Letcher County, Kentucky: hazard risk
FEMA rates Letcher County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 66.6 of 100, higher than 66% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 557 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 | 91.2 | $43K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | $15M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 63.8 | $68K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 76.5 | $197K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 70.5 | $3K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.1 | $676K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 46.0 | $148K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.0 | $235K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 27.8 | $292K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.5 | $204K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 41.2 | $21K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 36.7 | $129K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 12.2 | $4K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 12.2 | $28K |
| 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 | 225 | 0 | $117K | 12th of 118 | 213th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 143 | 0 | $452K | 83rd of 118 | 851st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 85 | 3 | $3.6M | 42nd of 118 | 285th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $72K | 94th of 118 | 1936th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $141K | 45th of 118 | 988th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | $103K | 11th of 118 | 226th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 0 | – | 38th of 118 | 571st of 3,076 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 35th of 118 | 1930th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 67th of 118 | 1800th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | $588 | 9th of 118 | 129th of 2,278 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $8.5M | 107th of 118 | 2592nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $14K | 67th of 118 | 1619th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 18th of 118 | 710th 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 Letcher County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.