FEMA declarations
98
High volume
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Kentucky Natural Disasters
Kentucky's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 98 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by severe storm, with $225.3M in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 19,947 recorded weather events resulting in 265 fatalities, a toll that informs where the state directs disaster-preparedness resources.
- 98
- FEMA declarations
- 19,947
- NOAA storm events
- 265
- Storm fatalities
- $225.3M
- Property + crop damage
The Kentucky risk picture
1 of the 120 counties FEMA scores, 1%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Kentucky has 81 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 960 injuries statewide.
- 1%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 98
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $225.3M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 27,361
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
83%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
19,947
Observed severe-weather records
How does Kentucky compare?
Kentucky vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
98 Top 27% higher than 73% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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 · 2026-08-25
Kentucky county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
44.2 Top 42% higher than 58% of 120 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Kentucky sits at the 71st percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 78th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Kentucky's record?
FEMA declaration types in Kentucky
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
40 declarations
- Flood
Flood
27 declarations
- Fire 8
Fire
8 declarations
- Tornado 7
Tornado
7 declarations
- Snowstorm 5
Snowstorm
5 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 3
Severe Ice Storm
3 declarations
- Winter Storm 2
Winter Storm
2 declarations
- Biological 2
Biological
2 declarations
What this shows Severe Storm leads Kentucky's FEMA declaration mix with 40 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Kentucky
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2015 (2,457 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
64 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Kentucky · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) High
17/30
98 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.1x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Very High
23/25
19947 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.8x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Low
4/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (0.4x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
12 different disaster types declared in Kentucky
What does Kentucky's hazard record show?
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 118Kentucky counties have filed 27,361 NFIP claims totaling $519.4M, or an average of $19.0K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $1.3B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Kentucky recorded 19,947 individual storm events, causing 265 fatalities and 960 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $225.3M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (6,702 events), Flash Flood (1,757 events), Flood (1,646 events). Across the 120counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 1 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 44.2/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
Kentucky (KY) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 98 FEMA declaration records, including 81 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Severe Storm, followed by Flood (27), Fire (8), Tornado (7). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Disaster Types in Kentucky
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Severe Storm
40.8%
40 declarations
Flood
27.6%
27 declarations
Fire
8.2%
8 declarations
Tornado
7.1%
7 declarations
Snowstorm
5.1%
5 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
3.1%
3 declarations
Winter Storm
2.0%
2 declarations
Biological
2.0%
2 declarations
Tropical Storm
1.0%
1 declarations
Hurricane
1.0%
1 declarations
Other
1.0%
1 declarations
Toxic Substances
1.0%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Kentucky (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 6,702 | 9 | 56 | $55.2M |
| Flash Flood | 1,757 | 65 | 16 | $42.6M |
| Flood | 1,646 | 31 | 6 | $37.1M |
| Hail | 1,534 | 1 | 0 | $4.7M |
| Winter Weather | 1,079 | 14 | 54 | $655.0K |
| Strong Wind | 1,017 | 2 | 11 | $2.4M |
| Dense Fog | 1,006 | 1 | 2 | $20.0K |
| Winter Storm | 867 | 10 | 23 | $789.0K |
| Heavy Snow | 761 | 5 | 4 | $335.0K |
| Frost/Freeze | 694 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 684 | 2 | 1 | $0 |
| Tornado | 414 | 98 | 720 | $65.6M |
| High Wind | 335 | 1 | 2 | $2.5M |
| Excessive Heat | 330 | 0 | 23 | $0 |
| Drought | 303 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heavy Rain | 207 | 1 | 0 | $851.0K |
| Ice Storm | 193 | 1 | 1 | $1.7M |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 151 | 11 | 2 | $10.0K |
| Lightning | 73 | 4 | 15 | $4.6M |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 58 | 7 | 4 | $305.0K |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,099 | 36 | 28 | $32.3M |
| 2024 | 1,754 | 13 | 51 | $15.0M |
| 2023 | 1,617 | 8 | 21 | $14.8M |
| 2022 | 2,068 | 47 | 63 | $7.7M |
| 2021 | 1,627 | 85 | 625 | $13.0M |
| 2020 | 1,285 | 11 | 11 | $28.2M |
| 2019 | 1,522 | 13 | 12 | $13.3M |
| 2018 | 2,050 | 12 | 23 | $30.2M |
| 2017 | 1,345 | 5 | 14 | $28.1M |
| 2016 | 2,123 | 6 | 58 | $19.5M |
| 2015 | 2,457 | 29 | 54 | $17.2M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 98 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 98 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
98 unique disaster declarations in Kentucky.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4913 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2026-05-29 |
| 3633 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4875 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-05-23 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 4643 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-02-27 |
