Enter any address in Nicholas County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Nicholas County. In July 2023, heavy rainfall from thunderstorms resulted in over 5 inches of rain in some areas. In July 2021, scattered thunderstorms caused flash flooding, destroying buildings and vehicles, and leading to a fatality in Carlisle.
National Flood Insurance Program data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $68,108 and an average water depth of 5.9 feet. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED have also seen claims, averaging $17,035 with a water depth of 2.6 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk, should pay the most attention to flood potential.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
24 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Nicholas County, Kentucky has recorded 66 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 26 flash floods and 40 river or area floods. The county has received 32 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1989–2026)
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 |
| Remnants Of Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 27, 2023 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2021 | 1.00M (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | 1.00M |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 31, 2018 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 27, 2023
Northwest flow in the mid- and upper-levels of the atmosphere placed central Kentucky and southern Indiana on the edge of a ring of fire type pattern for several days at the end of July 2023. While most of the waves of convection remained to the north of the area thanks to building ridging aloft July 27th into the 28th, thunderstorms on July 27th clipped the Kentucky Bluegrass region. The prima...
Flash Flood — Jul 30, 2021
Scattered thunderstorms, ahead of a could front, drifted south through southern Indiana and the Bluegrass region of Kentucky in an unstable environment. Some of these storms became severe causing isolated tree damage and flash flooding in Kentucky counties. The most severe flooding was in Carlisle, Kentucky after heavy rainfall continued falling over the same area. Several buildings and vehicle...
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2021
Scattered thunderstorms, ahead of a could front, drifted south through southern Indiana and the Bluegrass region of Kentucky in an unstable environment. Some of these storms became severe causing isolated tree damage and flash flooding in Kentucky counties. The most severe flooding was in Carlisle, Kentucky after heavy rainfall continued falling over the same area. Several buildings and vehicle...
Flash Flood — Aug 16, 2021
On the 14th, a cold front worked its way south through central Kentucky to Tennessee, but by the 16th, the slow moving front was on its way back north as a warm front. Even though the threat of severe weather was low, the moist environment produced isolated flash flooding in two central Kentucky counties.
Flood — May 19, 2020
May 18, the Lower Ohio Valley was primed with a moist atmosphere that was in place from southerly surface flow from the Gulf of Mexico, and as a cold front moved through the region, severe thunderstorms caused tree damage and isolated flooding. On the 19th, the flooding became more widespread as heavy rain was produced from outflow boundaries remaining in the region from the previous day's storms.
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 Nicholas 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 Nicholas 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.