Natural hazards · Prestonsburg

Prestonsburg, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prestonsburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 100 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Prestonsburg?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prestonsburg to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding93%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Prestonsburg faces

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

Inland flooding

93% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Prestonsburg flood?

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

100paid claims since 1978

$1.5Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

February Kentucky Flooding: 14 claims, $732K
Heavy rains: 6 claims, $96K
Not a named storm: 2 claims, $2K

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

Insurance rates: Floyd County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Prestonsburg

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PrestonsburgDeclared for Floyd County only

2025

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

267 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved

2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

384 households applied for aid $702K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

77 households applied for aid $105K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides

110 households applied for aid $181K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

705 households applied for aid $2.3M aid approved

2003

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

121 households applied for aid $360K aid approved

2003

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

65 households applied for aid $152K aid approved

Floyd 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. Prestonsburg covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Prestonsburg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Prestonsburg. 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 Prestonsburg total about $5.2M 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.