Clark County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 206 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $13.63M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 206
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 106
- 0.7% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 38.3 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 23.6 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 79.0 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $7.87B · Agriculture value exposed: $43.8M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $12.51M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$1.49M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.5 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.68M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$127K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$500K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 489 years
- LightningRelatively Low$324K/yr expected annual loss, about 51 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$92.66K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- HailRelatively Low$268K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.1 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$878K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Low$310K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.5 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$778/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- HurricaneVery Low$21.16K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 49 years
- DroughtVery Low$8,155/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$5,528/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,473 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
- 106 of 14,811 (0.7%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 297
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 80 (27%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 288
- Claims paid since 1978
- $6.06M
Flood claims paid per year
- Central U.S. April Flooding$790K · 18 claims
- Not a named storm$365K · 15 claims
- Flooding$357K · 55 claims
- February Kentucky Flooding$217K · 11 claims
- Heavy rains$58.4K · 4 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 206 events, 1 death, $3.48M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind104
- Flash Flood34
- Hail15
- Winter Storm15
- Heavy Snow8
- Flood7
- Frost/Freeze6
- Ice Storm5
- High Wind4
- Tornado3
Events per year
7 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 2, F0 1, F2 2, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Winter Weather12/06/2009
Clark
1 death, $15K damage
What happened
Light snow fell during the day with accumulations of less than one half inch. This snow across the Bluegrass Region brought slick roads that lead to an automobile accident on The Mountain Parkway Highway 10 miles east of Winchester. A fatality occurred.
- Flash Flood07/20/1998
Countywide, Clark County
$1M damage
What happened
East central Kentucky saw widespread flooding as anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain fell over a 3 hour span. Numerous roads were closed due to high water across this area, and many basements were flooded as well. Over 100 evacuations were made to residence of mobile homes and apartments, and a few rescues were also made as motorists were trapped in high water.
- Thunderstorm Wind46 kt wind04/03/2015
Winchester, Clark County
$1M damage
What happened
Law enforcement reported several trees down in the county. The Clark County KY Mesonet observation recorded a 53 mph wind gust.
- Flood03/02/1997
Clark
$500K damage
What happened
4 to 9 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours causing widespread flooding and/or flash flooding resulting in numerous water covered and closed roads, evacuations and rescues. Most of these counties were declared disaster areas and given federal assistance. The exceptions were Clinton, Cumberland, Garrard, Green, Lincoln, Madison and Marion. Many homes and businesses were effected during the flooding and flash flooding. Damage amounts include flooding and flash flooding totals over the 2 day period.
- TornadoEF0, 0.92 mi path, 125 yd wide02/06/2008
Wades Mill, Clark County
$200K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind02/06/2008
Right Angle, Clark County
$180K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Winter Storm01/24/2026
Clark
- Frost/Freeze10/24/2025
Clark
- Thunderstorm Wind53 kt wind04/30/2025
Winchester, Clark County
- Winter Storm01/05/2025
Clark
- High Wind52 kt wind09/27/2024
Clark
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind08/31/2024
Winchester, Clark County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind08/17/2024
Winchester, Clark County
- Thunderstorm Wind71 kt wind08/17/2024
Winchester Heliport, Clark County
Drinking water
2 community water systems serve about 37,189 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Winchester Municipal UtilitiesServes 29,823 · Surface water · PrivateNo health violations
- East Clark Co Water DistrictServes 7,366 · Purchased surface water · 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 Cressy, 12 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 85°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 23°F in Jan. About 50.9 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 23°F | 3.58 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 25°F | 3.69 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 32°F | 4.73 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 41°F | 4.57 in |
| May | 76°F | 52°F | 5.40 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 61°F | 4.90 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 5.42 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 62°F | 3.66 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 55°F | 3.94 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 42°F | 3.54 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 32°F | 3.32 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 28°F | 4.15 in |
| Year | 55°F average | 50.9 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 4 toxic release facilities in Clark County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Bodycote - Winchester377 lbs released, Winchester
- Contech Engineered Solutions LLC268 lbs released, Winchester
- Winchester Farms Dairy0 lbs released, Winchester
- Apollo Oil - Winchester Valvoline Onsite0 lbs released, Winchester
Total: 645 lbs in 2024, 627 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk53 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Clark County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Clark County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $13.63M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Clark County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 206 storm events affecting Clark County, most often thunderstorm wind (104), flash flood (34), hail (15).
- How many tornadoes have hit Clark County?
- 7 tornadoes have been recorded in Clark County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Clark County have flood insurance?
- 106 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Clark County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $6.06M on 288 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Clark County?
- At Cressy, average highs reach 85°F in Jul and lows fall to 23°F in Jan, with 50.9 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.