16 flood insurance claims·$328,061 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Union County, Kentucky. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
River overflow and long-duration high water dominate the flood risk in Union County, Kentucky, accounting for the vast majority of historical flood events over the last 30 years compared to flash floods.
Prolonged river flooding is demonstrated by events such as February 2025, when multiple rounds of heavy rainfall caused significant water level rises along the Ohio and Green rivers, and March 2025, which saw continued flooding along the Green, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers following mid-February rains.
Properties situated near rivers and those located within Special Flood Hazard Areas should pay the most attention to this risk. FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records show that properties in Zone A have experienced 12 claims with an average payout of $39,932 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X have recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $22,117 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, demonstrating that flood risk extends beyond high-risk zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2011, with 6 claims and $200,899 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
48 NOAA storm reports from Union County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Kentucky flood stories →
28 federal disaster declarations since 1996, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | May 16, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides | Apr 2, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Mar 3, 2023 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
130 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 112 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 12, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 10, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 30, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jul 19, 2025. As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset. CAPE rose to 2000-3000J/kg but shear remained limited in Western Kentucky. Extremely high moisture content with precipitable water values of 2.2in resulted in torrential rainfall rate potentia…
Flood · Feb 12, 2025. Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall over the Green, Tennessee, and Ohio Valleys from January 31st through February 15th resulted in rising water levels on the Ohio and Green Rivers. The Green River took the brunt of the impact with major flooding from the Island area through Calhoun to near Jewel City. Numerous structures sustained flood damage in Rumsey and lower Calhoun. The Green River at Calhoun crested at 32.4…
Flood · Feb 10, 2025. Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall over the Green, Tennessee, and Ohio Valleys from January 31st through February 15th resulted in rising water levels on the Ohio and Green Rivers. The Green River took the brunt of the impact with major flooding from the Island area through Calhoun to near Jewel City. Numerous structures sustained flood damage in Rumsey and lower Calhoun. The Green River at Calhoun crested at 32.4…
Flood · Mar 1, 2025. A prolonged flooding event on the Green, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers, that began in the middle of February, continued into the first week of March. The Green River continued to see the worst flooding with moderate flooding continuing near Calhoun. Minor flooding mainly of bottomland continued at Paradise, Shawneetown, Olmsted, Cairo, and Hickman. Heavy rainfall in the middle of February was the cause of rising ri…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Union County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.