Carter County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Carter County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 52.7 of 100, higher than 52% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 403 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 | 89.9 | $46K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.4 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.4 | $10M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 59.0 | $106K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.4 | $48K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $139K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40.2 | $715K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 38.0 | $319K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 58.2 | $62K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 42.2 | $142K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 37.0 | $20K |
| Hail | Very Low | 31.9 | $107K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 19.7 | $179K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.9 | $775 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 101 | 4 | $40M | 36th of 118 | 221st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 84 | 0 | $4.3M | 118th of 118 | 1766th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 61 | 0 | $3.2M | 70th of 118 | 1022nd of 3,077 |
| Hail | 51 | 0 | $1.2M | 100th of 118 | 2031st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 0 | $222K | 26th of 118 | 268th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | $246K | 37th of 118 | 816th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 20 | 0 | – | 28th of 118 | 539th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 19 | 0 | – | 26th of 118 | 1022nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 1 | $15K | 23rd of 118 | 302nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $479K | 112th of 118 | 2634th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $55K | 74th of 118 | 1764th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Carter County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.