Climate Risk Atlas/WV/Clarksburg/26323

Clarksburg, WV (26323) Flooding & Climate Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Clarksburg, WV (26323) are Inland Flooding, Lightning, and Hail. This area also faces an unusually high intensity for Landslide compared to national averages.

Understanding the Dollars

Expected Annual Loss (EAL) is a statistical average of property damage for this entire zip code over a standard year across all properties.

  • / It represents the "average cost" rather than a guaranteed yearly bill.
  • / It can be used to compare the relative risk from different hazards and across different neighborhoods.

Zip Code Risk Map

Flood Plain Analysis

Significant Flood Exposure in 26323

FEMA Flood Maps for 26323 identify the "100-year" and "500-year" floodplains (1% and 0.2% annual chance), but modern climate risk analysis suggests that nearly 25% of flood insurance claims originate from properties outside of these designated high-risk zones.

Use the map above to better understand risk by looking at both the FEMA flood plain maps and FEMA Risk Inventory maps by census tract. Standard FEMA maps may not account for 'flash flooding' from intense rain events.
FEMA Designation vs. Reality
Relatively High
Relative Vulnerability
$2,033,595
Annualized Property Exposure

Primary Risks

Inland Flooding

$2,033,595

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 26323

79.3Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Lightning

$40,160

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 26323

70.3Score

Relatively Moderate compared to US average

Hail

$33,757

Expected Annual Loss for Zip Code 26323

67.3Score

Relatively Low compared to US average

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER
Inland Flooding
$2,033,595
Score: 79.3
MAJOR DRIVER
Lightning
$40,160
Score: 70.3
MAJOR DRIVER
Hail
$33,757
Score: 67.3
Tornado
$21,199
Score: 24.4
Strong Wind
$19,432
Score: 37.6
Heat Wave
$15,647
Score: 10.9
Drought
$14,798
Score: 46.3
Cold Wave
$12,666
Score: 22.0
Earthquake
$12,099
Score: 21.4
Hurricane
$7,146
Score: 45.2
Winter Weather
$5,094
Score: 51.5
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Landslide
$4,053
Score: 94.4
Wildfire
$970
Score: 59.4
Ice Storm
$543
Score: 3.2

Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

💧Medium Investment

Inland Flooding Mitigation

Install a smart sump pump with battery backup and extend downspouts 10ft from foundation.

Risk Score: 79.3
🏠Low Investment

Lightning Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 70.3
🧊Medium Investment

Hail Mitigation

Replace roof with Class 4 impact-resistant shingles to significantly lower insurance premiums.

Risk Score: 67.3
⛰️High Investment

Landslide Mitigation

Professional slope stabilization and foundation drainage inspection is highly recommended.

Risk Score: 94.4

Methodology and Sources

Spatial Climate Risk Modeling

The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) and hazard risk scores are derived from the FEMA NRI zip code dataset using a population-weighted spatial join. Because Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, we utilize US Census Block Group population centroids to identify where residents actually live.

Financial & Insurance Metrics

The pysical resilence score is calculated by synthesizing Expected Annual Loss (EAL) against the total building replacement value within a jurisdiction. This creates a "Loss Ratio" that measures physical resilience. We supplement this with ZIP-code level data from the U.S. Treasury's Federal Insurance Office (FIO), monitoring trends in premium growth, loss ratios, and policy non-renewals to identify emerging "Insurance Deserts."

Primary Data Sources

Nearby Locations

Zip Code 26301Zip Code 26330Zip Code 26385