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Greenup County, Kentucky

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
44th of 120highest risk in Kentucky
$16Mexpected losses a year
31federal declarations
1 in 48homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Greenup County, Kentucky has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 53% of US counties. It ranks 44th of 120 counties in Kentucky. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, heat waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $16 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $443 per resident. Since 1967 it has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (25 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 48 homes here carry federal flood insurance (320 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $11 million on 713 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Greenup County

$11.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Heat wave

Moderate
$2.4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 4 times a year.
  • Check that cooling works before summer.
  • Know where the nearest cooling center is.
$841,180 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 9 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow68.4
$11M
Heat waveModerate88.0
$2M
TornadoLow41.5
$841K
Strong windLow49.5
$501K
LightningLow49.5
$210K
Cold waveVery Low18.4
$180K
EarthquakeVery Low43.1
$171K
Ice stormLow59.9
$123K
HailVery Low17.1
$54K
Winter weatherLow47.1
$54K
LandslideLow84.9
$27K
HurricaneVery Low39.6
$26K
WildfireVery Low40.2
$24K
DroughtVery Low15.0
$564
AvalancheVery Low20.0
$33

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively moderate and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Greenup County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm17
Flood5
Severe Ice Storm3
Snowstorm2
Tornado1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Apr 24, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 3, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingEmergency
Feb 24, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 16, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and LandslidesEmergency
Nov 26, 2024Remnants of Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Jul 23, 2024Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
May 22, 2024Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 23, 2021Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Mar 31, 2021Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Show all 31
Apr 17, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 26, 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
May 12, 2015Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
May 4, 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
May 11, 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 5, 2009Severe Winter Storm and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 28, 2009Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Jun 10, 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Jul 2, 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Mar 14, 2003Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud AndMajor disaster
Apr 4, 2002Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 28, 2000Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 3, 1998Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Mar 4, 1997Severe Storm, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jan 13, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster
Mar 16, 1993Severe Snowfall & Winter StormEmergency
Feb 24, 1989Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
May 4, 1968Tornadoes & Severe StormsMajor disaster
Mar 27, 1967Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Kentucky also had 4 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1957

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 340 storm reports in Greenup County since 1957, with 2 deaths and 6 injuries and about $18.7 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on April 23, 1968.

5tornadoes
60hail reports, largest 2 inches
189damaging thunderstorm winds
81floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 23, 1968F3–5 / 0
Jul 12, 1980F2–0 / 0
Apr 2, 2024EF1Greenup0 / 0
May 26, 2022EF1Load0 / 0
May 24, 1998F0Kehoe0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 2, 2010FloodSouth Shore$4M
Apr 23, 1968Tornado–$3M
Jul 12, 1980Tornado–$3M
Jul 31, 1996Flash FloodCountywide$3M
Apr 2, 2024TornadoGreenup$2M
Mar 2, 1997Flash FloodCountywide$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 21, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1888, 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Greenup County, 2 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, with top winds near 50 mph about 46 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
3tropical storms
1989most recent: Hugo

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph46 mi
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 45 mph61 mi
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 40 mph55 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 45 mph61 mi
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 40 mph55 mi
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph46 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Greenup County

Check your address flood zone ›
2.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (320 policies)
20.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$10.8 millionpaid on 713 flood claims since 1978
1997costliest year, with $1.2 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Greenup County

$134,000median home value (Kentucky $205,600, US $332,700)
1975median year homes were built (Kentucky 1982, US 1980)
60%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
12.1%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 16,271 housing units.

Compare in Kentucky

All 120 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Jefferson CountyHighInland flooding
Fayette CountyModerateInland flooding
Kenton CountyLowInland flooding
Boone CountyLowInland flooding
Warren CountyModerateInland flooding
Hardin CountyLowInland flooding
Daviess CountyModerateInland flooding
Campbell CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Scioto County, OHLow16
Lawrence County, OHLow14
Boyd CountyLow31
Carter CountyLow35
Lewis CountyVery Low32

Common questions about Greenup County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Greenup County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Greenup County, about $11.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Heat wave is second at $2.4 million.

How many federal disasters has Greenup County had?

Greenup County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1967, including 25 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Greenup County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 44th highest of 120 in Kentucky. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Greenup County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 48 homes in Greenup County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Greenup County had?

NOAA records list 5 tornadoes in Greenup County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on April 23, 1968. The weather service has also logged 60 hail reports and 81 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Greenup County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Greenup County. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, with winds near 50 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.