Lightning Risk in Kentucky
All Kentucky counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 120 of 120 Kentucky counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Fayette County carries the state's highest lightning score at 95.9, with $2M in expected annual lightning losses.
7 Kentucky counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $34M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayette County | High | 51.71 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Madison County | High | 51.78 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Jefferson County | High | 52.19 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Shelby County | High | 51.09 / yr | $991K | |
| 5 | Hardin County | High | 53.13 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Nelson County | High | 52.38 / yr | $1M | |
| 7 | Kenton County | High | 51.15 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Christian County | Medium | 55.36 / yr | $742K | |
| 9 | Barren County | Medium | 54.86 / yr | $514K | |
| 10 | Jessamine County | Medium | 52.34 / yr | $994K | |
| 11 | McCracken County | Medium | 56.46 / yr | $649K | |
| 12 | Hopkins County | Medium | 53.54 / yr | $550K | |
| 13 | Pulaski County | Medium | 54.50 / yr | $528K | |
| 14 | Campbell County | Medium | 51.05 / yr | $854K | |
| 15 | Rowan County | Medium | 49.94 / yr | $545K | |
| 16 | Boone County | Medium | 50.99 / yr | $940K | |
| 17 | Warren County | Medium | 55.11 / yr | $658K | |
| 18 | Calloway County | Medium | 55.89 / yr | $501K | |
| 19 | Graves County | Medium | 56.64 / yr | $436K | |
| 20 | Logan County | Medium | 55.17 / yr | $547K | |
| 21 | Bath County | Medium | 50.52 / yr | $491K | |
| 22 | Laurel County | Medium | 53.42 / yr | $446K | |
| 23 | Scott County | Medium | 51.14 / yr | $581K | |
| 24 | Pendleton County | Medium | 50.78 / yr | $491K | |
| 25 | Bullitt County | Medium | 53.06 / yr | $751K | |
| 26 | Daviess County | Medium | 53.01 / yr | $470K | |
| 27 | Franklin County | Medium | 50.83 / yr | $437K | |
| 28 | Oldham County | Medium | 51.47 / yr | $627K | |
| 29 | Trigg County | Medium | 55.65 / yr | $256K | |
| 30 | Knox County | Medium | 54.38 / yr | $201K | |
| 31 | Montgomery County | Medium | 50.76 / yr | $318K | |
| 32 | Grant County | Medium | 50.93 / yr | $372K | |
| 33 | Wayne County | Medium | 55.34 / yr | $218K | |
| 34 | Whitley County | Medium | 54.17 / yr | $249K | |
| 35 | Boyd County | Medium | 49.12 / yr | $264K | |
| 36 | Floyd County | Medium | 50.68 / yr | $209K | |
| 37 | Marshall County | Low | 55.51 / yr | $287K | |
| 38 | McCreary County | Low | 54.71 / yr | $164K | |
| 39 | Clark County | Low | 51.28 / yr | $324K | |
| 40 | Simpson County | Low | 56.48 / yr | $254K | |
| 41 | Woodford County | Low | 51.92 / yr | $283K | |
| 42 | Harrison County | Low | 50.73 / yr | $235K | |
| 43 | Fleming County | Low | 50.61 / yr | $172K | |
| 44 | Muhlenberg County | Low | 53.49 / yr | $203K | |
| 45 | Boyle County | Low | 52.94 / yr | $239K | |
| 46 | Russell County | Low | 55.00 / yr | $167K | |
| 47 | Garrard County | Low | 52.28 / yr | $165K | |
| 48 | Taylor County | Low | 53.83 / yr | $197K | |
| 49 | Mercer County | Low | 52.15 / yr | $214K | |
| 50 | Greenup County | Low | 48.65 / yr | $210K | |
| 51 | Lincoln County | Low | 52.71 / yr | $181K | |
| 52 | Henderson County | Low | 52.76 / yr | $205K | |
| 53 | Bourbon County | Low | 50.32 / yr | $194K | |
| 54 | Perry County | Low | 51.43 / yr | $183K | |
| 55 | Adair County | Low | 54.73 / yr | $154K | |
| 56 | Mason County | Low | 50.66 / yr | $166K | |
| 57 | Grayson County | Low | 53.85 / yr | $165K | |
| 58 | Rockcastle County | Low | 52.81 / yr | $132K | |
| 59 | Casey County | Low | 54.27 / yr | $132K | |
