Natural hazards · Morehead

Morehead, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Morehead comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 150 claims here since 1989. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Morehead?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Morehead to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes8%Strong wind5%Lightning5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Morehead faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Morehead flood?

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

150paid claims since 1989

$2.9Mpaid to owners

35homes flooded more than once

19892026

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

Insurance rates: Rowan County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

41flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

8storm safe rooms built

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Morehead

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MoreheadDeclared for Rowan County only

2015

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

138 households applied for aid $419K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

99 households applied for aid $161K aid approved

2015

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

$13K to the City of Morehead for repairs

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $37K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

51 households applied for aid $151K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

413 households applied for aid $2.0M aid approved $67K to the City of Morehead for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

40 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

2003

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

55 households applied for aid $139K aid approved $2K to the City of Morehead for repairs

2003

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

79 households applied for aid $148K aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$108K to the City of Morehead for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Flooding

$7K to the City of Morehead for repairs

Rowan County has had 29 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. Morehead 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 Morehead’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Morehead. 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.

Morehead, KY natural hazards

How exposed is Morehead?

What Morehead faces

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Strong wind

Lightning

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Morehead flood?

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

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

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

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

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

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Storms and Flooding

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