Estill County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by winter weather. 576 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $8.95M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 576
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 45
- 0.7% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 2 tropical storms or stronger since 1957
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 41.8 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 84.3 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 23.0 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $2.3B · Agriculture value exposed: $5.28M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $13.66M
Risk by hazard
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$60.24K/yr expected annual loss, about 14 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$1,040/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- AvalancheVery Low$438/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- Strong windRelatively Low$350K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.9 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$23.15K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 913 years
- LightningRelatively Low$123K/yr expected annual loss, about 52 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$128K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.3 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$461K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- TornadoRelatively Low$528K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$77.99K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 536 years
- Heat waveVery Low$119K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$23.06K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HurricaneVery Low$8,313/yr expected annual loss, about once every 43 years
- DroughtVery Low$1,354/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 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: 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 6,101 (0.7%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 379
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 40 (11%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 42
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.1M
Flood claims paid per year
- February Kentucky Flooding$160K · 6 claims
- Central U.S. April Flooding$14.94K · 1 claim
- Not a named storm$1,200 · 1 claim
- Flooding$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 576 events, 1 death, $6.7M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind254
- Flood74
- Flash Flood64 · 1 death
- Hail41
- Heavy Snow30
- Winter Weather18
- Heavy Rain13
- High Wind13
- Ice Storm12
- Frost/Freeze12
Events per year
8 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 3, F0 1, F1 1, F2 1, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flash Flood04/03/2015
Crystal, Estill County
1 death, $1,000 damage
What happened
A vehicle attempted to drive through flash flood waters from a creek along KY Hwy 52 near the Estill and Lee county line. The vehicle was eventually swept downstream with the driver trapped inside. The person was alone in the car and ended up drowning inside the vehicle.
- Flood05/31/2004
Estill
$2M damage
What happened
On the afternoon of May 30th, a warm front was draped across eastern Kentucky. With extremely moist and unstable air, this boundary helped spark the beginning of a most unusual event for eastern Kentucky, and for that matter, for the country. Countless supercell thunderstorms developed along this boundary for hours on end, causing widespread tree damage and damage to structures. Flash flooding was also occurring with these storms which contained torrential rain. Unfortunately for eastern Kentucky, this was not the end to the severe weather or the flooding. Later in the night, mostly in the early hours of May 31st, a potent cold front burst through, bringing destruction to most if not all eastern Kentucky counties. Also, so much rain had fallen from the previous afternoon and evening, coupled with more heavy rain during the morning of May 31st, that widespread aerial flooding occurred. For some counties, as was the case for Estill and Powell Counties, the aerial flooding lasted for days. The cost of these storms totaled easily in the millions.
- Flood06/01/2004
Estill
$2M damage
What happened
This event is actually a continuation of a flooding event which started on May 31st. Many roads were washed out, homes destroyed, and automobiles ruined. Some people were stranded in their own homes and had to be rescued.
- Thunderstorm Wind90 kt wind03/01/2017
Winston, Estill County
1 injured
What happened
A microburst with 90 to 100 mph winds caused severe damage to vehicles and buildings near Winston. One man was injured by flying glass as he attempted to shut the front door of his home. One vehicle had been rolled over by the wind. Roof damage also occurred to several structures in the area, and a garage was completely destroyed. Several large trees were also uprooted.
- Flash Flood06/02/2002
Irvine, Estill County
1 injured
What happened
One person was rescued from fast flowing, high water along Wagersville Road.
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind06/10/2008
Furnace, Estill County
$500K damage
What happened
A National Weather Service storm survey team concluded that a microburst downed 20 to 30 trees and snapped off a radio tower near Furnace.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/21/2025
West Irvine, Estill County
$1,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/21/2025
Wisemantown, Estill County
$1,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/17/2025
Pryse, Estill County
$50K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/17/2025
West Irvine, Estill County
$3,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/17/2025
Pitts, Estill County
$3,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/17/2025
Winston, Estill County
$2,000 damage
- Flash Flood05/13/2025
Irvine, Estill County
- Flash Flood05/13/2025
Ravenna, Estill County
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Estill County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Opal (1995)09/28/1995 · Landfall: FL · 916 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
- Hurricane Audrey (1957)06/24/1957 · Landfall: LA · 946 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
2 community water systems serve about 15,150 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step.
- Estill Co Water DistrictServes 9,501 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation
- Irvine Municipal UtilitiesServes 5,649 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 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 Cressy, 11 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 0 toxic release facilities in Estill County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Estill County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Estill County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Estill County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $8.95M a year. The highest-rated hazards are winter weather (relatively low), landslide (very low), avalanche (very low).
- What storms are most common in Estill County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 576 storm events affecting Estill County, most often thunderstorm wind (254), flood (74), flash flood (64).
- How many tornadoes have hit Estill County?
- 8 tornadoes have been recorded in Estill County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Estill County have flood insurance?
- 45 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Estill County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $1.1M on 42 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Estill 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.