Breathitt County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Breathitt County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 64.7 of 100, higher than 64% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 830 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 94.0 | $63K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $13M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.9 | $105K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $51K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 40.2 | $403K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.2 | $103K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.3 | $222K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 35.3 | $82K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 27.5 | $263K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 41.6 | $103K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.5 | $17K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 35.1 | $109K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 25.1 | $39 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 19.9 | $10K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 311 | 0 | $923K | 47th of 118 | 430th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 207 | 2 | $19K | 44th of 118 | 669th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 137 | 12 | $12M | 47th of 118 | 316th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 91 | 0 | $4K | 55th of 118 | 1304th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 0 | $6K | 8th of 118 | 186th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 24 | 0 | $104K | 54th of 118 | 1176th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 0 | – | 64th of 118 | 920th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 46th of 118 | 2074th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 61st of 118 | 1610th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 2 | $483K | 104th of 118 | 2494th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | – | 8th of 118 | 127th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $5K | 79th of 118 | 1896th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 29th of 118 | 882nd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Breathitt County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.