Natural hazards · Barbourville

Barbourville, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barbourville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1984. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Barbourville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barbourville to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves35%Earthquakes6%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Barbourville faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

35% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Barbourville flood?

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

26paid claims since 1984

$166Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19842026

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. Barbourville isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Knox County.

Disasters that hit Barbourville

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BarbourvilleDeclared for Knox County only

2025

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

$15K to the City of Barbourville for repairs

2024

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

10 households applied for aid $73K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

61 households applied for aid $377K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

29 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $19K to the City of Barbourville for repairs

2003

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

15 households applied for aid $24K aid approved

2003

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

34 households applied for aid $46K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$13K to the City of Barbourville for repairs

Knox County has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Barbourville is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.