Natural hazards · Franklin

Franklin, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Franklin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Franklin?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Franklin to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes15%Earthquakes15%Hail12%Cold waves8%Strong wind8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Franklin faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Earthquakes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Hail

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

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 Franklin flood?

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

9paid claims since 1978

$128Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $17K

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

Insurance rates: Simpson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Franklin

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FranklinDeclared for Simpson County only

2025

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

132 households applied for aid $558K aid approved

2024

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

59 households applied for aid $43K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

58 households applied for aid $237K aid approved

Simpson County has had 16 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. Franklin 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 Franklin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Franklin. 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.