Natural hazards · Butler

Butler, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Butler comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1989. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Butler?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes15%Strong wind9%Lightning6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Butler faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Butler flood?

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

15paid claims since 1989

$407Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 2 claims, $24K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Butler is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pendleton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

14flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Butler

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ButlerDeclared for Pendleton County only

2025

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

41 households applied for aid $50K aid approved

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $55K aid approved

Pendleton County has had 19 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. Butler 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 Butler’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Butler. 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.