Clinton County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by winter weather. 184 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $5.67M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 184
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 6
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1979
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 24.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 84.9 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 23.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $2.17B · Agriculture value exposed: $52.31M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $8.71M
Risk by hazard
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$46.77K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.6 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$688K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- HailRelatively Low$170K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$743K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
- HurricaneVery Low$32.48K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 29 years
- LightningRelatively Low$108K/yr expected annual loss, about 55 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$428/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Strong windRelatively Low$279K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.4 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$30.97K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$81.14K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 445 years
- WildfireVery Low$12.13K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,256 years
- Heat waveVery Low$59.63K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- DroughtVery Low$6,055/yr expected annual loss, about 5.8 events a year
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
- 6 of 4,736 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 55
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 4 (7%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 1
- Claims paid since 1978
- $134K
Storm history
Since 1996: 184 events, 1 death, $1M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind99
- Hail23
- Flash Flood15
- Tornado15 · 1 death
- Heavy Snow10
- Winter Storm9
- Flood5
- Frost/Freeze4
- Ice Storm2
- Lightning1
Events per year
18 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 9, EF2 2, F0 3, F1 2, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- TornadoF1, 0.3 mi path, 100 yd wide01/05/1997
Albany, Clinton County
1 death, 2 injured, $50K damage
What happened
An F1 tornado destroyed a mobile home and parts of a radio station and church in an isolated area along Highway 1590, one half mile west of Albany. The mobile home was thrown over 100 yards and 1 resident was killed and 2 others seriously injured. The deceased was a 39 year old male. The radio station lost its transmission tower as well as part of its roof. The tornado path was only 500 yards long and lifted and touched down again at least 2 times along the path. The path width was approximately 100 yards.
- TornadoEF2, 1.38 mi path, 300 yd wide04/11/2008
Narvel, Clinton County
$200K damage
What happened
The fourth touchdown in this family of tornadoes produced by a cyclic supercell did the most damage in Clinton County as it hit several residences in a rural subdivision along Pleasure Ridge Road. After moving through uninhabited hillside for a mile, uprooting and snapping trees in a nearly quarter-mile wide path, the tornado tore the roof of a ranch-style brick home and destroyed its nearby outbuildings. Continuing along parallel to Pleasure Ridge Road, the tornado destroyed a mobile home, barn, and grain silo in its path, and heavily damaged at least three other homes before exiting the county.
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind04/11/2008
Cumberland City, Clinton County
$200K damage
- Flash Flood05/02/2010
Wago, Clinton County
$100K damage
- TornadoEF2, 3.14 mi path, 300 yd wide04/11/2008
Cartwright, Clinton County
$75K damage
What happened
As the storm continued eastward, several homes and outbuildings were heavily damaged by the third tornado touchdown produced by the supercell. In addition to the structural damage covering nearly 1 1/2 miles, scores of trees were downed as were utility lines. A witness at the end of this tornado's path reported seeing two tornadoes on the ground simultaneously, as the fourth tornado produced by this supercell touched down about 1/4 mile north of the ending point of the third twister.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind07/22/2026
Albany, Clinton County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/22/2026
Highway, Clinton County
- Flash Flood07/19/2026
Highway, Clinton County
- Flash Flood06/28/2026
Wago, Clinton County
- TornadoEF1, 1.26 mi path, 200 yd wide03/16/2026
Albany, Clinton County
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind03/11/2026
Albany Arpt, Clinton County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind03/11/2026
Albany Arpt, Clinton County
- Winter Storm01/24/2026
Clinton
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Clinton County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Frederic (1979)08/29/1979 · 943 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
1 community water system serve about 9,042 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step.
- Albany Water WorksServes 9,042 · Surface water · Local government2 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
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 Byrdstown, 12 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 85°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 27°F in Jan. About 54.6 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 27°F | 4.52 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 29°F | 4.96 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 36°F | 5.01 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 44°F | 5.19 in |
| May | 76°F | 54°F | 4.90 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 63°F | 4.74 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 67°F | 5.28 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 64°F | 4.09 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.62 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 45°F | 3.27 in |
| Nov | 59°F | 36°F | 3.68 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 30°F | 5.32 in |
| Year | 57°F average | 54.6 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Clinton County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Sun Pools Inc.42,635 lbs released, Albany
- Keystone Foods8,867 lbs released, Albany
- Cobb-Vantress Inc - Feed Mill1,107 lbs released, Albany
Total: 52,609 lbs in 2024, 52,609 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk1 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Clinton County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Clinton County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $5.67M a year. The highest-rated hazards are winter weather (relatively low), cold wave (relatively low), hail (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Clinton County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 184 storm events affecting Clinton County, most often thunderstorm wind (99), hail (23), flash flood (15).
- How many tornadoes have hit Clinton County?
- 18 tornadoes have been recorded in Clinton County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Clinton County have flood insurance?
- 6 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Clinton County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $134K on 1 claim here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Clinton County?
- At Byrdstown, average highs reach 85°F in Jul and lows fall to 27°F in Jan, with 54.6 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.