Natural hazards · Ashland

Ashland, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ashland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 44 claims here since 1978. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Ashland?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ashland to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding57%Heat waves31%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Ashland faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

31% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Ashland flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ashland, from FEMA’s records.

44paid claims since 1978

$511Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 6 claims, $18K
Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $10K
Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $14K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ashland isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Boyd County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Ashland

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Ashland itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Ashland.

Brought FEMA money into AshlandDeclared for Boyd County only

2024

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides

107 households applied for aid $599K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

19 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $62K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides

$57K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$191K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2018

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$54K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$125K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$93K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

188 households applied for aid $271K aid approved $101K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

35 households applied for aid $87K aid approved $34K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$66K to the City of Ashland for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes

10 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2003

Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and

1 household applied for aid

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the City of Ashland for repairs

Boyd County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Ashland

Ashland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Catlettsburgmostly inland floodingVery high

Westwoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Ashlandmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Ashland covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ashland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ashland. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Ashland total about $10.9M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.