Enter any address in Pulaski County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Pulaski County. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 57 flash flood events and 37 flood events. Recent examples include flooding on June 11, 2023, associated with a warm front and an approaching cold front, and flooding on January 1, 2022, caused by a stalled warm front and near-record atmospheric moisture.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that while Zone X areas have seen the most claims (15), Zone X_UNSHADED areas have experienced significantly higher average payouts ($39,885) compared to Zone A ($5,296). Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A or Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those in any flood-prone areas 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.
37 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pulaski County, Kentucky has recorded 94 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 57 flash floods and 37 river or area floods. The county has received 24 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 (1971–2026)
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, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2023 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 11, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2022 | 8.00K |
| Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 4.00K |
| Flood | Feb 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 1, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2020 | 0.20K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2020 | 0.30K |
| Flash Flood | May 18, 2020 | 0.10K |
Flood — Jun 11, 2023
A warm front was parked across western Kentucky during the early morning hours on Sunday June 11th. This slowly transitioned eastward through the first part of the day as an area of low pressure tracked along the Ohio River. By late afternoon and evening, the warm front was through eastern Kentucky, putting us in a more unstable pattern, especially with a quickly approaching cold front and a lo...
Flash Flood — Aug 10, 2022
A stationary boundary lingered near the Ohio River through the day. The boundary provided a lifting mechanism for a moist and unstable air mass over eastern Kentucky. Torrential rainfall on top of already saturated soils caused streams to rapidly rise and flash flood at several locations.
Flash 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 — Jan 1, 2022
The second warmest December on record for Eastern Kentucky finished with a warm and moist air mass in place on New Year's Eve. A developing warm front slowly lifted northward out of the Tennessee Valley during the early morning hours on New Year's Day 2022 and stalled near the the Hal Rogers/Highway 80 corridor. The combination of strong lifting and near record atmospheric moisture levels for t...
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 Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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.