Natural hazards · Jenkins

Jenkins, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jenkins comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1989. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jenkins?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jenkins to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding85%Cold waves5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Jenkins faces

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

Inland flooding

85% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Jenkins flood?

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

13paid claims since 1989

$1.0Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Late July Flooding: 7 claims, $718K
February Kentucky Flooding: 5 claims, $289K

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

Insurance rates: Letcher County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Jenkins

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JenkinsDeclared for Letcher County only

2025

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

213 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $629K to the City of Jenkins for repairs

2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

642 households applied for aid $5.3M aid approved $993K to the City of Jenkins for repairs

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$24K to the City of Jenkins for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides

7 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

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

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2003

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

21 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$8K to the City of Jenkins for repairs

Letcher County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Jenkins

Jenkins and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

McRobertsmostly inland floodingVery high

Jenkinsmostly inland floodingVery high

Payne Gapmostly inland floodingVery high

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. Jenkins 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 Jenkins’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Jenkins. 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.