CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Natural disasters affect millions of Americans each year, destroying homes and communities all over the country, such as the recent Hurricane Ian, which caused $57 billion in damage to Florida and South Carolina. In a recent study from WalletHub, they found that, when compared with the other 50 states in the nation, West Virginia ranked 33rd in terms of natural disaster impact.
In the study, the 50 states were ranked across two key metrics: the number of climate disasters causing at least $1 billion in damage since 1980, and the loss amount per capita of those disasters.
States Most Impacted by Natural Disasters
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Number of Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damage (1980-2022) | Loss Amount from Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damage per Capita (1980-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 97.50 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | Louisiana | 94.50 | 11 | 1 |
| 3 | Texas | 83.97 | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | Iowa | 81.90 | 22 | 5 |
| 5 | Alabama | 75.81 | 1 | 11 |
| 33 | West Virginia | 31.21 | 30 | 24 |
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the highest number of climate disasters, and the highest loss amount from climate disasters, respectively.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of vulnerability to natural disasters. Then, each state’s weighted average was taken across all metrics to calculate its overall score and to determine the rank-order.
- Number of Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damage (1980-2022): Full Weight (~50.00 Points)
- Loss Amount from Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damage per Capita (1980-2022): Full Weight (~50.00 Points)
