Natural hazards · Frankfort

Frankfort, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Frankfort comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 885 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Frankfort?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Frankfort to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes22%Strong wind11%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Frankfort faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Frankfort flood?

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

885paid claims since 1978

$17.8Mpaid to owners

64homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 109 claims, $1.6M
Central U.S. April Flooding: 60 claims, $8.0M
February Kentucky Flooding: 7 claims, $64K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (31) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Frankfort is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

76flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Frankfort

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FrankfortDeclared for Franklin County only

2025

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

539 households applied for aid $4.4M aid approved

2025

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

7 households applied for aid $38K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

29 households applied for aid $56K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

98 households applied for aid $85K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

122 households applied for aid $386K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

36 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

Franklin County has had 23 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. Frankfort covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Frankfort’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Frankfort. 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 Frankfort total about $11.9M 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.