Natural hazards · Flatwoods

Flatwoods, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Flatwoods comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Flatwoods?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Flatwoods to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding44%Heat waves31%Tornadoes8%Strong wind6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Flatwoods faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Flatwoods flood?

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

17paid claims since 1978

$83Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 2 claims, $5K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $823
Late summer storms: 1 claim, $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. Flatwoods isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Greenup County.

Disasters that hit Flatwoods

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FlatwoodsDeclared for Greenup County only

2025

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

$29K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

2024

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

44 households applied for aid $24K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

7 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$66K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$22K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes

21 households applied for aid $42K aid approved $6K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

2003

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

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $15K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$10K to the City of Flatwoods for repairs

Greenup County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Flatwoods

Flatwoods and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Westwoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Russellmostly inland floodingHigh

Racelandmostly inland floodingModerate

Flatwoodsmostly inland floodingLow

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. Flatwoods covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Flatwoods’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Flatwoods. 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 Flatwoods total about $1.6M 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.