Fleming County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 347 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $6.6M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 347
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 18
- 0.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 2 tropical storms or stronger since 1888
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 31.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 88.5 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 24.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.5B · Agriculture value exposed: $62.8M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $10.5M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$818K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.3 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$940K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7 years
- LandslideVery Low$1,086/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- LightningRelatively Low$172K/yr expected annual loss, about 51 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$42.2K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$173K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 556 years
- HailRelatively Low$124K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.2 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Low$146K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$16.2K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 74 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$29.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- DroughtVery Low$15.5K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$6,048/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,390 years
- Cold waveVery Low$164K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 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
- 18 of 7,837 (0.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 206
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 16 (8%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 49
- Claims paid since 1978
- $943K
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$129K · 8 claims
- Central U.S. April Flooding$1,104 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 347 events, 0 deaths, $8.5M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind140
- Flash Flood46
- Hail39
- Heavy Snow27
- Winter Weather24
- Flood17
- Frost/Freeze11
- Ice Storm9
- Winter Storm7
- High Wind5
Events per year
10 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, EF1 2, F0 2, F1 2, F2 2).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind87 kt wind07/14/2015
Flemingsburg Jct, Fleming County
4 injured
What happened
A large swath of wind damage caused by winds reaching up to 80 to 100 mph occurred beginning in a subdivision off highway 11 3.5 miles north-northwest of Flemingsburg and ending near the Beechburg community. While several structures suffered at least minor damage in the path, the worst damage occurred on Cherry Grove Road where a mobile home was destroyed as it rolled into a group of garage buildings. Four people, including two children, were inside the mobile home and suffered injuries. An EF1 tornado touched down on a farm off Harn Road inside the path of the straight-line wind damage.
- Flood03/02/1997
Fleming
$3M damage
What happened
Flash flooding that began early in the day developed into widespread small stream and river flooding. The Licking River below Cave Run Lake, and along the Fleming-Bath County line reached its highest level in history. Sherburne was especially hard hit.
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind11/06/2007
Mt Carmel, Fleming County
2 injured, $3,000 damage
What happened
Two people were injured when they were blown off scaffolding during a severe thunderstorm. Extent of injuries is not known.
- Flood07/23/2017
Flemingsburg Arpt, Fleming County
$2M damage
What happened
Law enforcement reported flooded streets throughout Flemingsburg several hours after heavy rainfall had ended. A local automobile dealership sustained damage to an estimated 200 vehicles on their lot.
- Winter Weather01/31/2011
Fleming
1 injured, $5,000 damage
What happened
An injury accident occurred on Hwy 165 in Ewing.
- Flash Flood02/18/2000
Countywide, Fleming County
$1M damage
What happened
Several hours of heavy rain brought widespread flash flooding across most of Fleming county. State officials reported that damage to public property totaled approximately $450,000 with 60 percent uninsured and 24 businesses received approximately $450,000 in damages with 95 percent uninsured.
Drinking water
3 community water systems serve about 14,301 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Fleming Co Water AssociationServes 9,693 · Purchased surface water · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Flemingsburg Utility SystemServes 4,583 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Greater Fleming Co Wt CommServes 25 · 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.
Pollution sites
1 Superfund site and 1 toxic release facility in Fleming County
Superfund sites
- Maxey Flats Nuclear DisposalFinalHillsboro
Toxic release facilities
- Ridley Block Operations0 lbs released, Flemingsburg
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk6 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Fleming County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Fleming County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $6.6M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively low), landslide (very low).
- What storms are most common in Fleming County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 347 storm events affecting Fleming County, most often thunderstorm wind (140), flash flood (46), hail (39).
- How many tornadoes have hit Fleming County?
- 10 tornadoes have been recorded in Fleming County since 1950.
- How many homes in Fleming County have flood insurance?
- 18 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Fleming County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $943K on 49 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Fleming County?
- At Flemingsburg 2 N, average highs reach 86°F in Jul and lows fall to 23°F in Jan, with 49.8 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.