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Kentucky · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index

Daviess County, KY

5 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.

5
FEMA declarations
2
Major disasters
88
NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
Severe Storm
Top hazard

The verdict

Daviess County ranks in the riskiest 12% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 71% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Moderate, based on 5 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2023, most often severe storm, 30% above the national county average of 4.

Riskiest 12%
of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index rating
5
FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
4
severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here

FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.

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How does Daviess County compare?

Daviess County vs. every U.S. county

FEMA disaster declarations, all-time

5 Top 29% higher than 71% of 2,791 counties

This county 0 30 all U.S. counties FEMA tracks, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25

Daviess County's FEMA Risk Index score

FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Kentucky county average

0/100100/100Kentucky avg44/10088.1/100
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Kentucky county average

How disaster-prone is Daviess County?

Declaration frequency

Daviess County, Kentucky has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 38% below the Kentucky county average of 8.0 and 30% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 4 of 5 declarations falling under this category.

FEMA National Risk Index

This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 88.1/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $69.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Ice Storm stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.

Flood exposure & the bottom line

Taken together, these indicators put Daviess County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level

Moderate

vs. Kentucky Avg

-38%

State avg: 8.0

vs. National Avg

+30%

National avg: 3.8

Avg Per Year

1.7

Over 3 years

FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Daviess County

Daviess County NRI risk profile 8-axis FEMA National Risk Index radar showing per-hazard composite scores for Earthquake 48, Flood 0, Hurricane 8, Tornado 48, Wildfire 8, Drought 48, Heat Wave 48, Winter Storm 92. Overall composite 38 of 100, classified Moderate. Earthquake Flood Hurricane Tornado Wildfire Drought Heat Wave Winter Storm 38 composite
Daviess County NRI risk profile FIPS 21059 · composite 38/100 (Moderate)
How to read this radar

The radar plots Daviess County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.

FEMA Records

5

Total declarations

NRI Source

FEMA 2023

Latest NRI release

County FIPS

21059

KY state code

Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release

Disaster Types

Severe Storm 4
Winter Storm 1

Declaration Types

What DR / EM / FM mean

FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).

Emergency - 3 60.0%

of all 5 declarations

Major Disaster - 2 40.0%

of all 5 declarations

FEMA Declarations Timeline

Year Declarations
2026 1
2025 3
2023 1

Disaster Declarations

DR# Title Type Incident Date
3633 SEVERE WINTER STORM EM Winter Storm 2026-01-24
4864 SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2025-04-24
3626 SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING EM Severe Storm 2025-04-03
3624 SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES EM Severe Storm 2025-02-16
4702 SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES DR Severe Storm 2023-04-10

Storm Events in Kentucky

Storm Type Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
Thunderstorm Wind 8,073 10 60 $63.7M
Flash Flood 2,127 113 16 $45.1M
Flood 1,906 37 8 $42.2M
Hail 1,898 1 0 $7.2M
Winter Weather 1,331 16 85 $1.0M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025

FEMA National Risk Index

Overall Risk

Relatively Moderate

Score: 88.1/100

Expected Annual Loss

Relatively Moderate

$69.8M/year

Social Vulnerability

Relatively Moderate

Community Resilience

Very High

Hazard Risk Breakdown

Ice Storm Very High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Hail Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Wildfire Very Low

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri

Counties with Similar Risk in Kentucky

Frequently Asked Questions

How many natural disasters has Daviess County, Kentucky had?
Daviess County, Kentucky has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Daviess County?
The most common disaster type in Daviess County is Severe Storm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Winter Storm (1).
How does Daviess County's disaster risk compare to the Kentucky average?
Daviess County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 38% lower than the Kentucky county average of 8.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 30% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Daviess County received?
Daviess County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 40% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Kentucky?
The most common storm types in Kentucky include Thunderstorm Wind (8,073 events), Flash Flood (2,127 events), Flood (1,906 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Daviess County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Daviess County was 2025, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Daviess County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Daviess County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Daviess County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Daviess County, Kentucky has an overall risk score of 88.1 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $69.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Daviess County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Daviess County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) and Strong Wind (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology

Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.

Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.

This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.

What this means for Daviess County

Daviess County, KY runs 38% below the Kentucky county average for federal disaster declarations (5 vs 8), a moderate historical load overall.

  • Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (3 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Kentucky overview
  • See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
  • Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide

Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.

All federal data sources used on this page
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial

Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →

Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.