Natural hazards · Beattyville

Beattyville, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beattyville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Beattyville?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beattyville to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Cold waves11%Tornadoes10%Strong wind8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Beattyville faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDroughtAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamisVolcanic 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 Beattyville flood?

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

18paid claims since 1978

$930Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

February Kentucky Flooding: 6 claims, $546K
Not a named storm: 3 claims, $6K

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

Insurance rates: Lee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Beattyville

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeattyvilleDeclared for Lee County only

2025

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

102 households applied for aid $461K aid approved $181K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

82 households applied for aid $239K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

132 households applied for aid $577K aid approved $79K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

2015

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

$7K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$24K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

13 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

32 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $13K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

2003

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

$4K to the City of Beattyville for repairs

Lee County has had 36 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. Beattyville 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 Beattyville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Beattyville. 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.