Natural hazards · Paris

Paris, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Paris comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 312 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Paris?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Paris to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes16%Strong wind10%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Paris faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Paris flood?

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

312paid claims since 1978

$5.2Mpaid to owners

49homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 22 claims, $102K
Heavy rains: 19 claims, $202K
February Kentucky Flooding: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (18) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bourbon County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

20flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Paris

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ParisDeclared for Bourbon County only

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

96 households applied for aid $332K aid approved $248K to the City of Paris for repairs

2015

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

$18K to the City of Paris for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

37 households applied for aid $108K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$51K to the City of Paris for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

15 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2003

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

$89K to the City of Paris for repairs

Bourbon County has had 20 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. Paris covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Paris’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Paris. 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 Paris total about $1.8M 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.