Kentucky Natural Disaster Risk by County
Of Kentucky's 120 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Jefferson County (score 98.3 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $2.4 billion a year.
OpenFEMA lists 97 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Kentucky since 1957 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is DR-4937-KY, Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared 1 September 2026.
Live weather alerts for Kentucky Latest FEMA declarations All official warnings
Most exposed counties, hazard by hazard
Top 10 by FEMA hazard risk scoreHurricane 120 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayette County | Very Low | $149,032 |
| 2 | Pulaski County | Very Low | $107,441 |
| 3 | Wayne County | Very Low | $59,237 |
| 4 | Pike County | Very Low | $57,066 |
| 5 | Laurel County | Very Low | $61,515 |
| 6 | Floyd County | Very Low | $53,646 |
| 7 | Madison County | Very Low | $83,060 |
| 8 | Boyd County | Very Low | $65,965 |
| 9 | Russell County | Very Low | $48,363 |
| 10 | Graves County | Very Low | $48,517 |
Tornado 120 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | Very High | $80 million |
| 2 | Fayette County | Relatively High | $24 million |
| 3 | Warren County | Relatively High | $10 million |
| 4 | Kenton County | Relatively High | $10 million |
| 5 | Boone County | Relatively High | $12 million |
| 6 | Christian County | Relatively High | $8.0 million |
| 7 | Daviess County | Relatively Moderate | $6.4 million |
| 8 | Bullitt County | Relatively Moderate | $9.8 million |
| 9 | Shelby County | Relatively Moderate | $5.9 million |
| 10 | McCracken County | Relatively Moderate | $5.3 million |
Inland flooding 120 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | Relatively High | $213 million |
| 2 | Floyd County | Relatively High | $102 million |
| 3 | Pike County | Relatively High | $45 million |
| 4 | Fayette County | Relatively Moderate | $53 million |
| 5 | Daviess County | Relatively Moderate | $33 million |
| 6 | Warren County | Relatively Moderate | $32 million |
| 7 | Perry County | Relatively Moderate | $24 million |
| 8 | Johnson County | Relatively Moderate | $18 million |
| 9 | Letcher County | Relatively Moderate | $15 million |
| 10 | Breathitt County | Relatively Moderate | $13 million |
Wildfire 120 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pike County | Relatively Moderate | $999,833 |
| 2 | Laurel County | Relatively Moderate | $1.0 million |
| 3 | Floyd County | Relatively Low | $562,661 |
| 4 | Whitley County | Relatively Low | $554,606 |
| 5 | Clay County | Relatively Low | $422,566 |
| 6 | Knox County | Relatively Low | $396,214 |
| 7 | Magoffin County | Relatively Low | $356,221 |
| 8 | Jackson County | Relatively Low | $309,852 |
| 9 | Perry County | Relatively Low | $277,637 |
| 10 | Martin County | Relatively Low | $171,041 |
Earthquake 120 rated
| # | County | Rating | Loss a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McCracken County | Relatively Moderate | $38 million |
| 2 | Graves County | Relatively Moderate | $23 million |
| 3 | Jefferson County | Relatively Moderate | $25 million |
| 4 | Daviess County | Relatively Moderate | $17 million |
| 5 | Calloway County | Relatively Moderate | $13 million |
| 6 | Christian County | Relatively Moderate | $11 million |
| 7 | Fayette County | Relatively Moderate | $8.9 million |
| 8 | Henderson County | Relatively Moderate | $7.6 million |
| 9 | Marshall County | Relatively Moderate | $7.9 million |
| 10 | Fulton County | Relatively Moderate | $4.7 million |
Every Kentucky county, highest overall risk first
120| # | County | Overall risk | Score | Loss a year | Top hazard | Declarations | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | Relatively High | 98.3 | $342 million | Tornado | 23 | 29 |
| 2 | Floyd County | Relatively Moderate | 94.2 | $106 million | Inland flooding | 46 | 2 |
| 3 | Fayette County | Relatively Moderate | 92.0 | $113 million | Tornado | 19 | 9 |
| 4 | McCracken County | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $79 million | Earthquake | 21 | 26 |
