West Virginia has some of the most flood-vulnerable terrain in the eastern US, and the Red Cross West Virginia Region is the statewide responder when mountain streams flash-flood and river valleys fill. The region also handles home fires and severe winter weather, and collects blood for WVU Medicine, CAMC Health System, and other hospitals. Here is how to give or get help.
Flooding dominates West Virginia's disaster profile. Mountain streams flash-flood with little warning, and river valleys collect runoff from vast watershed areas. The 2016 floods killed 23 people and destroyed thousands of homes across Kanawha, Nicholas, Greenbrier, and other counties, the most devastating flood event in modern state history, and many of the same communities have flooded again in the years since.
The Red Cross opens shelters, distributes supplies, and provides immediate assistance after these events, along with responding to home fires and severe winter weather year-round. If flooding or another disaster has displaced you, call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Blood collected in the state supplies WVU Medicine, CAMC Health System, and other West Virginia hospitals. Appointments are typically available within days.
Schedule at redcrossblood.org or by phone at 1-800-RED-CROSS. Mobile drives reach communities without a permanent donor center, so check the drive finder even if you live outside the larger towns.
Financial gifts at redcross.org fund shelter operations and recovery assistance, and unrestricted money lets the organization respond the day a flash flood hits rather than waiting for a designated campaign. Volunteers staff shelters and response teams; new disaster volunteers complete several weeks of training first.
Flash floods strike with little warning, which makes an existing pool of trained local volunteers the single most valuable resource the region can have. Applying during a quiet season is the practical way to help.
A quick verification habit protects every gift: confirm 501(c)(3) status in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at apps.irs.gov, review Charity Navigator, and retain written acknowledgments for donations of $250 or more.
Sources: American Red Cross — West Virginia Region official site (redcross.org); our West Virginia charity guide research. Retrieved July 2026. We are not affiliated with American Red Cross — West Virginia Region and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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