Knox County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Knox County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.7 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 398 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.2 | $8.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 89.5 | $32K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $140K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 61.6 | $452K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 60.6 | $201K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.7 | $396K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 71.7 | $8.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 70.2 | $469K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61.4 | $1.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 59.4 | $218K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $288K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.1 | $16K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 39.0 | $147 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 25.7 | $14K |
| Drought | Very Low | 20.2 | $2K |
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 | 153 | 0 | $730K | 90th of 118 | 881st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 89 | 2 | $12M | 54th of 118 | 360th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 60 | 1 | – | 84th of 118 | 1354th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $11K | 85th of 118 | 1807th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 1 | – | 54th of 118 | 807th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $158K | 80th of 118 | 1646th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $26K | 44th of 118 | 513th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 47th of 118 | 1056th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | 48th of 118 | 2084th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $323K | 109th of 118 | 2619th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 73rd of 118 | 1715th 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 Knox County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.