Cold Wave Risk in Kentucky

All Kentucky counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score

Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 120 of 120 Kentucky counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Fayette County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 96.9, with $16M in expected annual cold wave losses.

5 Kentucky counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $169M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.

County Rankings — Cold Wave

#CountyCold Wave ScoreRatingAnn. Freq.Ann. Loss
1 Fayette County
96.9
High 1.32 / yr $16M
2 Knox County
96.2
High 0.79 / yr $8M
3 Jefferson County
94.8
High 1.26 / yr $10M
4 Boone County
91.5
High 1.79 / yr $12M
5 Wayne County
90.9
High 0.68 / yr $5M
6 Laurel County
88.8
Medium 0.79 / yr $5M
7 Pulaski County
88.7
Medium 0.68 / yr $5M
8 Kenton County
86.4
Medium 1.79 / yr $7M
9 Logan County
85.8
Medium 0.84 / yr $5M
10 McCracken County
85.7
Medium 0.95 / yr $5M
11 Madison County
83.7
Medium 1.05 / yr $5M
12 Bullitt County
80.0
Medium 1.16 / yr $6M
13 Warren County
79.0
Medium 0.89 / yr $4M
14 Hardin County
78.8
Medium 1.11 / yr $3M
15 Calloway County
78.8
Medium 0.89 / yr $3M
16 Graves County
76.9
Medium 0.89 / yr $2M
17 Whitley County
74.7
Medium 0.74 / yr $2M
18 Bell County
73.2
Medium 0.79 / yr $2M
19 Barren County
72.6
Medium 0.84 / yr $2M
20 Campbell County
71.2
Medium 1.79 / yr $3M
21 Clay County
69.5
Medium 0.84 / yr $1M
22 Daviess County
68.3
Medium 1.05 / yr $2M
23 McCreary County
67.0
Medium 0.68 / yr $1M
24 Russell County
65.6
Medium 0.79 / yr $1M
25 Harlan County
65.4
Low 0.95 / yr $1M
26 Christian County
64.9
Low 0.79 / yr $2M
27 Adair County
64.8
Low 0.84 / yr $1M
28 Marshall County
63.5
Low 0.89 / yr $2M
29 Nelson County
63.1
Low 1.11 / yr $2M
30 Muhlenberg County
60.8
Low 0.84 / yr $1M
31 Casey County
59.8
Low 0.89 / yr $948K
32 Shelby County
59.4
Low 1.32 / yr $1M
33 Lincoln County
58.0
Low 0.95 / yr $1M
34 Taylor County
56.3
Low 0.95 / yr $1M
35 Rockcastle County
54.8
Low 0.89 / yr $755K
36 Oldham County
54.2
Low 1.37 / yr $2M
37 Scott County
53.3
Low 1.32 / yr $1M
38 Perry County
52.8
Low 0.89 / yr $884K
39 Jessamine County
52.4
Low 1.16 / yr $1M
40 Letcher County
52.1
Low 0.95 / yr $676K
41 Franklin County
51.7
Low 1.32 / yr $1M
42 Allen County
51.6
Low 0.84 / yr $832K
43 Clinton County
51.6
Low 0.79 / yr $688K
44 Monroe County
51.3
Low 0.79 / yr $643K
45 Meade County
50.3
Low 1.21 / yr $968K
46 Hopkins County
50.1
Low 0.89 / yr $778K
47 Ohio County
50.1
Low 1.00 / yr $739K
48 Boyle County
49.8
Low 1.00 / yr $925K
49 Grayson County
49.3
Low 0.95 / yr $736K
50 Hart County
49.2
Low 0.89 / yr $693K
51 Garrard County
48.2
Low 1.00 / yr $611K
52 Pike County
47.5
Low 0.89 / yr $604K
53 Todd County
46.9
Low 0.79 / yr $881K
54 Metcalfe County
46.8
Low 0.84 / yr $501K
55 Marion County
46.7
Low 1.05 / yr $761K
56 Trigg County
46.2
Low 0.84 / yr $555K
57 Woodford County
45.5
Low 1.26 / yr $833K
58 Floyd County
44.8
Low 0.89 / yr $545K
59 Simpson County
44.7
Low 0.84 / yr $705K
60 Clark County
44.2
Low 1.26 / yr $878K
61 Henderson County
43.8
Low 1.05 / yr $685K
62 Cumberland County
43.5
Low 0.79 / yr $445K
63 Jackson County
42.2
Low 0.89 / yr $545K
64 Mercer County
41.6
