Enter any address in Barren County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Barren County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 35 flash flood events and 8 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding in July 2024 and January 2022, both attributed to slow-moving storms and heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties with an unknown flood zone designation have experienced claims with an average payout of $1,201 and an average water depth of 0.1 feet. Properties designated as Zone A have seen higher average payouts of $6,754 with an average water depth of 0.2 feet. Homeowners in areas with unknown flood zone designations, or those in Zone A, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
15 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Barren County, Kentucky has recorded 43 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 35 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1993–2026)
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, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | 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 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Dec 10, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 6, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 12, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 2, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2017 | 10.00K |
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 22, 2024
A stationary front was draped across central Kentucky, with waves of showers and thunderstorms moving along and north of this front on July 22nd. During the early morning hours, a cluster of slow-moving storms produced heavy rainfall which resulted in flash flooding across parts of Barren County. Another wave of showers and storms later in the afternoon produced scattered wind damage across War...
Flash Flood — Jul 21, 2024
A stationary front was draped across central Kentucky, with waves of showers and thunderstorms moving along and north of this front on July 22nd. During the early morning hours, a cluster of slow-moving storms produced heavy rainfall which resulted in flash flooding across parts of Barren County. Another wave of showers and storms later in the afternoon produced scattered wind damage across War...
Flash Flood — Jul 21, 2022
During the evening and overnight hours of July 20th into July 21st, strong to severe thunderstorms developed out ahead of an approaching cold front. On the afternoon of July 20th, temperatures surged into the mid-90s across central Kentucky, with dewpoint temperatures reaching the mid-70s. The warm and unstable low levels, combined with mid-level height falls from an approaching trough, allowed...
Flash Flood — Sep 6, 2022
A quasi-stationary surface front and weak mid-level cyclone continued to meander across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on September 5th and 6th, providing localized convergence and broad forcing for ascent across central Kentucky. Temperatures in the low-to-mid 80s and dewpoints in the low 70s facilitated the development of around 2000 J/kg SBCAPE and Precipitable Water values approaching 2 inc...
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 Barren 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 Barren 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.