Community preparedness — West Virginia
Flooding in narrow mountain valleys, blizzards, tornadoes, and the geographic isolation of WV's 55 counties. WVU Extension statewide. CERT teams from the Northern Panhandle to the coalfields. Ham operators who bridge communities when mountain roads wash away.
Enter your ZIP to find volunteer groups, training programs, civic organizations, and mutual aid networks in your area.
Organizations and programs near you
Emergency response & training
Food & mutual aid
Skills & learning
Civic & service organizations
Don't see what you're looking for? Search Google Maps →
Community calendar
55
County extension offices
3
NWS forecast offices
10+
Amateur radio clubs
10
Community/technical colleges
Where to plug in
West Virginia's narrow mountain river valleys are extraordinarily flood-prone — when intense rain falls on the Appalachian highlands, the water has nowhere to go but down. The state floods repeatedly, significantly, and often with little warning. WVU Extension in all 55 counties, CERT teams in every major county, and ham radio networks that keep mountain communities connected build the resilience that geography demands.
West Virginia University Extension serves all 55 counties. Programming spans agriculture, horticulture, food safety, nutrition, 4-H, natural resources, and community development. WV's agriculture is primarily small farms, specialty crops, and livestock — very different from large-scale Midwestern farming — and extension serves this diverse agricultural landscape. After the June 2016 floods, extension agents helped affected Greenbrier and Nicholas County farm families navigate USDA disaster programs.
The Master Gardener program trains volunteers for Appalachian growing conditions. Extension runs food preservation workshops (canning, pickling, and food storage are deeply embedded in WV culture), flood preparedness education, and community development programs serving some of the state's most economically challenged communities.
West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) coordinates the state's all-hazards emergency program through county emergency management agencies. WV's EM system is built primarily around flooding — the state's most frequent, most deadly, and most costly recurring disaster — but also addresses blizzards, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms.
CERT programs are active across West Virginia. Kanawha (Charleston), Cabell (Huntington), Monongalia (Morgantown), Greenbrier (Lewisburg), and other counties run programs. After the catastrophic June 2016 flooding that killed 23 people across Greenbrier, Nicholas, Clay, and other counties, CERT enrollment and community preparedness investment grew significantly. Training is free.
American Red Cross chapters serve all of West Virginia. First aid, CPR, AED, and water safety classes are offered in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, and other communities. During the June 2016 flood — the worst in WV in decades — Red Cross deployed across multiple counties and provided shelter and relief to hundreds of displaced residents. WV Red Cross deploys for flooding multiple times per year. Volunteer entry points include shelter operations, disaster assessment, and feeding.
West Virginia has clubs in the ARRL West Virginia Section. In a state where mountain ridges block cell signals and flooding can cut roads for days, ham radio is critical infrastructure. WV ARES teams activate for flooding — the most common emergency — and blizzards that can isolate mountain communities for days. Getting licensed costs $15 for the exam. Study at hamstudy.org.
Three NWS offices serve West Virginia: Charleston WV (central and southern WV), Pittsburgh PA (northern WV and the Northern Panhandle), and Blacksburg VA (southeastern WV). Each runs SKYWARN spotter training. WV's mountain terrain means that rain totals and river conditions can vary dramatically across very short distances — local spotters with on-the-ground knowledge are essential. Training is free.
WV's weather hazards include catastrophic flash flooding in narrow valleys, severe blizzards that can isolate mountain communities, tornadoes (particularly in the eastern panhandle and river valleys), and severe thunderstorms. Flooding is by far the most common and deadly hazard.
West Virginia has over 100 public library locations overseen by the WV Library Commission. Kanawha County Public Library (Charleston), Cabell County Public Library (Huntington), and Monongalia County Public Library (Morgantown) run extensive programming. In many WV communities, the public library is the most important public building — often the only facility with reliable internet access.
WV community and technical colleges include BridgeValley CTC (Charleston/South Charleston), Mountwest CTC (Huntington), Eastern WV CTC, New River CTC, Pierpont CC&TC (Fairmont), and others. They offer EMT certification, welding, electrical work, HVAC, nursing, and mining technology programs.
Why this matters
On June 23, 2016, extremely intense thunderstorms dropped 8–10 inches of rain across Greenbrier, Nicholas, Clay, Kanawha, and surrounding counties in West Virginia within a few hours. The narrow river valleys — where most WV communities sit — channeled the water into catastrophic flash floods. Twenty-three people were killed. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. Entire communities in Greenbrier County, including areas near White Sulphur Springs and Rainelle, were devastated.
In those initial hours, community members ran water rescues through the night. Volunteers with trucks, boats, and any high-clearance vehicle available extracted neighbors from flooded homes. Volunteer fire companies and rescue squads — the backbone of WV's emergency response — were overwhelmed but responded with remarkable determination. Ham radio operators provided communications as cell networks failed.
Red Cross deployed across multiple counties. WVU Extension agents were on the ground within days, helping farm families document losses. Churches and community organizations organized supply distribution. The Greenbrier Valley community rallied to rebuild in a way that the outside world found remarkable — in one of the poorest regions of the country, neighbors helped neighbors with extraordinary generosity.
West Virginia floods again and again. The organizations on this page build the preparedness that makes each flood response faster and each recovery stronger across all 55 counties.
The foundation
Community resilience begins with a household that can take care of itself. Cover the first 72 hours, then extend outward to your street, your neighborhood, your town.
Start with the first 72 hours