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Natural hazards · Manchester

Manchester, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Manchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1989. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Manchester?

91
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Manchester to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Cold waves10%Wildfire6%Tornadoes5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Manchester faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Manchester flood?

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

8paid claims since 1989
$37Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19892026

Biggest named events

  • Heavy rains: 1 claim, $554

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. Manchester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clay County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Manchester

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ManchesterDeclared for Clay County only
2025

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

301 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $266K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2024

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

42 households applied for aid $207K aid approved
2023

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

$203K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

597 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $33K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

228 households applied for aid $392K aid approved $417K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides

$4K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

279 households applied for aid $292K aid approved $19K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2003

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

95 households applied for aid $123K aid approved
2003

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

52 households applied for aid $133K aid approved $8K to the City of Manchester for repairs
2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$852 to the City of Manchester for repairs
Clay County has had 43 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. Manchester 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 Manchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Manchester. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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