Natural hazards · Benton

Benton, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Benton comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 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 Benton?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes38%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes8%Cold waves7%Ice storms6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Benton faces

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

Earthquakes

38% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 62 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter 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 Benton flood?

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

27paid claims since 1978

$317Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 3 claims, $4K
Storm: 2 claims, $12K
Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $1K

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

Insurance rates: Marshall County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Benton

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Marshall County only

2021

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

601 households applied for aid $816K aid approved $160K to the City of Benton for repairs

2016

Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$61K to the City of Benton for repairs

2015

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

$5K to the City of Benton for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $137K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$242K to the City of Benton for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$30K to the City of Benton for repairs

2005

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

60 households applied for aid $157K aid approved

2004

Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow

$4K to the City of Benton for repairs

Marshall 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. Benton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Benton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Benton. 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 Benton total about $3.8M 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.