Enter any address in Adair County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Adair County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 24 flash flood events and 8 flood events, which resulted in one fatality. Recent events include flash flooding on July 31, 2024, caused by a stationary front producing multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, and widespread flooding on February 15, 2025, associated with a strong storm system moving across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows one claim filed in Zone A, with an average payout of $37,186 and an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, particularly those located near waterways or in low-lying areas, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Adair County, Kentucky has recorded 32 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 24 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 26 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1971–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 16, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | May 21, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 6, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 25, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 14, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Feb 15, 2025
A strong storm system moved across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on February 15th and 16th, 2025, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding, severe weather, and winter weather to central Kentucky. The large scale upper level pattern featured deep troughing ejecting across the central CONUS, with broad southwesterly flow occurring in the low and mid troposphere. Southerly flow helped to draw rich mo...
Flash Flood — Apr 3, 2025
On the night of April 2nd, 2025, a cold front approached the lower Ohio Valley. Along and ahead of the cold front, numerous supercells developed over southern Illinois and western Kentucky. These storms tracked eastward and occasionally grew upscale into a QLCS with bowing segments. Storms lasted all night and into the morning hours, as the cold front began to stall over the lower Ohio Valley. ...
Flash Flood — Jul 31, 2024
A stationary front was located over the lower Ohio Valley from July 30th into July 31st, with upper level flow oriented from northwest to southeast across the region. This upper flow pattern brought multiple waves of showers and thunderstorms across southern Indiana and central Kentucky over this two day stretch. Scattered strong to severe storms mainly produced wind damage, with localized flas...
Flash Flood — Jan 1, 2022
During New Year's Eve into New Year's Day, active weather was observed across Kentucky as several waves of low pressure moved along a frontal boundary that was stalled across the region. This resulted in multiple rounds of widespread precipitation, and rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts observed across the area. As the boundary lifted north as a warm front New Year's ...
Flash Flood — Jul 26, 2020
With high temperatures in the 90s, central Kentucky sat in an area of upper and lower high pressure. During diurnal heating, very slow moving thunderstorms with heavy rainfall developed, causing flash flooding in Adair County.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Adair County, Kentucky:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Adair County, Kentucky that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.