Natural hazards · Beaver Dam

Beaver Dam, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Beaver Dam comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1983. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Beaver Dam?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Beaver Dam to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding39%Earthquakes14%Tornadoes13%Strong wind8%Hail8%Cold waves7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Beaver Dam faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 93 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Beaver Dam flood?

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

3paid claims since 1983

$41Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ohio County.

Disasters that hit Beaver Dam

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Beaver DamDeclared for Ohio County only

2025

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

34 households applied for aid $209K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Tornadoes

54 households applied for aid $24K aid approved

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

27 households applied for aid $27K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$100K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$13K to the City of Beaver Dam for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $310 aid approved

Ohio County has had 25 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. Beaver Dam 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 Beaver Dam’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Beaver Dam. 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.