Harlan County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Harlan County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 65.7 of 100, higher than 65% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 509 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.9 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | $42K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $14M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $109K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 75.3 | $11K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $121K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 65.4 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 47.9 | $169K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 39.7 | $159K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $588K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.2 | $269K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 42.6 | $26K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 24.1 | $16K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 16.4 | $40K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 166 | 0 | $51K | 39th of 118 | 552nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 165 | 2 | $631K | 105th of 118 | 1200th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 65 | 0 | $64K | 105th of 118 | 2074th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 57 | 0 | $9.2M | 94th of 118 | 835th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | $367K | 48th of 118 | 1057th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 0 | – | 56th of 118 | 824th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $30K | 40th of 118 | 479th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | 56th of 118 | 2139th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 68th of 118 | 1947th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | – | 18th of 118 | 172nd of 2,278 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $1.0M | 117th of 118 | 2808th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 28th of 118 | 852nd 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 Harlan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.