Enter any address in Lincoln County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from scattered showers and thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Lincoln County. Recent events include heavy rainfall in late July 2022 and widespread flooding in September 2020 following a cold front that brought over 4 inches of rain to surrounding areas, causing roadway closures and flooded structures.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that while Zone A properties have experienced the most claims, properties in Zone X_Unshaded have seen significantly higher average payouts, suggesting substantial damage despite fewer claims. Homeowners in areas identified as Zone A, Zone X_Unshaded, and those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
14 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lincoln County, Kentucky has recorded 33 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 29 flash floods and 4 river or area floods. The county has received 28 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1970–2026)
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, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 13, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 30, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 300.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2018 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 1, 2016 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 28, 2022
During the mid-to-late afternoon hours on July 27th, scattered showers and thunderstorms developed immediately ahead of a quasi-stationary surface frontal boundary located near the Ohio River. Across central Kentucky, temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s and dewpoints in the mid 70s provided copious amounts of instability, with convection having mixed-layer CAPE in excess of 3000 J/kg to...
Flash Flood — Feb 28, 2021
A stalled frontal boundary brought waves of heavy rainfall to central Kentucky from February 26 through February 28. This caused record rainfall, isolated severe winds, and even a tornado. As a result, Bowling Green set a February daily rainfall record with 5.11 on the 28th. The severe winds brought down some trees and a power pole, but the most property damage came from a brief EF1 tornado.
Flash Flood — Sep 13, 2020
On September 13th, a large cold front covering the eastern United Stated slide southeast through the Lower Ohio Valley. This caused widespread rainfall. Areas in Casey County received over 4 inches of rainfall, causing many parts of Liberty and surrounding areas to flood. Several roadways were closed, and multiple structures were flooded.
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...
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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.