Sinkhole risk in Berkeley County, WV: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 44%
At or near the surface: 44%
Buried under cover: 0%

The next step for one property

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 142 of Berkeley County's 321 square miles on soluble rock, 142 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 136,287 residents (424 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 246 map points about 1.1 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Two things to read before deciding: the signs to look for and how an inspection works, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Berkeley County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Jefferson County, WV, about 13 miles southeast, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 1 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Jefferson County, WV 13 mi southeast · 84% at surface
Morgan County, WV 14 mi northwest · 7% at surface
Washington County, MD 16 mi northeast · 61% at surface
Winchester city, VA 20 mi south · 90% at surface
Frederick County, VA 21 mi southwest · 30% at surface
Clarke County, VA 23 mi south · 74% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Conococheague Formation (limestone), Cambrian in age, covering about 10% of the county. Next is the Rockdale Run Formation at 10%.

Against the rest of West Virginia

Berkeley County ranks 4 of 55 in West Virginia for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 85% of US counties on that measure.