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Kentucky natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 120 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

80major disasters since 1953 (6th most)

$2.4Bexpected losses a year

0.8%of homes with flood insurance

Photo: Charles Delano of LouisvilleUSACE - Louisville District of the US Army Corp of Engineers, CC BY 2.0

Kentucky has had 80 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $2.4 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 110 of its 120 counties, followed by earthquake in 8. None is rated Very High overall. About 0.8% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $521 million on 27,378 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties

High1counties

Moderate7counties

Low42counties

Highest overall risk

1Jefferson CountyHigh

2Floyd CountyModerate

3Fayette CountyModerate

4McCracken CountyModerate

5Warren CountyModerate

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Jessamine CountyVery Low

2Oldham CountyLow

3Scott CountyLow

4Campbell CountyLow

5Franklin CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 110 counties

Earthquaketop risk in 8 counties

Cold wavetop risk in 2 counties

Recent federal declarations

All states ›

Sep 1, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster

Largest counties

Jefferson County

782,833 people

High Inland flooding

Fayette County

322,301 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Kenton County

168,969 people

Low Inland flooding

Boone County

135,968 people

Low Inland flooding

Warren County

134,482 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Hardin County

110,665 people

Low Inland flooding

Daviess County

103,266 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Campbell County

92,960 people

Low Inland flooding

Madison County

92,690 people

Low Inland flooding

Bullitt County

82,200 people

Low Inland flooding

Christian County

72,692 people

Low Inland flooding

McCracken County

67,799 people

Moderate Earthquake

Cities in Kentucky

All 16 cities ›

Louisville631,818 Lexington323,725 Bowling Green75,388 Owensboro60,302 Covington41,110 Georgetown39,117 Richmond37,111 Florence32,803 Elizabethtown32,576 Nicholasville32,197 Hopkinsville30,906 Independence29,392 Jeffersontown29,199 Frankfort28,503 Henderson27,852

