Natural hazards · Fulton

Fulton, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fulton comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1984. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fulton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fulton to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes49%Inland flooding17%Tornadoes9%Drought7%Ice storms6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Fulton faces

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

Earthquakes

49% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

17% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Fulton flood?

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

16paid claims since 1984

$437Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19842026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fulton County.

Disasters that hit Fulton

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FultonDeclared for Fulton County only

2021

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

286 households applied for aid $385K aid approved

2015

Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$5K to the City of Fulton for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $31K to the City of Fulton for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$109K to the City of Fulton for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$18K to the City of Fulton for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$24K to the City of Fulton for repairs

Fulton County has had 22 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. Fulton 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 Fulton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fulton. 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.