Natural hazards · Owensboro

Owensboro, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Owensboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 120 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Owensboro?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Owensboro to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding42%Earthquakes32%Tornadoes9%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Owensboro faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

32% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Owensboro flood?

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

120paid claims since 1978

$1.0Mpaid to owners

12homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $113K
March storm: 3 claims, $17K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $65

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Owensboro is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Daviess County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

12flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Owensboro

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OwensboroDeclared for Daviess County only

2025

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

181 households applied for aid $583K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $77K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

49 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

Daviess County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Owensboro

Owensboro and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ohiomostly inland floodingVery high

Owensboromostly inland floodingHigh

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. Owensboro covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Owensboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Owensboro. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Owensboro total about $33.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.