Natural hazards · Prospect

Prospect, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Prospect comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1980. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Prospect?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Prospect to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Tornadoes14%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Prospect faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Prospect flood?

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

25paid claims since 1980

$619Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 7 claims, $66K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Prospect isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

51homes raised above flood level

27flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Prospect

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ProspectDeclared for Jefferson County only

2025

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

192 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

2024

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

50 households applied for aid $59K aid approved

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

6 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $21K aid approved

2009

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

6 households applied for aid $497 aid approved

Jefferson 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. Prospect covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Prospect’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Prospect. 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 Prospect total about $2.6M 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.