Natural hazards · Sonora

Sonora, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sonora comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sonora?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sonora to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes12%Cold waves10%Strong wind9%Earthquakes6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Sonora faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Sonora flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Sonora.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hardin County.

Disasters that hit Sonora

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SonoraDeclared for Hardin County only

2025

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

21 households applied for aid $218K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and

1 household applied for aid

Hardin County has had 24 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. Sonora 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 Sonora’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sonora. 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.