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Johnson County, Kentucky

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

Relatively Low overall risk
23rd of 120highest risk in Kentucky
$20Mexpected losses a year
46federal declarations
1 in 43homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Johnson County, Kentucky has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 71% of US counties. It ranks 23rd of 120 counties in Kentucky. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, heat waves and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $20 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $905 per resident. Since 1967 it has been included in 46 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (38 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 43 homes here carry federal flood insurance (211 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $5.2 million on 309 claims here.

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

Top risks in Johnson County

$18.3 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.
$407,387 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Check that cooling works before summer.
  • Know where the nearest cooling center is.
$393,554 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate85.2
$18M
Heat waveLow60.3
$407K
Cold waveLow36.5
$394K
TornadoLow30.5
$365K
Strong windLow31.7
$213K
WildfireLow76.3
$204K
LightningLow44.6
$134K
EarthquakeVery Low42.8
$124K
HailLow38.9
$118K
Winter weatherModerate65.1
$75K
LandslideModerate89.9
$39K
HurricaneVery Low45.8
$34K
Ice stormLow33.2
$27K
AvalancheVery Low7.3
$3

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 very high and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm23
Flood11
Snowstorm3
Severe Ice Storm3
Fire2
Tornado1

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
May 9, 2023Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 10, 2023Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Jul 29, 2022Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 27, 2022Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, LandslidesMajor disaster
Show all 46
Apr 23, 2021Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Mar 31, 2021Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 24, 2020Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 17, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Apr 12, 2018Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Aug 12, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslideMajor disaster
May 12, 2015Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
May 1, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Sep 30, 2014Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Mar 6, 2012Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and FloodingMajor disaster
May 4, 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 5, 2009Severe Winter Storm and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 28, 2009Severe Winter StormEmergency
May 25, 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and RockslidesMajor disaster
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
Mar 14, 2003Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud AndMajor disaster
Apr 4, 2002Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Nov 2, 2001Ky - Eastern Fire Complex - 11/02/2001Fire management
Aug 15, 2001Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Nov 4, 2000Ky - Eastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00Fire management
Feb 28, 2000Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 29, 1998Severe Storms, Tornadoes,And FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 3, 1998Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Mar 4, 1997Severe Storm, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jan 13, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster
Jun 13, 1995Tornadoes, Severe Winds, HailMajor disaster
Mar 16, 1994Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, SnwMajor disaster
Mar 16, 1993Severe Snowfall & Winter StormEmergency
Jan 29, 1991Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 24, 1989Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
May 15, 1984High Winds, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Dec 12, 1978Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 6, 1977Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 27, 1967Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1970

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 319 storm reports in Johnson County since 1970, with 6 deaths and 24 injuries and about $18.2 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF3 tornado on March 2, 2012 near Asa.

4tornadoes
58hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
191damaging thunderstorm winds
62floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 2, 2012EF3Asa7 / 2
Jun 2, 1990F1–0 / 0
Mar 2, 2012EF1Keaton0 / 0
Jun 9, 2013EF0Lowmansville0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 2, 2012TornadoAsa$10M
Jul 13, 2015Flash FloodFlatgap$4M
Aug 22, 2014Flash FloodFlatgap$3M
Jun 10, 1998Flash FloodCountywide$500K
Jun 2, 1990Tornado–$250K
Jul 4, 2018Thunderstorm WindPaintsville$60K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Dec 18, 2025. 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 Johnson County, 2 of them since 1950. The strongest was Tropical Storm Hugo (1989), with top winds near 50 mph about 60 miles away.

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

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 50 mph60 mi
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph58 mi
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 40 mph27 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 22, 1989HugoTropical storm, 50 mph60 mi
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 40 mph27 mi
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph58 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 Johnson County

Check your address flood zone ›
2.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (211 policies)
13.6%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$5.2 millionpaid on 309 flood claims since 1978
2019costliest 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 Johnson County

$120,200median home value (Kentucky $205,600, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (Kentucky 1982, US 1980)
45%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
27.4%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; 10,583 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
Floyd CountyModerate46
Lawrence CountyLow47
Morgan CountyVery Low32
Magoffin CountyVery Low47
Martin CountyLow35

Common questions about Johnson County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Johnson County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Johnson County, about $18.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Heat wave is second at $407,387.

How many federal disasters has Johnson County had?

Johnson County has been included in 46 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1967, including 38 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Johnson County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 23rd 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 Johnson County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 43 homes in Johnson 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 Johnson County had?

NOAA records list 4 tornadoes in Johnson County since 1950. The strongest was an EF3 tornado on March 2, 2012 near Asa. The weather service has also logged 58 hail reports and 62 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Johnson County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Johnson County. The strongest was Tropical Storm Hugo (1989), 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.