Low 1.05 / yr $653K
65 Ballard County
41.1
Low 0.95 / yr $610K
66 Bourbon County
41.0
Low 1.32 / yr $601K
67 Estill County
40.7
Low 0.95 / yr $461K
68 Breathitt County
40.2
Low 0.89 / yr $403K
69 Leslie County
39.2
Low 0.89 / yr $454K
70 Breckinridge County
38.0
Low 1.21 / yr $583K
71 Grant County
37.7
Low 1.68 / yr $653K
72 Fulton County
37.2
Low 0.89 / yr $381K
73 Knott County
36.8
Low 0.89 / yr $391K
74 Montgomery County
36.7
Low 1.11 / yr $537K
75 Caldwell County
36.6
Low 0.95 / yr $442K
76 Johnson County
36.5
Low 1.00 / yr $394K
77 Crittenden County
35.9
Low 1.00 / yr $407K
78 Green County
34.7
Low 0.89 / yr $387K
79 Lyon County
34.5
Low 0.89 / yr $382K
80 Carlisle County
34.5
Low 0.89 / yr $452K
81 Hickman County
34.2
Low 0.89 / yr $368K
82 Powell County
33.7
Low 1.00 / yr $332K
83 Anderson County
33.6
Low 1.16 / yr $606K
84 Martin County
33.1
Low 1.00 / yr $266K
85 Livingston County
32.7
Low 0.95 / yr $396K
86 Webster County
31.6
Low 0.95 / yr $437K
87 Union County
30.6
Low 1.11 / yr $343K
88 Larue County
30.3
Low 1.11 / yr $513K
89 Pendleton County
29.0
Low 1.68 / yr $370K
90 Lee County
28.1
Low 1.00 / yr $292K
91 Washington County
27.8
Low 1.05 / yr $389K
92 Henry County
27.4
Low 1.37 / yr $369K
93 Spencer County
27.1
Low 1.16 / yr $604K
94 Harrison County
26.4
Low 1.32 / yr $309K
95 Wolfe County
26.2
Low 1.05 / yr $193K
96 Gallatin County
24.7
Low 1.68 / yr $276K
97 McLean County
23.6
Very Low 0.95 / yr $216K
98 Carroll County
23.5
Very Low 1.68 / yr $236K
99 Rowan County
23.3
Very Low 1.11 / yr $241K
100 Boyd County
21.9
Very Low 0.89 / yr $225K
101 Butler County
21.6
Very Low 0.89 / yr $228K
102 Edmonson County
21.3
Very Low 0.89 / yr $270K
103 Fleming County
21.2
Very Low 1.11 / yr $164K
104 Owen County
21.1
Very Low 1.68 / yr $252K
105 Mason County
20.5
Very Low 1.37 / yr $188K
106 Owsley County
20.0
Very Low 0.84 / yr $151K
107 Carter County
19.7
Very Low 0.89 / yr $179K
108 Morgan County
19.7
Very Low 1.16 / yr $192K
109 Hancock County
19.4
Very Low 1.26 / yr $176K
110 Nicholas County
19.2
Very Low 1.26 / yr $134K
111 Bath County
19.1
Very Low 1.11 / yr $179K
112 Magoffin County
18.6
Very Low 0.89 / yr $139K
113 Greenup County
18.4
Very Low 0.89 / yr $180K
114 Trimble County
18.3
Very Low 1.37 / yr $149K
115 Bracken County
15.8
Very Low 1.63 / yr $168K
116 Lewis County
15.2
Very Low 1.37 / yr $114K
117 Elliott County
14.7
Very Low 1.16 / yr $91K
118 Lawrence County
13.4
Very Low 0.79 / yr $98K
119 Menifee County
12.6
Very Low 1.11 / yr $115K
120 Robertson County
11.4
Very Low 1.42 / yr $66K

120 Kentucky counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Kentucky counties by overall risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kentucky county has the highest cold wave risk?

Fayette County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Kentucky at 96.9 (High), with $16M in expected annual losses and about 1.32 events per year.

How many Kentucky counties face significant cold wave risk?

120 Kentucky counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 5 of them are rated High or Very High.

Other Hazards in Kentucky

Avalanche Drought Earthquake Hail Heat Wave Hurricane Ice Storm Riverine Flood Landslide Lightning Strong Wind Tornado Wildfire Winter Weather