Natural hazards · New Haven

New Haven, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in New Haven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is New Haven?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in New Haven to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Tornadoes8%Strong wind6%Cold waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What New Haven faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 New Haven flood?

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

26paid claims since 1978

$787Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 2 claims, $76K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $1K

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

Insurance rates: Nelson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit New Haven

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into New HavenDeclared for Nelson County only

2025

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

14 households applied for aid $100K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

20 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

Nelson County has had 21 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. New Haven 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 New Haven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of New Haven. 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.