| 5 | Warren County | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $80 million | Hail | 24 | 32 |
| 6 | Daviess County | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | $70 million | Earthquake | 17 | 31 |
| 7 | Pike County | Relatively Moderate | 87.9 | $50 million | Landslide | 45 | 2 |
| 8 | Graves County | Relatively Moderate | 84.0 | $39 million | Earthquake | 20 | 38 |
| 9 | Christian County | Relatively Low | 79.6 | $42 million | Earthquake | 23 | 55 |
| 10 | Pulaski County | Relatively Low | 79.1 | $32 million | Winter weather | 23 | 27 |
| 11 | Kenton County | Relatively Low | 77.4 | $47 million | Strong wind | 13 | 12 |
| 12 | Hardin County | Relatively Low | 75.5 | $36 million | Strong wind | 25 | 30 |
| 13 | Calloway County | Relatively Low | 75.3 | $29 million | Earthquake | 18 | 43 |
| 14 | Boyd County | Relatively Low | 74.9 | $29 million | Heat wave | 31 | 4 |
| 15 | Madison County | Relatively Low | 74.8 | $37 million | Lightning | 26 | 19 |
| 16 | Knox County | Relatively Low | 74.7 | $20 million | Cold wave | 37 | 3 |
| 17 | Boone County | Relatively Low | 74.5 | $49 million | Strong wind | 11 | 13 |
| 18 | Henderson County | Relatively Low | 73.2 | $29 million | Earthquake | 22 | 24 |
| 19 | Perry County | Relatively Low | 73.2 | $27 million | Landslide | 45 | 2 |
| 20 | Hopkins County | Relatively Low | 72.6 | $26 million | Ice storm | 28 | 20 |
| 21 | Bullitt County | Relatively Low | 71.8 | $46 million | Strong wind | 26 | 12 |
| 22 | Laurel County | Relatively Low | 71.7 | $24 million | Winter weather | 26 | 20 |
| 23 | Johnson County | Relatively Low | 71.1 | $20 million | Landslide | 46 | 2 |
| 24 | Bell County | Relatively Low | 68.0 | $19 million | Landslide | 27 | 7 |
| 25 | Barren County | Relatively Low | 67.9 | $20 million | Hail | 20 | 21 |
| 26 | Clay County | Relatively Low | 67.1 | $16 million | Landslide | 46 | 6 |
| 27 | Letcher County | Relatively Low | 66.6 | $17 million | Landslide | 38 | 2 |
| 28 | Harlan County | Relatively Low | 65.7 | $18 million | Landslide | 31 | 2 |
| 29 | Breathitt County | Relatively Low | 64.7 | $15 million | Landslide | 47 | 4 |
| 30 | Franklin County | Relatively Low | 64.5 | $25 million | Strong wind | 25 | 11 |
| 31 | Whitley County | Relatively Low | 62.2 | $18 million | Landslide | 36 | 5 |
| 32 | Marshall County | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $22 million | Earthquake | 27 | 27 |
| 33 | Shelby County | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $22 million | Strong wind | 18 | 21 |
| 34 | Campbell County | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $26 million | Tornado | 15 | 1 |
| 35 | Scott County | Relatively Low | 56.1 | $21 million | Strong wind | 13 | 15 |
| 36 | Oldham County | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $29 million | Strong wind | 16 | 13 |
| 37 | Nelson County | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $20 million | Strong wind | 22 | 12 |
| 38 | Wayne County | Relatively Low | 54.7 | $12 million | Cold wave | 24 | 8 |
| 39 | Logan County | Relatively Low | 54.6 | $17 million | Cold wave | 17 | 22 |
| 40 | Ohio County | Relatively Low | 54.2 | $14 million | Ice storm | 29 | 11 |
| 41 | Lawrence County | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $13 million | Landslide | 47 | 2 |
| 42 | Muhlenberg County | Relatively Low | 53.2 | $14 million | Ice storm | 22 | 24 |
| 43 | Carter County | Relatively Low | 52.7 | $14 million | Landslide | 35 | 3 |
| 44 | Greenup County | Relatively Low | 52.6 | $16 million | Heat wave | 31 | 6 |
| 45 | Knott County | Relatively Low | 52.1 | $12 million | Landslide | 41 | 1 |
| 46 | Martin County | Relatively Low | 49.9 | $8.8 million | Landslide | 35 | 0 |
| 47 | Trigg County | Relatively Low | 48.4 | $11 million | Ice storm | 24 | 28 |
| 48 | Rowan County | Relatively Low | 47.9 | $13 million | Landslide | 30 | 2 |
| 49 | Fulton County | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $9.6 million | Earthquake | 24 | 10 |
