Enter any address in Mercer County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Mercer County. Between 2000 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 17 flash flood events and 10 flood events. For example, heavy rainfall caused flash flooding across central Kentucky on July 1, 2021, and widespread rainfall led to flooding on December 16, 2019.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties designated as Zone A have experienced the most claims, with 88 claims averaging $28,096 and an average water depth of 5.5 feet. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN also had a significant number of claims, with 25 claims averaging $12,385 and an average water depth of 5.7 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone UNKNOWN, as well as those in Zone X_Unshaded with an average water depth of 3.8 feet, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Mercer County, Kentucky has recorded 27 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 17 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 25 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2026)
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 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, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 12, 2011 |
| 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 | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 16, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 10, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2015 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 24, 2014 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 4, 2025
On the night of April 2nd, 2025, a cold front approached the lower Ohio Valley. Along and ahead of the cold front, numerous supercells developed over southern Illinois and western Kentucky. These storms tracked eastward and occasionally grew upscale into a QLCS with bowing segments. Storms lasted all night and into the morning hours, as the cold front began to stall over the lower Ohio Valley. ...
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 — 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...
Flood — Dec 16, 2019
December 16, 2019, a flood watch was in place for areas of central Kentucky as widespread rainfall was expected to continue across the region. The rain was the result of a moist airmass, with precipitable water values of 1 to 1.25 inches, overrunning a slow moving front that stretched from the Red River Valley to the mid Atlantic. During the afternoon and evening, a surge in low level moisture ...
Flash Flood — May 31, 2018
With a moisture rich and highly unstable environment, an impulse from Missouri |formed a line of severe weather that pushed from west to east across southern |Indiana and central Kentucky. This line dropped heavy rainfall which caused flooding |issues and severe winds that caused damage to property.
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 Mercer 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 Mercer 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.