Natural hazards · Wayland

Wayland, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wayland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 141 claims here since 1981. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wayland?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wayland to be higher than in 96% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding91%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Wayland faces

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

Inland flooding

91% 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 Wayland flood?

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

141paid claims since 1981

$2.3Mpaid to owners

14homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

February Kentucky Flooding: 12 claims, $607K
Late July Flooding: 11 claims, $632K
Storm: 6 claims, $61K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wayland 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

32flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Wayland

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaylandDeclared for Floyd County only

2025

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

58 households applied for aid $477K aid approved $69K to the City of Wayland for repairs

2022

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

138 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved $31K to the City of Wayland for repairs

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

12 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$3K to the City of Wayland for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides

49 households applied for aid $59K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

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

48 households applied for aid $181K aid approved $6K to the City of Wayland for repairs

2003

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

17 households applied for aid $48K 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. Wayland 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 Wayland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wayland. 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.