Natural hazards · Big Clifty

Big Clifty, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Clifty comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Big Clifty?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Clifty to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes20%Strong wind10%Hail9%Cold waves8%Earthquakes6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Big Clifty 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 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 32 years in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

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 Big Clifty flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Grayson County.

Disasters that hit Big Clifty

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Big Clifty itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Big Clifty.

Brought FEMA money into Big CliftyDeclared for Grayson County only

2025

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

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Grayson County has had 26 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. Big Clifty 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 Big Clifty’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Big Clifty. 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.