Enter any address in Garrard County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Garrard County. Recent examples include flash flooding on July 1, 2021, caused by a moist unstable air mass and a moving cold front, and flash flooding on November 30, 2019, when a low-pressure system brought widespread heavy rainfall to already saturated ground.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $48,188 and an average water depth of 3.1 feet. Properties in Zone X and Zone X_Unshaded have also seen claims, though with lower average payouts and water depths. Residents in Zone A, and those in any flood-prone area, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
13 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Garrard County, Kentucky has recorded 27 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 19 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, 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, 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 Winter Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 1, 2010 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 30, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2019 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 14, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 1, 2021
Early on July 1st, there was a moist unstable air mass over southern Indiana and central Kentucky. Farther north in Indiana, a west to east oriented cold front was working its way south. This resulted in heavy rainfall and area flash flooding over central Kentucky as the front moved through the region. A Flash Flood Watch was in place before the event.
Flash Flood — Nov 30, 2019
A low pressure system approached central Kentucky from the west with a warm front extending to the east and a cold front to the south. Early in the day as the warm front moved north through central Kentucky, the lift provided by the front caused widespread heavy rainfall in areas that were already saturated from previous rains. Flash flooding was the result across several counties in central Ke...
Flash Flood — Feb 23, 2019
On February 19, 2019, a broad upper trough dipped south to the Gulf of Mexico and carried abundant amounts of moisture towards the Ohio Valley. Once the moisture was transport was underway, isentropic lift caused 1.5 to 3 of rainfall along the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. The higher amounts went as far north as south central Indiana.||On the 20th, an upper trough axis and cold front push...
Flood — Feb 23, 2019
On February 19, 2019, a broad upper trough dipped south to the Gulf of Mexico and carried abundant amounts of moisture towards the Ohio Valley. Once the moisture was transport was underway, isentropic lift caused 1.5 to 3 of rainfall along the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. The higher amounts went as far north as south central Indiana.||On the 20th, an upper trough axis and cold front push...
Flash Flood — Jul 17, 2019
On July 14th, as the remains of Hurricane Barry advanced up the Mississippi River Valley, an outer boundary of storms moved northward over the Ohio River Valley. This caused localized tree and power line damage north of Lexington, Kentucky. ||On July 15th, the circulation that was Barry entered central Kentucky, and over the next few days, it produced heavy rainfall rates and damaging winds. Th...
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 Garrard 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 Garrard 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.