Simpson County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 241 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $8.11M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 241
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 32
- 0.4% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 27.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 52.4 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 54.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $4.32B · Agriculture value exposed: $102M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $9.33M
Risk by hazard
- HailRelatively Moderate$949K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.2 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.14M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 286 years
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$141K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$638K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.1 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.35M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- LightningRelatively Low$254K/yr expected annual loss, about 56 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$91.22K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$705K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Heat waveRelatively Low$201K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.0 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$38.36K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.8 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$10.47K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 116 years
- LandslideVery Low$11/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
- WildfireVery Low$1,576/yr expected annual loss, about once every 46,817 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
- 32 of 7,440 (0.4%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 64
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 23 (36%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 24
- Claims paid since 1978
- $915K
Flood claims paid per year
- February Kentucky Flooding$479K · 7 claims
- Central U.S. April Flooding$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 241 events, 4 deaths, $1.55M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind122
- Flash Flood53
- Hail19
- Winter Storm11
- Heavy Snow10
- Flood10 · 4 deaths
- Tornado9
- Lightning2
- Frost/Freeze2
- Ice Storm1
Events per year
17 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, EF1 4, F0 1, F1 4, F2 4, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flood02/25/2018
Flat Rock, Simpson County
1 death, $30K damage
What happened
A man drowned in a submerged vehicle near Flat Bridge on Kenny Perry Drive. High water covered the road and the bridge was closed. The man went around the barricades blocking the road. His car was found downstream.
- Flood03/05/2019
Schweizer, Simpson County
1 death, $5,000 damage
What happened
At approximately 9:00 pm CST on March 4, a male driver drove around a barricade before driving his car into standing water over the roadway. He called his girlfriend frantically stating he was in a river. That was the last anyone heard from him. His cell phone last pinged at 9:00 pm CST at a location just west of Interstate 65 north of the Tennessee border. The air temperature at the time was 19 degrees Fahrenheit.||His vehicle was found the next morning, and his body was found on Thursday March 7 a short distance from where his vehicle was found.
- Flood05/09/2009
Franklin, Simpson County
1 death
What happened
A 49-year old male drove a pickup truck around barriers and attempted to cross Dittmore Ford over Drakes Creek, which was covered by four to five feet of water. He called 911 from his cell phone, but drowned in his vehicle.
- Flood04/12/2022
Hillsdale, Simpson County
1 death
What happened
At approximately 7:55 PM CDT, Kentucky State Police received a call from a 41 year old male. He stated he was trying to drive over Saddler Ford Bridge, but his 2013 Ford pick-up was being swept off the bridge. The emergency manager later stated that the driver disregarded warning signs and barricades that were set up before the bridge warning drivers of the flowing water over the bridge. The man's body was found around a mile downstream the following day.
- Thunderstorm Wind47 kt wind05/31/2015
Franklin, Simpson County
6 injured, $1,000 damage
What happened
A report was received by the public of a tree down at the Simpson County courthouse during a Relay for Life event. Six people experienced minor injuries and the nearby Kentucky Mesonet site measured a 54 mph wind gust.
- Lightning09/11/2013
Franklin, Simpson County
5 injured, $15K damage
What happened
Broadcast media reported 5 injuries from a lightning strike that ended the afternoon racing card at the Kentucky Downs racetrack. Lightning hit a tin pole and traveled down to the ground, shocking 5 people sheltering within a tent. One was transported to a hospital. The racing board was shorted out with racing cancelled for the rest of the afternoon.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/22/2026
Franklin, Simpson County
- Flash Flood04/29/2026
Franklin, Simpson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/17/2026
Salmon, Simpson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/17/2026
Flat Rock, Simpson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/17/2026
Franklin, Simpson County
- Winter Storm01/24/2026
Simpson
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind12/19/2025
Franklin, Simpson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind12/19/2025
Turnertown, Simpson County
Drinking water
2 community water systems serve about 40,548 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Franklin Water WorksServes 31,602 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Simpson County Water DistrictServes 8,946 · 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 Portland Sewage Plt, 13 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 89°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 27°F in Jan. About 54.3 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 2.0 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°F | 27°F | 4.20 in | 0.2 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 30°F | 4.69 in | 1.5 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 37°F | 5.08 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 47°F | 5.24 in | - |
| May | 78°F | 57°F | 5.80 in | - |
| Jun | 85°F | 65°F | 4.36 in | - |
| Jul | 89°F | 69°F | 4.57 in | - |
| Aug | 88°F | 67°F | 4.15 in | - |
| Sep | 82°F | 60°F | 3.64 in | - |
| Oct | 71°F | 48°F | 3.69 in | - |
| Nov | 59°F | 37°F | 3.78 in | - |
| Dec | 49°F | 30°F | 5.11 in | - |
| Year | 58°F average | 54.3 in | 2.0 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 8 toxic release facilities in Simpson County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Covalence Adhesives20,828 lbs released, Franklin
- Matalco Kentucky LLC9,109 lbs released, Franklin
- Gpm Manufacturing Inc3,074 lbs released, Franklin
- Fritz Winter1,012 lbs released, Franklin
- Meritor Heavy Braking Systems LLC768 lbs released, Franklin
- Franklin Precision Industry10.8 lbs released, Franklin
- Carrier Corp - Franklin1.5 lbs released, Franklin
- Keystone Foods0 lbs released, Franklin
Total: 34,803 lbs in 2024, 28,363 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk8 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Simpson County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Simpson County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $8.11M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively moderate), earthquake (relatively low), ice storm (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Simpson County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 241 storm events affecting Simpson County, most often thunderstorm wind (122), flash flood (53), hail (19).
- How many tornadoes have hit Simpson County?
- 17 tornadoes have been recorded in Simpson County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Simpson County have flood insurance?
- 32 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Simpson County, covering about 0.4% of homes. The program has paid $915K on 24 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Simpson County?
- At Portland Sewage Plt, average highs reach 89°F in Jul and lows fall to 27°F in Jan, with 54.3 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.