Enter any address in Knox County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events have been the most frequent type of flood recorded in Knox County over the last 30 years, with 53 occurrences. Flooding events have also been documented, totaling 36 incidents.
Recent flood events occurred in February 2022, following periods of rain ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 inches over two days. These events were associated with weather systems moving across eastern Kentucky.
Homeowners in Zone A, which has seen the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program claims and the largest average payouts, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Properties in Zone X_SHADED and Zone UNKNOWN have also experienced significant claims and water depths.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
33 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Knox County, Kentucky has recorded 89 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 53 flash floods and 36 river or area floods. The county has received 39 federal disaster declarations, 11 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, 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, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 27, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 3, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 6, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 2.50M |
| Flash Flood | May 5, 2020 | 0.20K |
| Flood | Feb 5, 2020 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flood — May 6, 2022
A warm front was in place across the state during the morning hours on May 6th, setting the stage for increased moisture and warm air into the region. By the afternoon, a nearby low pressure system began to occlude, furthering the lift and instability across the state. Showers and thunderstorms developed across much of the region throughout the day, becoming strong to severe by mid-day. Floodin...
Flood — Feb 4, 2022
Periods of mostly light to moderate rain spread across eastern Kentucky on February 2nd and February 3rd, as waves of low pressure rode along a slow-moving arctic cold front settling in from the northwest. The strongest and last wave of low pressure lifted across the Appalachians late February 3rd and into February 4th bringing with it a final round of rain, changing over to a wintry mix and ev...
Flood — Feb 3, 2022
Periods of mostly light to moderate rain spread across eastern Kentucky on February 2nd and February 3rd, as waves of low pressure rode along a slow-moving arctic cold front settling in from the northwest. The strongest and last wave of low pressure lifted across the Appalachians late February 3rd and into February 4th bringing with it a final round of rain, changing over to a wintry mix and ev...
Flash Flood — Feb 28, 2021
Several rounds of heavy rain moved across eastern Kentucky from late Friday, February 26th through early Monday, March 1st. The combination of all the heavy rainfall led to significant flooding across a good portion of central and east Kentucky. For some areas, this was the most significant flooding in the last 50 to 60 years, or more. FEMA estimates that this event cost $350-400 million doll...
Flood — Feb 27, 2021
Several rounds of heavy rain moved across eastern Kentucky from late Friday, February 26th through early Monday, March 1st. The combination of all the heavy rainfall led to significant flooding across a good portion of central and east Kentucky. For some areas, this was the most significant flooding in the last 50 to 60 years, or more. FEMA estimates that this event cost $350-400 million doll...
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 Knox 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 Knox 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.