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Natural hazards · Rochester

Rochester, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rochester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2025. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rochester?

76
High
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes14%Hail13%Earthquakes8%Strong wind8%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Rochester faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Rochester flood?

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

1paid claims since 2025
$228Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20252026

Biggest named events

  • Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $228K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Rochester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Butler County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Rochester

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RochesterDeclared for Butler County only
2025

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

67 households applied for aid $300K aid approved $79K to the City of Rochester for repairs
2025

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

$10K to the City of Rochester for repairs
2024

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

2 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2019

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

$17K to the City of Rochester for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid $200 aid approved $2K to the City of Rochester for repairs
Butler County has had 26 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. Rochester 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 Rochester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rochester. 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.

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