Washington County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 178 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $6.76M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 178
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 11
- 0.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1888
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 16.7 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 33.0 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 71.2 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.29B · Agriculture value exposed: $44.26M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $6.72M
Risk by hazard
- HailRelatively Low$336K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$106K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.45M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- Strong windRelatively Low$589K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.3 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$270K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 499 years
- LandslideVery Low$1,313/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$28.88K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.7 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$106K/yr expected annual loss, about 53 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$389K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$10.36K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 83 years
- DroughtVery Low$8,763/yr expected annual loss, about 1.9 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$65.24K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.2 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$3,952/yr expected annual loss, about once every 13,302 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
- 11 of 6,028 (0.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 110
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 5 (5%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 32
- Claims paid since 1978
- $945K
Flood claims paid per year
- Central U.S. April Flooding$249K · 4 claims
- Flooding$125K · 6 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 178 events, 3 deaths, $1.98M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind80
- Hail23
- Flash Flood21 · 1 death
- Winter Storm12
- Heavy Snow11
- Tornado9 · 1 death
- Flood8 · 1 death
- Ice Storm5
- Frost/Freeze5
- High Wind4
Events per year
9 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 1, EF2 2, F0 2, F1 3).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- TornadoEF2, 1.79 mi path, 450 yd wide05/30/2025
Pottsville, Washington County
1 death, 14 injured
What happened
An NWS damage survey team determined that an EF2 tornado with peak winds of 125 mph, maximum width of 450 yards, and track length of 5.55 miles initially touched down on the morning of Friday, May 30th in southeastern Washington County, Kentucky. ||The tornado touched down on a ridgetop near the|intersection of Coyle Lane and Long Run Road, initially snapping|and twisting some hardwood trees, and throwing a chicken cage|almost a quarter mile to the northeast of the path. From there, the|tornado quickly intensified into solid EF-2 strength as a vortex|within the parent circulation produced a third of a mile long|swath of intense damage starting only about 100-200 yards from|the touchdown point. Here, a well built barn with living quarters|was completely swept off the concrete foundation and thrown into|the valley below. Sill plates were anchored to the concrete|foundation, so construction was good, however three large overhead|doors likely contributed to the demise of the structure as they|faced the direction of the tornado path directly. Eyewitness|accounts from inside the structure said the overhead doors caved|inward first, and then the whole building went. Several...
- Flash Flood06/29/2020
Willisburg, Washington County
1 death, 1 injured, $30K damage
What happened
A driver on Lawrenceburg Road noticed a white Ford Explorer that had washed off the road in flood waters. He then noticed an elderly man and woman were still in the vehicle with water up to their necks. Rescuers broke out windows on the vehicle and pulled the couple out just as it filled completely with flood water. Both were unconscious when they were pulled out; the woman was resuscitated at the scene, but her husband never regained consciousness and died later that afternoon after they were both transported to a local hospital.
- Flood02/16/2025
Thompsonville, Washington County
1 death, $10K damage
What happened
A 79 year old woman left the roadway on the 3300 block of Tick Creek Road and drown in a creek that would have normally had less water in it. Damage to the vehicle is unknown.
- TornadoF1, 1 mi path, 75 yd wide04/21/2000
Willisburg, Washington County
4 injured, $70K damage
What happened
The tornado destroyed two mobile homes and a tobacco barn. It also did roof, siding, and chimney damage to several homes, and damaged vehicles.
- Hail2.75" hail05/02/2002
Springfield, Washington County
3 injured, $150K damage
What happened
Hail damaged many homes and vehicles.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind04/21/2000
Countywide, Washington County
1 injured, $120K damage
What happened
Two trailers were completely destroyed west of Willisburg, with one person injured. Several barns were destroyed, and house windows were blown out.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Winter Storm01/24/2026
Washington
- Heavy Snow12/12/2025
Washington
- Frost/Freeze10/24/2025
Washington
- Flash Flood06/18/2025
Fredricktown, Washington County
- Flash Flood06/16/2025
Battle, Washington County
- Flash Flood06/16/2025
Fredricktown, Washington County
- TornadoEF2, 1.79 mi path, 450 yd wide05/30/2025
Pottsville, Washington County
1 death, 14 injured
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind04/30/2025
Cisselville, Washington County
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Washington County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1888)08/14/1888 · Landfall: FL, LATropical storm58 mph nearby
Drinking water
1 community water system serve about 13,205 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Springfield Water WorksServes 13,205 · 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 Bardstown 5e, 11 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 87°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 26°F in Jan. About 51.6 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 11.9 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 26°F | 3.71 in | 4.2 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 29°F | 3.86 in | 3.7 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 37°F | 4.92 in | 1.3 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 46°F | 4.71 in | - |
| May | 77°F | 55°F | 5.46 in | - |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.94 in | - |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 4.54 in | - |
| Aug | 86°F | 65°F | 3.65 in | - |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 3.90 in | - |
| Oct | 70°F | 47°F | 3.71 in | - |
| Nov | 57°F | 37°F | 3.70 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 30°F | 4.51 in | 2.5 in |
| Year | 57°F average | 51.6 in | 11.9 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 2 toxic release facilities in Washington County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Alltech Inc10,173 lbs released, Springfield
- Toyotomi America Corpunder 1 lb released, Springfield
Total: 10,174 lbs in 2024, 10,173 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk59 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Washington County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Washington County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $6.76M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively low), ice storm (relatively low), tornado (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Washington County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 178 storm events affecting Washington County, most often thunderstorm wind (80), hail (23), flash flood (21).
- How many tornadoes have hit Washington County?
- 9 tornadoes have been recorded in Washington County since 1950.
- How many homes in Washington County have flood insurance?
- 11 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Washington County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $945K on 32 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Washington County?
- At Bardstown 5e, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 26°F in Jan, with 51.6 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.