Natural hazards · Barlow

Barlow, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barlow comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Barlow?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barlow to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and drought.

Earthquakes50%Drought24%Inland flooding8%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Barlow faces

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

Earthquakes

50% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Drought

24% of expected damage

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Barlow flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Barlow.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ballard County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Barlow

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BarlowDeclared for Ballard County only

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $143K aid approved $16K to the City of Barlow for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$60K to the City of Barlow for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$9K to the City of Barlow for repairs

Ballard County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

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. Barlow 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 Barlow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Barlow. 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.