All 120 counties

Name	People	Overall risk	Top hazard	Declarations	Homes insured
Adair County	18,884	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.1%
Allen County	20,559	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.2%
Anderson County	23,852	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0.4%
Ballard County	7,718	Very Low	Earthquake	26	0.4%
Barren County	44,465	Low	Inland flooding	20	0.1%
Bath County	12,731	Very Low	Inland flooding	27	0.7%
Bell County	24,010	Low	Inland flooding	27	1.7%
Boone County	135,968	Low	Inland flooding	11	0.1%
Bourbon County	20,246	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.9%
Boyd County	48,202	Low	Inland flooding	31	0.9%
Boyle County	30,559	Very Low	Inland flooding	19	0.8%
Bracken County	8,392	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	1.1%
Breathitt County	13,610	Low	Inland flooding	47	1.5%
Breckinridge County	20,420	Very Low	Inland flooding	26	0.1%
Bullitt County	82,200	Low	Inland flooding	26	1.8%
Butler County	12,364	Very Low	Inland flooding	28	0.3%
Caldwell County	12,649	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.3%
Calloway County	37,069	Low	Earthquake	18	0.4%
Campbell County	92,960	Low	Inland flooding	15	1.2%
Carlisle County	4,826	Very Low	Earthquake	25	0.3%
Carroll County	10,774	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	1.7%
Carter County	26,602	Low	Inland flooding	35	1.3%
Casey County	15,941	Very Low	Inland flooding	32	0.1%
Christian County	72,692	Low	Inland flooding	23	1.3%
Clark County	36,972	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.7%
Clay County	20,339	Low	Inland flooding	46	0.7%
Clinton County	9,252	Very Low	Inland flooding	17	0.1%
Crittenden County	8,989	Very Low	Inland flooding	26	0.2%
Cumberland County	5,881	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0%
Daviess County	103,266	Moderate	Inland flooding	17	1.7%
Edmonson County	12,126	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.1%
Elliott County	7,354	Very Low	Inland flooding	32	0.2%
Estill County	14,163	Very Low	Inland flooding	36	0.7%
Fayette County	322,301	Moderate	Inland flooding	19	0.4%
Fleming County	15,067	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.2%
Floyd County	35,808	Moderate	Inland flooding	46	3.4%
Franklin County	51,521	Low	Inland flooding	25	1.4%
Fulton County	6,515	Low	Earthquake	24	0.4%
Gallatin County	8,687	Very Low	Inland flooding	15	1.7%
Garrard County	16,946	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.3%
Grant County	24,887	Very Low	Inland flooding	16	0.1%
Graves County	36,623	Moderate	Earthquake	20	0.3%
Grayson County	26,385	Low	Inland flooding	28	0.1%
Green County	11,095	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.1%
Greenup County	35,905	Low	Inland flooding	31	2.1%
Hancock County	9,093	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	1.3%
Hardin County	110,665	Low	Inland flooding	25	0.8%
Harlan County	26,728	Low	Inland flooding	31	2.4%
Harrison County	18,663	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	1.4%
Hart County	19,277	Very Low	Inland flooding	25	0.2%
Henderson County	44,764	Low	Inland flooding	22	1.4%
Henry County	15,661	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.5%
Hickman County	4,509	Very Low	Earthquake	26	0.1%
Hopkins County	45,395	Low	Inland flooding	28	0.4%
Jackson County	12,923	Very Low	Inland flooding	35	0.2%
Jefferson County	782,833	High	Inland flooding	22	1.2%
Jessamine County	52,980	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.5%
Johnson County	22,621	Low	Inland flooding	46	2.3%
Kenton County	168,969	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.4%
Knott County	14,224	Low	Inland flooding	41	1.1%
Knox County	30,106	Low	Inland flooding	37	0.8%
Larue County	14,854	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0.2%
Laurel County	62,486	Low	Inland flooding	26	0.1%
Lawrence County	16,265	Low	Inland flooding	47	0.4%
Lee County	7,383	Very Low	Inland flooding	40	0.6%
Leslie County	10,414	Very Low	Inland flooding	37	0.8%
Letcher County	21,438	Low	Inland flooding	38	1.4%
Lewis County	13,058	Very Low	Inland flooding	32	0.9%
Lincoln County	24,271	Very Low	Inland flooding	26	0.1%
Livingston County	8,878	Very Low	Inland flooding	27	1.1%
Logan County	27,382	Low	Cold wave	17	0.4%
Lyon County	8,663	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0%
Madison County	92,690	Low	Inland flooding	26	0.7%
Magoffin County	11,613	Very Low	Inland flooding	47	1.6%
Marion County	19,521	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.2%
Marshall County	31,629	Low	Earthquake	27	0.6%
Martin County	11,285	Low	Inland flooding	35	5%
Mason County	17,117	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.1%
McCracken County	67,799	Moderate	Earthquake	21	0.7%
McCreary County	16,846	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0%
McLean County	9,152	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	2.9%
Meade County	29,934	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	0.2%
Menifee County	6,070	Very Low	Inland flooding	30	0.8%
Mercer County	22,629	Very Low	Inland flooding	24	0.7%
Metcalfe County	10,286	Very Low	Inland flooding	30	0.2%
Monroe County	11,296	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.1%
Montgomery County	28,088	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.2%
Morgan County	13,682	Very Low	Inland flooding	32	0.4%
Muhlenberg County	30,928	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.2%
Nelson County	46,724	Low	Inland flooding	22	0.3%
Nicholas County	7,537	Very Low	Inland flooding	30	0.4%
Ohio County	23,745	Low	Inland flooding	28	0.2%
Oldham County	67,573	Low	Inland flooding	16	1.1%
Owen County	11,258	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	1%
Owsley County	4,051	Very Low	Inland flooding	47	0.3%
Pendleton County	14,625	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	1.9%
Perry County	28,413	Low	Inland flooding	45	1.9%
Pike County	58,572	Moderate	Inland flooding	45	3.5%
Powell County	13,107	Very Low	Inland flooding	33	2%
Pulaski County	64,950	Low	Inland flooding	23	0%
Robertson County	2,193	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.1%
Rockcastle County	16,028	Very Low	Inland flooding	33	0.2%
Rowan County	24,652	Low	Inland flooding	30	1.9%
Russell County	17,977	Very Low	Inland flooding	21	0.1%
Scott County	57,141	Low	Inland flooding	13	0.6%
Shelby County	47,942	Low	Inland flooding	18	0.2%
Simpson County	19,560	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.4%
Spencer County	19,456	Very Low	Inland flooding	28	0.5%
Taylor County	25,965	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.2%
Todd County	12,230	Very Low	Inland flooding	18	0.4%
Trigg County	14,047	Low	Inland flooding	24	0.1%
Trimble County	8,470	Very Low	Inland flooding	20	0.7%
Union County	13,662	Very Low	Inland flooding	26	0.2%
Warren County	134,482	Moderate	Inland flooding	24	0.3%
Washington County	11,998	Very Low	Inland flooding	27	0.2%
Wayne County	19,533	Low	Cold wave	24	0.1%
Webster County	12,998	Very Low	Inland flooding	22	0.9%
Whitley County	36,626	Low	Inland flooding	36	0.3%
Wolfe County	6,562	Very Low	Inland flooding	32	0%
Woodford County	26,870	Very Low	Inland flooding	23	1.1%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.