FEMA Records
11
Total declarations
Kentucky · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Harlan County, KY
11 FEMA disaster declarations (2017–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 11
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 66
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Harlan County in the top 34% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 95% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Harlan County compare?
- Harlan County
- 11
- Kentucky county avg
- 7.9
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Harlan County?
Harlan County, Kentucky has recorded 11 FEMA disaster declarations between 2017 and 2026, of which 7 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.2 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 40% above the Kentucky county average of 7.9 and 194% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 4 of 11 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 65.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $17.7M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, these indicators place Harlan County at a high relative risk level, its federal disaster history outpaces most of the country, and it is worth pairing that record with forward-looking hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
High
vs. Kentucky Avg
+40%
State avg: 7.9
vs. National Avg
+194%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.2
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Harlan County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Harlan 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
21095
KY state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 4
Flood 3
Winter Storm 1
Tropical Storm 1
Severe Ice Storm 1
Fire 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 7 63.6%
of all 11 declarations
Emergency - 3 27.3%
of all 11 declarations
Fire Management - 1 9.1%
of all 11 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3633 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 3626 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2025-04-03 |
| 4860 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-02-24 |
| 3624 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM | Severe Storm | 2025-02-16 |
| 4848 | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-11-26 |
| 4804 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-07-23 |
| 4711 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-05-09 |
| 4663 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2022-07-29 |
| 4595 | SEVERE, STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2021-04-23 |
| 4592 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-03-31 |
| 5166 | SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2016-11-20 |
Storm Events in Kentucky
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,379 | 9 | 57 | $59.3M |
| Flash Flood | 1,964 | 72 | 16 | $43.3M |
| Flood | 1,806 | 36 | 7 | $42.2M |
| Hail | 1,796 | 1 | 0 | $7.2M |
| Winter Weather | 1,180 | 15 | 57 | $1.0M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 65.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$17.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively High
Avalanche Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Drought No Rating
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
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Harlan County, Kentucky had?
Harlan County, Kentucky has received 11 FEMA disaster declarations from 2017 to 2026. Of these, 7 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Harlan County?
The most common disaster type in Harlan County is Severe Storm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Winter Storm (1), Tropical Storm (1).
How does Harlan County's disaster risk compare to the Kentucky average?
Harlan County has 11 disaster declarations, which is 40% higher than the Kentucky county average of 7.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 194% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Harlan County received?
Harlan County has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 64% of all 11 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 (7,379 events), Flash Flood (1,964 events), Flood (1,806 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Harlan County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Harlan County was 2025, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2017 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Harlan County?
Harlan County has recorded 11 FEMA disaster declarations, a volume FEMA data classifies as high-risk, well above what most U.S. counties see over the same period.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Harlan County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Harlan County, Kentucky has an overall risk score of 65.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $17.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Harlan County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Harlan County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Avalanche (Relatively Low). 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 Harlan County
Harlan County, KY has 11 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a high historical disaster load, 40% above the Kentucky county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (7 of 11) - 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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
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 report a data error.