Enter any address in Butler County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events are the most frequent type of flood recorded in Butler County, KY. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 104 flood events and 30 flash flood events. Recent flash flooding occurred in January 2023, following widespread heavy rainfall from a strong system. Another instance of flash flooding was noted in May 2021, after a cold front produced additional rain on saturated ground.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced 21 claims with an average payout of $24,357 and an average water depth of 3.7 feet. Claims in Zone Unknown, with 6 instances, had a higher average water depth of 5.2 feet, though the average payout was lower at $4,228. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, or those whose flood zone is unknown, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
19 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Butler County, Kentucky has recorded 134 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 30 flash floods and 104 river or area floods. The county has received 29 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2026)
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, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 3, 2020 |
| 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 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 3, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 25, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 4, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 25, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 4, 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 — Jan 3, 2023
During the overnight hours and into the morning on January 3rd, a strong system moved across central Kentucky, bringing isolated damaging wind gusts and widespread heavy rainfall. The system was associated with a negatively-tilted upper-level trough which moved from the Four Corners region on January 2nd to the upper Midwest by January 4th. A surface cyclone transited in a similar fashion to th...
Flash Flood — Jan 25, 2021
On January 25, a low pressure system moved east through the Ohio River Valley. This brought one to three inches of rainfall and gusty winds through central Kentucky. Isolated flooding and tree damage resulted.
Flash Flood — May 4, 2021
Early on May 3rd, central Kentucky sat in the warm sector ahead of an approaching surface low. Much of the region saw only rain showers, but one isolated cell in southern Kentucky was able to produce a short lived EF-1 tornado in the city of Tompkinsville, KY. ||On May 4th, a cold front, following the first system, produced additional rain showers and thunderstorms on the already saturated grou...
Flash Flood — Jun 28, 2020
During a time without any major weather systems moving through the region, a moist atmosphere with differential heating and remaining outflows from earlier thunderstorms was enough for thunderstorms and heavy rain to develop across central Kentucky. This resulted in widespread wind damage, flooding, and even fires from lightning. An elderly man drowned and his wife was injured trying to drive t...
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 Butler 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 Butler 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.