| 50 | Grayson County | Relatively Low | 45.3 | $11 million | Hail | 28 | 14 |
| 51 | Union County | Very Low | 42.8 | $11 million | Earthquake | 26 | 29 |
| 52 | Estill County | Very Low | 41.8 | $8.9 million | Inland flooding | 36 | 8 |
| 53 | Boyle County | Very Low | 41.6 | $13 million | Strong wind | 19 | 12 |
| 54 | Lewis County | Very Low | 41.5 | $9.5 million | Landslide | 32 | 6 |
| 55 | Mercer County | Very Low | 41.4 | $12 million | Strong wind | 24 | 15 |
| 56 | Hart County | Very Low | 41.1 | $9.7 million | Hail | 25 | 18 |
| 57 | Meade County | Very Low | 40.9 | $13 million | Strong wind | 23 | 14 |
| 58 | McLean County | Very Low | 40.7 | $9.4 million | Ice storm | 22 | 8 |
| 59 | Woodford County | Very Low | 40.0 | $13 million | Strong wind | 23 | 7 |
| 60 | Jessamine County | Very Low | 39.8 | $18 million | Strong wind | 24 | 7 |
| 61 | Ballard County | Very Low | 39.6 | $11 million | Drought | 26 | 17 |
| 62 | Breckinridge County | Very Low | 39.5 | $12 million | Hail | 26 | 16 |
| 63 | Bourbon County | Very Low | 39.4 | $11 million | Strong wind | 20 | 5 |
| 64 | Adair County | Very Low | 39.4 | $9.0 million | Hail | 25 | 13 |
| 65 | Mason County | Very Low | 39.2 | $9.7 million | Strong wind | 21 | 10 |
| 66 | Caldwell County | Very Low | 39.0 | $9.3 million | Ice storm | 25 | 17 |
| 67 | Taylor County | Very Low | 38.7 | $10 million | Strong wind | 22 | 13 |
| 68 | Clark County | Very Low | 38.3 | $14 million | Strong wind | 25 | 7 |
| 69 | Casey County | Very Low | 37.1 | $7.9 million | Winter weather | 32 | 7 |
| 70 | Rockcastle County | Very Low | 36.1 | $7.6 million | Landslide | 33 | 9 |
| 71 | Hickman County | Very Low | 35.8 | $8.2 million | Earthquake | 26 | 14 |
| 72 | Magoffin County | Very Low | 35.0 | $7.8 million | Landslide | 47 | 2 |
| 73 | Montgomery County | Very Low | 34.3 | $10 million | Strong wind | 22 | 3 |
| 74 | Harrison County | Very Low | 33.8 | $9.5 million | Strong wind | 22 | 9 |
| 75 | Allen County | Very Low | 33.3 | $8.8 million | Hail | 20 | 8 |
| 76 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 32.6 | $8.3 million | Strong wind | 26 | 12 |
| 77 | Russell County | Very Low | 31.9 | $7.2 million | Winter weather | 21 | 9 |
| 78 | Leslie County | Very Low | 31.7 | $7.3 million | Landslide | 37 | 3 |
| 79 | Powell County | Very Low | 31.2 | $6.7 million | Strong wind | 33 | 7 |
| 80 | Fleming County | Very Low | 31.0 | $6.6 million | Strong wind | 24 | 10 |
| 81 | Crittenden County | Very Low | 30.4 | $7.3 million | Ice storm | 26 | 12 |
| 82 | Marion County | Very Low | 30.2 | $9.0 million | Hail | 21 | 12 |
| 83 | Garrard County | Very Low | 30.2 | $6.8 million | Strong wind | 18 | 11 |
| 84 | Cumberland County | Very Low | 30.1 | $5.8 million | Landslide | 22 | 11 |
| 85 | Pendleton County | Very Low | 29.9 | $9.2 million | Lightning | 20 | 7 |
| 86 | Webster County | Very Low | 29.2 | $9.2 million | Ice storm | 22 | 23 |
| 87 | Lyon County | Very Low | 28.9 | $7.0 million | Ice storm | 20 | 13 |
| 88 | Hancock County | Very Low | 28.8 | $7.8 million | Ice storm | 23 | 8 |
| 89 | Todd County | Very Low | 28.6 | $9.8 million | Ice storm | 18 | 19 |
| 90 | Livingston County | Very Low | 27.1 | $7.5 million | Ice storm | 27 | 8 |
| 91 | Simpson County | Very Low | 27.0 | $8.1 million | Hail | 18 | 16 |
| 92 | Monroe County | Very Low | 26.7 | $5.7 million | Hail | 20 | 10 |
| 93 | Anderson County | Very Low | 26.3 | $11 million | Ice storm | 23 | 10 |
| 94 | McCreary County | Very Low | 25.3 | $4.8 million | Landslide | 21 | 9 |
| 95 | Clinton County | Very Low | 24.5 | $5.7 million | Winter weather | 17 | 17 |
| 96 | Jackson County | Very Low | 24.2 | $6.3 million | Landslide | 35 | 3 |
| 97 | Carroll County | Very Low | 23.4 | $6.6 million | Tornado | 20 | 7 |
| 98 | Morgan County | Very Low | 22.1 | $6.8 million | Landslide | 32 | 4 |
| 99 | Metcalfe County | Very Low | 21.8 | $4.6 million | Hail | 30 | 19 |
| 100 | Nicholas County | Very Low | 19.0 | $4.5 million | Landslide | 30 | 2 |
| 101 | Carlisle County | Very Low | 18.7 | $6.1 million | Earthquake | 25 | 7 |
