Enter any address in Harlan County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Harlan County. Between July 25th and July 30th, 2022, heavy rain from training thunderstorms caused deadly flash flooding and devastating river flooding across eastern Kentucky. Another event on March 28th, 2021, also brought heavy rains and flooding to the area.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows a significant number of claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $4,928 and an average water depth of 1.6 feet. Claims in Zone X_SHADED and Zone X also indicate substantial payouts and water depths. Residents in Zone A, Zone X_SHADED, and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood zone designations, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
26 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Harlan County, Kentucky has recorded 57 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 32 flash floods and 25 river or area floods. The county has received 33 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1967–2026)
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, Flooding, And Landslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Remnants Of Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | May 21, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 15, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Jul 26, 2022 |
| Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 27, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Sep 27, 2018 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Feb 11, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2022
Between July 25th and July 30th, 2022, several complexes of training thunderstorms developed south of I-64 and brought heavy rain, deadly flash flooding, and devastating river flooding to eastern Kentucky and central Appalachia. These thunderstorms, at times, caused rainfall rates in excess of 4/hr across complex terrain that led to widespread devastating impacts. While it did not rain continuo...
Flood — Mar 28, 2021
A warm front lifted north into the state Saturday, allowing for an intensification of moisture advection into the area. This was then followed up by a passing cold front and associated cold front, both of which provided lift and helped provide heavy rains across the state. While instability was limited, there was some severe thunderstorms which produced hail during the morning hours of Saturday...
Flash Flood — Mar 28, 2021
A warm front lifted north into the state Saturday, allowing for an intensification of moisture advection into the area. This was then followed up by a passing cold front and associated cold front, both of which provided lift and helped provide heavy rains across the state. While instability was limited, there was some severe thunderstorms which produced hail during the morning hours of Saturday...
Flash Flood — Jul 26, 2020
Scattered storms were ongoing across portions of eastern Kentucky during the evening hours on July 26. Without much in the way of steering winds aloft, these storms had very little storm motion, and were capable of producing heavy rainfall over isolated areas throughout their duration. One of these storms occurred on the Harlan/Letcher County line, exacerbated by the steeper mountainous terrain...
Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Beginning on February 3rd, numerous rounds of rainfall began to impact eastern Kentucky. This continued through February 7th, highlighted by heavy rainfall from the evening of February 5th through the first half of February 6th. Rain amounts of 4-6 inches fell across much of southeastern Kentucky over this period. This led to major flooding and numerous mudslides across portions of Whitley, Per...
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 Harlan 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 Harlan 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.