Natural hazards · Winchester

Winchester, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winchester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 75 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Winchester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Winchester to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes26%Strong wind13%Cold waves8%Earthquakes5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Winchester faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Strong wind

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% 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 Winchester flood?

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

75paid claims since 1978

$850Kpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 6 claims, $132K
Heavy rains: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Clark County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

18flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Winchester

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinchesterDeclared for Clark County only

2025

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

79 households applied for aid $598K aid approved

2021

Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

44 households applied for aid $215K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes

133 households applied for aid $269K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides

11 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2003

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

42 households applied for aid $150K aid approved

Clark County has had 24 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. Winchester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winchester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Winchester. 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 Winchester 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.