| 102 | Wolfe County | Very Low | 18.5 | $3.8 million | Landslide | 32 | 3 |
| 103 | Butler County | Very Low | 18.1 | $6.1 million | Hail | 28 | 10 |
| 104 | Gallatin County | Very Low | 17.3 | $5.7 million | Strong wind | 15 | 3 |
| 105 | Washington County | Very Low | 16.7 | $6.8 million | Hail | 27 | 10 |
| 106 | Grant County | Very Low | 16.3 | $6.9 million | Tornado | 16 | 8 |
| 107 | Henry County | Very Low | 15.7 | $6.2 million | Strong wind | 21 | 18 |
| 108 | Owen County | Very Low | 15.2 | $6.2 million | Landslide | 21 | 5 |
| 109 | Green County | Very Low | 14.0 | $4.3 million | Hail | 25 | 11 |
| 110 | Bath County | Very Low | 13.7 | $4.9 million | Lightning | 27 | 10 |
| 111 | Spencer County | Very Low | 13.3 | $9.3 million | Tornado | 28 | 11 |
| 112 | Larue County | Very Low | 12.4 | $6.4 million | Hail | 23 | 14 |
| 113 | Elliott County | Very Low | 12.2 | $3.3 million | Landslide | 32 | 1 |
| 114 | Bracken County | Very Low | 12.0 | $5.5 million | Strong wind | 16 | 5 |
| 115 | Trimble County | Very Low | 11.9 | $4.0 million | Strong wind | 20 | 6 |
| 116 | Edmonson County | Very Low | 11.0 | $5.5 million | Hail | 24 | 9 |
| 117 | Lee County | Very Low | 7.5 | $3.1 million | Landslide | 40 | 2 |
| 118 | Owsley County | Very Low | 6.4 | $2.4 million | Landslide | 47 | 3 |
| 119 | Menifee County | Very Low | 6.2 | $3.4 million | Landslide | 30 | 5 |
| 120 | Robertson County | Very Low | 1.7 | $1.2 million | Landslide | 22 | 2 |
Score: FEMA's national percentile (higher = more risk). Declarations: federal declarations that named the county since 1953, not counting COVID-19. Tornadoes: NOAA SPC tornadoes that touched the county, 1950–2025.
Latest federal declarations in Kentucky
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What this page shows, and what it misses
FEMA's National Risk Index compares every US county with every other for 18 natural hazards, combining expected losses with social vulnerability and community resilience. It is a planning-level estimate for nationwide comparison, not a flood-zone map and not the risk to any one property — for flood zones use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center ↗. Federal declarations exclude state declarations and SBA or USDA designations.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties - v1.20.0 (December 2025). Retrieved from https://services.arcgis.com/XG15cJAlne2vxtgt/ArcGIS/rest/services/National_Risk_Index_Counties/FeatureServer/0/query on November 2, 2026, 1:20 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2, retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries on November 2, 2026, 1:21 PM EST. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Tornado records: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database, tornadoes 1950–2025 (https://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/data/1950-2025_actual_tornadoes.csv, downloaded 2 November 2026). Public domain; not endorsed by NOAA. Compiled by Global Incident Tracker.
Questions about Kentucky
Which county in Kentucky has the highest natural disaster risk?
Of Kentucky's 120 counties, 0 have a Very High natural-hazard risk rating in FEMA's National Risk Index (v1.20, December 2025); the highest is Jefferson County (score 98.3 of 100), and expected losses across the state total $2.4 billion a year.
Which Kentucky counties are most at risk from tornadoes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index tornado risk score: Jefferson County, Fayette County, Warren County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
Which Kentucky counties are most at risk from hurricanes?
By FEMA's National Risk Index hurricane risk score: Fayette County, Pulaski County, Wayne County. These are planning-level estimates for whole counties, not maps of individual properties.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Kentucky had?
OpenFEMA lists 97 federal disaster, emergency and fire management declarations for Kentucky since 1957 (not counting COVID-19); the latest is DR-4937-KY, Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared 1 September 2026.