| 4630 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2021-12-12 |
| 3575 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | EM | Tornado | 2021-12-11 |
| 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 |
| 4540 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-04-24 |
| 4497 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-28 |
| 3469 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4428 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-04-17 |
| 4361 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2018-04-26 |
| 4358 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2018-04-12 |
| 5166 | SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2016-11-20 |
| 5158 | EAGLES NEST FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-11-08 |
| 4278 | SEVERE STORM, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2016-08-26 |
| 4239 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDE | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-08-12 |
| 4218 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-05-12 |
| 4217 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-05-01 |
| 4216 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, SNOWSTORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Snowstorm | 2015-04-30 |
| 4196 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-09-30 |
| 4057 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-03-06 |
| 4008 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-07-25 |
| 1976 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-05-04 |
| 1925 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-07-23 |
| 1912 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-05-11 |
| 1855 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-08-14 |
| 1841 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-05-29 |
| 1818 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2009-02-05 |
| 3302 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2009-01-28 |
| 1802 | SEVERE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-10-09 |
| 1757 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-05-19 |
| 1746 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-02-21 |
| 1703 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND ROCKSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-25 |
| 1617 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-12-01 |
| 3231 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1578 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND RECORD SNOW | DR | Snowstorm | 2005-02-08 |
| 1537 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-06 |
| 1523 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-10 |
Showing 50 of 98 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Kentucky counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
44.2/100
High Risk Counties
1
of 120 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$1.3B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$1.3B EAL
#2
Tornado
$333.3M EAL
#3
Earthquake
$241.8M EAL
#4
Cold Wave
$169.0M EAL
#5
Strong Wind
$112.8M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Kentucky from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
27,361
Total Paid
$519.4M
Avg Per Claim
$19.0K
Counties With Claims
118
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Kentucky
120 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magoffin County | 49 | Very Low | 40 |
| 2 | Lawrence County | 49 | Relatively Low | 40 |
| 3 | Breathitt County | 49 | Relatively Low | 40 |
| 4 | Johnson County | 48 | Relatively Low | 39 |
| 5 | Floyd County | 48 | Relatively Moderate | 38 |
| 6 | Owsley County | 48 | Very Low | 41 |
| 7 | Clay County | 48 | Relatively Low | 39 |
| 8 | Pike County | 47 | Relatively Moderate | 37 |
| 9 | Perry County | 47 | Relatively Low | 40 |
| 10 | Knott County | 43 | Relatively Low | 37 |
| 11 | Lee County | 42 | Very Low | 35 |
| 12 | Letcher County | 40 | Relatively Low | 33 |
| 13 | Leslie County | 39 | Very Low | 31 |
| 14 | Knox County | 39 | Relatively Low | 30 |
| 15 | Whitley County | 38 | Relatively Low | 30 |
| 16 | Estill County | 38 | Very Low | 31 |
| 17 | Carter County | 37 | Relatively Low | 30 |
| 18 | Martin County | 37 | Relatively Low | 27 |
| 19 | Jackson County | 36 | Very Low | 27 |
| 20 | Powell County | 35 | Very Low | 28 |
| 21 | Morgan County | 34 | Very Low | 27 |
| 22 | Casey County | 34 | Very Low | 27 |
| 23 | Wolfe County | 34 | Very Low | 27 |
| 24 | Elliott County | 34 | Very Low | 27 |
| 25 | Lewis County | 34 | Very Low | 27 |
| 26 | Rockcastle County | 34 | Very Low | 26 |
| 27 | Greenup County | 33 | Relatively Low | 26 |
| 28 | Harlan County | 33 | Relatively Low | 24 |
| 29 | Boyd County | 33 | Relatively Low | 26 |
| 30 | Nicholas County | 32 | Very Low | 25 |
| 31 | Menifee County | 32 | Very Low | 25 |
| 32 | Rowan County | 32 | Relatively Low | 25 |
| 33 | Metcalfe County | 31 | Very Low | 24 |
| 34 | Ohio County | 30 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 35 | Hopkins County | 30 | Relatively Low | 23 |
| 36 | Bath County | 29 | Very Low | 22 |
| 37 | Bell County | 29 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 38 | Butler County | 29 | Very Low | 23 |
| 39 | Washington County | 29 | Very Low | 22 |
| 40 | Marshall County | 29 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 41 | Spencer County | 29 | Very Low | 22 |
| 42 | Livingston County | 29 | Very Low | 23 |
| 43 | Grayson County | 29 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 44 | Ballard County | 28 | Very Low | 22 |
| 45 | Union County | 28 | Very Low | 22 |
| 46 | Hickman County | 28 | Very Low | 21 |
| 47 | Breckinridge County | 28 | Very Low | 21 |
| 48 | Crittenden County | 28 | Very Low | 22 |
| 49 | Laurel County | 28 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 50 | Lincoln County | 28 | Very Low | 21 |
| 51 | Hart County | 27 | Very Low | 20 |
| 52 | Adair County | 27 | Very Low | 21 |
| 53 | Caldwell County | 27 | Very Low | 20 |
| 54 | Madison County | 27 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 55 | Clark County | 27 | Very Low | 20 |
| 56 | Carlisle County | 27 | Very Low | 21 |
