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Lewis County, West Virginia

Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 29% of Lewis County's mapped land, a higher share than 80% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 4%.

None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 54 flood losses here since 2016, 20% of them in buildings with basements. 55% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

29%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

4%

high water table: limits basements

0%

in drought, October 13, 2026

55%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Lewis County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)29.2%
High water table (limits basements)4.3%
Septic fields very limited95.9%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)3.8%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)29.2%
Mapped soil249,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: expansive clay
Gilpin45%0%
Upshur29%99%
Vandalia8%n/a
Janelew3%n/a
Fairpoint2%n/a
Highsplint1%n/a
Upshur County: 5%Gilmer County: 26%Harrison County: 10%Doddridge County: 25%Braxton County: 25%Barbour County: 2%Ritchie County: 44%Taylor County: 1%Lewis County UpshurGilmerHarrisonDoddridgeBraxtonBarbourRitchieTaylorLewis
Lewis County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by expansive clay share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas WV041 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.8% by land area here, and 29% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 29% of the mapped land.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 47.56 in, 1.84 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.40 in.

USDA rates 96% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 13 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 5 weeks, most recently on the May 19, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse0%
D1 moderate drought or worse0%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

54 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2026, with 46. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 20% basements, 29% slabs, 37% crawl spaces, 14% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 40 in.

YearFlood losses
20162
20170
20184
20190
20200
20211
20220
20230
20240
20251
2026 to date46

Rain

Average year, 1991-202049.40 in
12 months to August 202647.56 in (-1.84)
202545.12 in (-4.28)
Wettest year since 18952018: 68.67 in
Driest year since 18951930: 25.25 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BURNSVILLE LAKE (12 mi away)10.6

Homes

Housing units8,219
Median year built1977
Built before 198055%
Built 2000 or later20%
Owner-occupied72%
Median value, owner-occupied$151,800
Single-family detached70%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Foundation repair, US $2,200 to $8,200 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Pier-and-beam repair, US $2,000 to $15,000 Fixr, January 27, 2026
Foundation inspection, US $300 to $600 Fixr, January 31, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Upshur County, WV 15 mi 5% 29%
Gilmer County, WV 20 mi 26% 5%
Harrison County, WV 21 mi 10% 19%
Doddridge County, WV 22 mi 25% 7%
Braxton County, WV 24 mi 25% 11%
Barbour County, WV 29 mi 2% 17%
Ritchie County, WV 33 mi 44% 10%
Taylor County, WV 34 mi 1% 28%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status