virginia’s flood resilience consists of several components: a framework, a trust fund, a flood resilience plan, and partnerships that support these elements. The West Virginia Flood Resiliency Framework (WVFRF) was initiated by researchers at West Virginia University and the West Virginia GIS Technical Center in partnership with state civic organizations in 2022 as part of the National Science Foundation CIVIC Innovation Challenge.^{See footnote 21} The Framework is the result of a research study of “gaps in organizational capacity, cross-organization coordination, and flood risk knowledge” across different communities in the state.^{See footnote 22} WVFRF serves as a toolkit for communities to assess and prepare for their flood risk through a Risk Explorer Tool, Best Practices Guide, floodplain management trainings, and more. 

In 2017, House Bill 2935 (the Resilience and Flood Protection Plan Act, amended in 2023) established the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding, which creates periodic reports for review by the State Resiliency Office. The Committee produces recommendations for reducing flood risk through legislation. 

The West Virginia Flood Resiliency Plan, which is managed by the State Resiliency Office, was most recently updated in 2026.^{See footnote 23} The plan was created in part in response to the severe 2016 flooding, and it included feedback from a flood symposium, as well as federal, state, regional, local, and non-governmental agencies. The West Virginia Flood Resiliency Trust Fund was established in 2023 to implement recommendations from the state flood plan and protect communities from damaging floods. The fund provides loans and grants to localities that meet planning and governance criteria, with approval from the State Resilience Board.^{See footnote 24} The trust is administered by the State Resiliency Office as of 2023. State code stipulates that at least 50 percent of the fund should go toward helping low-income communities in the state.^{See footnote 25}

Resilient Design and Siting Requirements

Floodplain Management

West Virginia’s State Code outlines floodplain area management requirements.^{See footnote 26} State-owned property must adhere to the guidelines of the National Floodplain Insurance Program, at a minimum.^{See footnote 27} The West Virginia Floodplain Management Association created a model ordinance for the state in 2015 that includes these provisions.^{See footnote 28} Within the 100-year floodplain, structures must be elevated (and floodproofed, if nonresidential) 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Structures must be set back twice the width of a watercourse (or 50 feet, whichever is less) from a shoreline, and oil and gas wells must be set back 100 feet.^{See footnote 29} The ordinance advises that no critical facilities should be built in the special flood hazard area, but this is not required by law.

Statewide Adaptation Planning and Technical Assistance

Firewise WV

Firewise WV is a wildfire mitigation and education program run by the West Virginia Division of Forestry. The program promotes wildfire adaptations in high fire danger areas, including the creation of defensible spaces and wildfire risk reduction plans. In addition to providing technical assistance, Firewise WV educates the public on community and individual wildfire risk reduction and encourages the implementation of wildfire safety guidelines to reduce impacts from wildland-urban interface fires.^{See footnote 30} Firewise WV is part of Firewise USA, which aims to help protect homes and neighborhoods from wildfire impacts.

This summary aims to highlight the most important adaptation and resilience efforts underway in West Virginia, but it is not exhaustive. Other adaptation and resilience efforts may be led by other state agencies, localities, and private partners within the state. Source documents and additional resources, many of which are housed in the Adaptation Clearinghouse, are highlighted below.

This research was last updated on October 20, 2026.