| 57 | Franklin County | 27 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 58 | Bullitt County | 27 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 59 | Hardin County | 26 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 60 | Warren County | 26 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 61 | Trigg County | 26 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 62 | Edmonson County | 26 | Very Low | 19 |
| 63 | Green County | 26 | Very Low | 19 |
| 64 | Fleming County | 26 | Very Low | 19 |
| 65 | Fulton County | 26 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 66 | Hancock County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 67 | Pulaski County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 68 | Jessamine County | 25 | Very Low | 18 |
| 69 | Mercer County | 25 | Very Low | 18 |
| 70 | Larue County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 71 | Jefferson County | 25 | Relatively High | 19 |
| 72 | Woodford County | 25 | Very Low | 18 |
| 73 | Wayne County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 74 | Anderson County | 25 | Very Low | 19 |
| 75 | Christian County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 76 | Harrison County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 77 | Meade County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 78 | McLean County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 79 | Taylor County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 80 | Muhlenberg County | 24 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 81 | Nelson County | 24 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 82 | Webster County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 83 | Montgomery County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 84 | Robertson County | 24 | Very Low | 17 |
| 85 | Russell County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 86 | Cumberland County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 87 | Henderson County | 23 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 88 | Marion County | 23 | Very Low | 16 |
| 89 | Owen County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 90 | Henry County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 91 | McCracken County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 92 | McCreary County | 23 | Very Low | 15 |
| 93 | Mason County | 23 | Very Low | 16 |
| 94 | Carroll County | 22 | Very Low | 16 |
| 95 | Allen County | 22 | Very Low | 15 |
| 96 | Pendleton County | 22 | Very Low | 15 |
| 97 | Graves County | 22 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 98 | Lyon County | 22 | Very Low | 15 |
| 99 | Bourbon County | 22 | Very Low | 15 |
| 100 | Trimble County | 22 | Very Low | 16 |
| 101 | Monroe County | 22 | Very Low | 16 |
| 102 | Barren County | 22 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 103 | Fayette County | 21 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 104 | Boyle County | 21 | Very Low | 14 |
| 105 | Simpson County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 106 | Shelby County | 20 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 107 | Todd County | 20 | Very Low | 14 |
| 108 | Calloway County | 20 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 109 | Daviess County | 19 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 110 | Garrard County | 19 | Very Low | 12 |
| 111 | Logan County | 19 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 112 | Bracken County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 113 | Grant County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 114 | Clinton County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 115 | Oldham County | 18 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 116 | Gallatin County | 17 | Very Low | 11 |
| 117 | Campbell County | 17 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 118 | Scott County | 15 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 119 | Kenton County | 15 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 120 | Boone County | 13 | Relatively Low | 7 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Kentucky are Jefferson (Relatively High), Floyd (Relatively Moderate), Fayette (Relatively Moderate), McCracken (Relatively Moderate), Warren (Relatively Moderate). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 120 counties in Kentucky are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Kentucky: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Kentucky: 44.2 across 120 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Kentucky: 98. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Kentucky?
Kentucky is affected by severe storm, flood, fire, tornado. The state's leading disaster type is Severe Storm, based on 98 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Kentucky had?
Kentucky has received 98 FEMA disaster declarations, including 81 major disaster declarations. That total is spread across disaster types including Severe Storm (40), Flood (27), Fire (8).
What severe weather events are most common in Kentucky?
The most common severe weather events in Kentucky include thunderstorm wind (6,702 events), flash flood (1,757 events), flood (1,646 events). These NOAA storm events recorded from 2015 to 2025 have caused 265 fatalities and $225.3M in property and crop damage.
How active is Kentucky's federal disaster declaration record?
Kentucky has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 98 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 265 fatalities and 960 injuries. NOAA property and crop damage records total $225.3M.
How many flood insurance claims has Kentucky had?
Kentucky has 27,361 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $519.4M total paid out. Claims average $19.0K, with 118 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Kentucky have the most disaster declarations?
Among 120 counties in Kentucky, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Magoffin (49 declarations), Lawrence (49 declarations), Breathitt (49 declarations). Breaking the declarations down by county reveals patterns a statewide total can mask.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Kentucky
Magoffin alone accounts for 50% of Kentucky's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 120 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Magoffin and Lawrence carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Kentucky ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.