Enter any address in Simpson County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Simpson County, KY. Between 1993 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 52 flash flood events. For example, a flash flood occurred on June 27, 2025, during a typical hot and humid summer pattern with high atmospheric instability.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A experienced an average water depth of 4.1 feet and an average payout of $44,969. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED had the highest average payout at $68,820, with an average water depth of 2.3 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
28 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Simpson County, Kentucky has recorded 62 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 52 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 (1969–2026)
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, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Snowstorm | Feb 15, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2022 | 0.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Sep 3, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 27, 2025
A typical hot and humid summertime pattern was in place across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on June 26th and 27th, with temperatures warming into the upper 80s and low 90s both afternoons. This allowed for the development of at least 4000 J/kg SBCAPE across central Kentucky, setting up a strongly unstable environment. Overall, forcing was weak over this time period, with upper level ridging s...
Flood — Jun 27, 2025
A typical hot and humid summertime pattern was in place across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys on June 26th and 27th, with temperatures warming into the upper 80s and low 90s both afternoons. This allowed for the development of at least 4000 J/kg SBCAPE across central Kentucky, setting up a strongly unstable environment. Overall, forcing was weak over this time period, with upper level ridging s...
Flash Flood — Feb 15, 2025
A strong storm system moved across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on February 15th and 16th, 2025, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding, severe weather, and winter weather to central Kentucky. The large scale upper level pattern featured deep troughing ejecting across the central CONUS, with broad southwesterly flow occurring in the low and mid troposphere. Southerly flow helped to draw rich mo...
Flash Flood — Apr 3, 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 — May 9, 2024
On May 8th and 9th, 2024, a quasi-stationary frontal boundary was draped from west to east across the Ohio Valley. Storms from the previous evening across southern Indiana and north central Kentucky had helped to stabilized the environment in those locations, though areas in southern Kentucky still had a good amount of instability and shear to work with during the afternoon and evening hours on...
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 Simpson 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 Simpson 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.