FEMA Records
12
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
Kentucky · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Whitley County, KY
12 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 62
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Whitley County in the top 38% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 97% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Whitley County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Kentucky county average and the national county average.
- Whitley County
- 12
- Kentucky county avg
- 7.9
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Whitley County?
Whitley County, Kentucky has recorded 12 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2026, of which 9 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.4 declarations per year across a 5-year record, or roughly 53% above the Kentucky county average of 7.9 and 220% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 7 of 12 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 62.2/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $18.0M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively High and community resilience scores Relatively Moderate - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Landslide (Relatively Low).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Whitley County at a high relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Whitley County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
High
vs. Kentucky Avg
+53%
State avg: 7.9
vs. National Avg
+220%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.4
Over 5 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Whitley County
The radar plots Whitley 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
21235
KY state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 12 FEMA disaster declarations in Whitley County by incident type.
Severe Storm 7
Flood 3
Winter Storm 1
Severe Ice Storm 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 9 75.0%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 3 25.0%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Whitley County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 12 FEMA disaster declarations for Whitley County, Kentucky.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3633 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4875 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-05-23 |
| 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 |
| 4804 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-07-23 |
| 4782 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-05-22 |
| 4711 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-05-09 |
| 4702 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-10 |
| 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 |
Storm Events in Kentucky
NOAA severe weather data for Kentucky (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| 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
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Whitley County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 62.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$18.0M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Whitley County.
Landslide Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Drought 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
Other Kentucky counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Whitley County, Kentucky had?
Whitley County, Kentucky has received 12 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2026. Of these, 9 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Whitley County?
The most common disaster type in Whitley County is Severe Storm, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Winter Storm (1), Severe Ice Storm (1).
How does Whitley County's disaster risk compare to the Kentucky average?
Whitley County has 12 disaster declarations, which is 53% higher than the Kentucky county average of 7.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 220% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Whitley County received?
Whitley County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 75% of all 12 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 Whitley County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Whitley County was 2025, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Whitley County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Whitley County has a high disaster risk level with 12 total declarations. This county has significantly more disaster declarations than average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Whitley County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Whitley County, Kentucky has an overall risk score of 62.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $18.0M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Whitley County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Whitley County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Low) and Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate). 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 Whitley County
Whitley County, KY has 12 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a high historical disaster load, 53% above the Kentucky county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (9 of 12) - 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.