Enter any address in Spencer County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Spencer County. Recent examples include flash flooding on February 16, 2025, associated with a strong storm system that brought heavy rainfall across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and ponding water on roadways following rainfall on October 7, 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $18,197 and an average water depth of 15.3 feet. Properties in Zone X_Unshaded have also seen claims, averaging $8,399 with 1.0 foot of water. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in areas with unknown flood risk, should pay particular attention to flood preparedness.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
23 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Spencer County, Kentucky has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 19 flash floods and 20 river or area floods. The county has received 29 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 (1974–2026)
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, 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, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Tornado | Dec 10, 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 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 7, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 3, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2019 | 100.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flood | Feb 25, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 6, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 14, 2015 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jul 18, 2025
On July 17th, a west to east oriented cold front dropped southeast from the Midwest and stalled along the Ohio River. Multiple waves of convection along the front continued moving west to east across central Kentucky before the front lifted back north on July 20th. Some isolated flooding issues and downed trees were observed in multiple counties.
Flash Flood — Feb 16, 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 — Oct 7, 2025
As a couple of cold fronts moved through the Lower Ohio Valley, widespread rainfall fell across north central Kentucky. This resulted in ponding water on city streets in Louisville and Lexington. Several people stalled vehicles as they drove into the water, and some streets were closed due to the high water. One place in Spencer County had water over a roadway.
Flash Flood — Jan 3, 2023
During the overnight hours and into the morning on January 3rd, a strong system moved across central Kentucky, bringing isolated damaging wind gusts and widespread heavy rainfall. The system was associated with a negatively-tilted upper-level trough which moved from the Four Corners region on January 2nd to the upper Midwest by January 4th. A surface cyclone transited in a similar fashion to th...
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.
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 Spencer 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 Spencer 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.