Caldwell County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Caldwell County's overall risk Very Low (score 39.0 of 100, higher than 38% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 617 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 89.3 | $665K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 71.8 | $450K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 63.6 | $623K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.0 | $2.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61.2 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.1 | $320K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.4 | $45K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $150K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.6 | $442K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.6 | $92K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 30.6 | $2.8M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 27.7 | $194 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 22.7 | $6K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 5.8 | $1K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 110 | 0 | $18M | 21st of 118 | 294th of 3,077 |
| Heat | 74 | 0 | – | 13th of 118 | 76th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 70 | 0 | $2.8M | 113th of 118 | 1489th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 69 | 0 | $40K | 12th of 118 | 43rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 64 | 0 | $9.8M | 14th of 118 | 149th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | – | 65th of 118 | 1482nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | $16M | 12th of 118 | 255th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 33 | 2 | $1.5M | 95th of 118 | 836th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 5 | $2.9M | 30th of 118 | 748th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | – | 38th of 118 | 452nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $10K | 21st of 118 | 218th of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 20th of 118 | 714th 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 Caldwell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.