Enter any address in Leslie County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding events have been the most frequent type of flooding in Leslie County over the last 30 years, with 35 recorded instances. General flooding events have also occurred, resulting in two fatalities.
Recent significant flooding events include those in February and March 2021, which brought heavy rainfall and caused widespread flooding described as the most significant in some areas in 50 to 60 years. Another notable event occurred on May 24, 2020, when thunderstorms caused heavy rainfall along the Hal Rogers Parkway and Highway 80 corridor, leading to washed-out roadways and stranded motorists in Leslie County.
Homeowners in Zone A, which has seen the highest number of National Flood Insurance Program claims and significant water depths, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone X also have a history of claims, with Zone X claims showing higher average payouts despite recorded zero water depth.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
27 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Leslie County, Kentucky has recorded 66 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 35 flash floods and 31 river or area floods. The county has received 39 federal disaster declarations, 12 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, 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, 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 | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Feb 27, 2021 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2020 | 40.00K |
| Flood | Feb 11, 2020 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 225.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 15.00K (2 deaths) |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2019 | 70.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2019 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 0.00K |
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...
Flash Flood — May 24, 2020
Scattered thunderstorms developed very late this afternoon and early evening as a hot and humid airmass remained in place across eastern Kentucky. The hardest hit area by heavy rainfall was along the Hal Rogers Parkway and Highway 80 corridor, stretching from Leslie County to Floyd County.||A portion of Leslie County saw chunks of a roadway washed away, while parts of Perry and Floyd Counties h...
Flood — Feb 11, 2020
Beginning Monday, February 10, light rain moved back into eastern Kentucky. This caused additional issues, while another round on Wednesday, February 12 into Thursday, February 13 brought continued river flooding along points on the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers. Gusty winds up to 40 to 45 mph resulted in an isolated downed tree in the Blackey community of Letcher County due to the saturated n...
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 Leslie 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 Leslie 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.