Bracken County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 259 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $5.5M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 259
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 45
- 1.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 12.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 32.6 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 40.1 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.25B · Agriculture value exposed: $13.8M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $5.51M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$1.22M/yr expected annual loss, about 4.4 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$1,394/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- LightningRelatively Low$137K/yr expected annual loss, about 51 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$598K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$56.87K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 598 years
- Heat waveVery Low$90.43K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.0 events a year
- Ice stormVery Low$15.76K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- DroughtVery Low$2,540/yr expected annual loss, about 2.2 events a year
- Winter weatherVery Low$14.17K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- Cold waveVery Low$168K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.6 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$1,197/yr expected annual loss, about once every 89 years
- HailVery Low$16.58K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.2 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$656/yr expected annual loss, about once every 25,671 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 45 of 4,273 (1.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 275
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 42 (15%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 113
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.95M
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$1.76M · 73 claims
- Central U.S. April Flooding$40.09K · 7 claims
- Not a named storm$25.22K · 18 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 259 events, 3 deaths, $5.44M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind121 · 2 deaths
- Winter Storm29
- Winter Weather26
- Flood20
- Flash Flood18 · 1 death
- Hail14
- Heavy Snow7
- High Wind6
- Ice Storm4
- Excessive Heat4
Events per year
6 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, F1 1, F2 1, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind60 kt wind07/08/2001
Brooksville, Bracken County
2 deaths, 3 injured, $100K damage
What happened
Thunderstorm winds blew over a mobile home killing 2 and injuring 3 people. Another mobile home was damaged and trees were knocked down.
- Flash Flood07/23/2017
Augusta, Bracken County
1 death, $250K damage
What happened
Five to seven inches of rain produced widespread flash flooding across Bracken County. Two homes were washed away off of Augusta-Minerva Road, killing one man (M82MH). Several other homes in the area sustained damage due to the high water. About 20 boats broke from their moorings on Bracken Creek and were washed into the Ohio River. Several roads across the area also sustained damage due to the rushing water.
- Flash Flood03/01/1997
Countywide, Bracken County
$1M damage
What happened
Estimated rainfall from 8 to over 12 inches across the county in less than 36 hours caused numerous creeks and streams to rise out of their banks. Many roads were closed due to high water and two mobile homes were washed away. Much of Milford was under water for several hours.
- High Wind55 kt wind09/14/2008
Bracken
$1M damage
What happened
Strong winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour were sustained for several hours. Gusts over 60 mph were common. Widespread damage occurred across the region, from trees being blown down on powerlines to significant structural damage.
- TornadoEF0, 3.2 mi path, 250 yd wide04/03/2024
Brooksville, Bracken County
$750K damage
What happened
The tornado began along Brooksville-Powersville Road west of Hamilton Road. Tree damage was observed in the area along with some minor damage to a home east of Hamilton Road. Several barns were heavily damaged or destroyed in the area. Additional observed damage was located on Michaels Lane and McNamara Lane where several barns were damaged. The tornado continued eastward, crossing Brooksville-Germantown Road, causing damage to more barns, outbuildings, and trees. Based on radar data and observed damage provided by the public on social media, it is believe the tornado dissipated north of Brooksville-Germantown Road west of Locust Creek.
- Frost/Freeze04/06/2007
Bracken
$465K damage
What happened
Unseasonably warm temperatures for an extended period of time in March allowed much of the Ohio Valley to begin its agricultural growing season early. In early April, a cold snap with low temperatures dropping into the low and mid 20s threatened agricultural interests across the region.|The full effect of these weather extremes is still yet to be known, and will not be known until the fall harvest can be compared with yields from previous years. The initial estimate of 5.58 million in crop damage was split evenly between 12 Kentucky counties.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/18/2026
Brooksville, Bracken County
$500 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/18/2026
Milford, Bracken County
$5,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/18/2026
Santa Fe, Bracken County
$4,000 damage
- Strong Wind40 kt wind03/13/2026
Bracken
- Winter Storm02/03/2026
Bracken
- Winter Storm01/25/2026
Bracken
- Winter Weather12/13/2025
Bracken
- TornadoEF0, 4.1 mi path, 500 yd wide09/22/2025
Powersville, Bracken County
$100K damage
Drinking water
3 community water systems serve about 9,123 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Bracken County Water DistrictServes 6,456 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Augusta Regional WtpServes 1,690 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Brooksville UtilityServes 977 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Augusta 2, 5.2 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 87°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 23°F in Jan. About 47.5 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41°F | 23°F | 3.66 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 3.32 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 33°F | 4.53 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 42°F | 4.58 in |
| May | 76°F | 53°F | 4.86 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 61°F | 5.16 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 65°F | 4.97 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 63°F | 3.03 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.31 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 44°F | 3.25 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 35°F | 3.14 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 28°F | 3.69 in |
| Year | 55°F average | 47.5 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Bracken County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Bracken County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk14 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Bracken County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Bracken County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $5.5M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (relatively moderate), landslide (very low), lightning (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Bracken County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 259 storm events affecting Bracken County, most often thunderstorm wind (121), winter storm (29), winter weather (26).
- How many tornadoes have hit Bracken County?
- 6 tornadoes have been recorded in Bracken County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Bracken County have flood insurance?
- 45 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Bracken County, covering about 1.1% of homes. The program has paid $1.95M on 113 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Bracken County?
- At Augusta 2, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 23°F in Jan, with 47.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.