How much flood risk does Upshur County actually carry?
Upshur County lands at the 68.4th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.8 times a year. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 685 homes FEMA counts inside Upshur County's mapped flood zone, 82 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 12% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Upshur County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Upshur County against the rest of the country
Upshur County sits at rank 1037 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1659 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Upshur County, West Virginia covers 354.638 square miles and counts roughly 23,650 residents.
Checking a specific address in Upshur County
Across all of Upshur County's 9,036 residential structures, 93 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Upshur County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.