| 60 | Meade County | Low | 53.37 / yr | $195K | |
| 61 | Johnson County | Low | 49.88 / yr | $134K | |
| 62 | Powell County | Low | 51.08 / yr | $121K | |
| 63 | Anderson County | Low | 51.56 / yr | $219K | |
| 64 | Estill County | Low | 51.60 / yr | $123K | |
| 65 | Marion County | Low | 53.14 / yr | $163K | |
| 66 | Carter County | Low | 49.48 / yr | $139K | |
| 67 | Ohio County | Low | 52.89 / yr | $131K | |
| 68 | Hart County | Low | 54.07 / yr | $124K | |
| 69 | Monroe County | Low | 55.86 / yr | $103K | |
| 70 | Clinton County | Low | 55.38 / yr | $108K | |
| 71 | Pike County | Low | 49.62 / yr | $110K | |
| 72 | Lewis County | Low | 49.77 / yr | $113K | |
| 73 | Henry County | Low | 51.14 / yr | $154K | |
| 74 | Metcalfe County | Low | 55.06 / yr | $86K | |
| 75 | Clay County | Low | 52.52 / yr | $86K | |
| 76 | Allen County | Low | 55.70 / yr | $114K | |
| 77 | Spencer County | Low | 52.19 / yr | $226K | |
| 78 | Jackson County | Low | 52.19 / yr | $103K | |
| 79 | Breathitt County | Low | 50.95 / yr | $82K | |
| 80 | Bracken County | Low | 50.53 / yr | $137K | |
| 81 | Nicholas County | Low | 50.32 / yr | $81K | |
| 82 | Larue County | Low | 52.61 / yr | $152K | |
| 83 | Morgan County | Low | 50.48 / yr | $111K | |
| 84 | Caldwell County | Low | 54.81 / yr | $92K | |
| 85 | Fulton County | Low | 56.60 / yr | $77K | |
| 86 | Green County | Low | 53.67 / yr | $84K | |
| 87 | Lawrence County | Low | 49.96 / yr | $81K | |
| 88 | Gallatin County | Low | 51.53 / yr | $90K | |
| 89 | Magoffin County | Low | 50.58 / yr | $73K | |
| 90 | Breckinridge County | Low | 52.87 / yr | $96K | |
| 91 | Washington County | Low | 52.62 / yr | $106K | |
| 92 | Cumberland County | Low | 55.41 / yr | $59K | |
| 93 | Todd County | Low | 55.38 / yr | $104K | |
| 94 | Knott County | Low | 51.34 / yr | $66K | |
| 95 | Elliott County | Low | 49.76 / yr | $60K | |
| 96 | Lyon County | Low | 55.27 / yr | $71K | |
| 97 | Carroll County | Low | 51.39 / yr | $78K | |
| 98 | Martin County | Low | 48.84 / yr | $52K | |
| 99 | Owen County | Low | 51.35 / yr | $97K | |
| 100 | Wolfe County | Low | 50.89 / yr | $52K | |
| 101 | Union County | Low | 52.37 / yr | $74K | |
| 102 | Livingston County | Low | 54.57 / yr | $75K | |
| 103 | Webster County | Low | 53.41 / yr | $85K | |
| 104 | Crittenden County | Low | 54.06 / yr | $63K | |
| 105 | Butler County | Very Low | 54.31 / yr | $70K | |
| 106 | Lee County | Very Low | 51.82 / yr | $60K | |
| 107 | Trimble County | Very Low | 49.93 / yr | $56K | |
| 108 | Ballard County | Very Low | 55.87 / yr | $65K | |
| 109 | Bell County | Very Low | 54.05 / yr | $49K | |
| 110 | Hickman County | Very Low | 56.53 / yr | $50K | |
| 111 | Edmonson County | Very Low | 54.55 / yr | $75K | |
| 112 | McLean County | Very Low | 53.36 / yr | $47K | |
| 113 | Harlan County | Very Low | 52.34 / yr | $40K | |
| 114 | Leslie County | Very Low | 52.02 / yr | $39K | |
| 115 | Carlisle County | Very Low | 56.33 / yr | $45K | |
| 116 | Menifee County | Very Low | 50.96 / yr | $49K | |
| 117 | Hancock County | Very Low | 52.59 / yr | $39K | |
| 118 | Owsley County | Very Low | 51.86 / yr | $29K | |
| 119 | Letcher County | Very Low | 51.50 / yr | $28K | |
| 120 | Robertson County | Very Low | 50.59 / yr | $24K |
120 Kentucky counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Kentucky counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Kentucky county has the highest lightning risk?
Fayette County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Kentucky at 95.9 (High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 51.71 events per year.
How many Kentucky counties face significant lightning risk?
120 Kentucky counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 7 of them are rated High or Very High.