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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Kennedy · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Kennedy

Kennedy isn’t graded for hazard risk: Kennedy has 436 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 23 declared for Lamar County
By hazard

What Kennedy faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

70%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Earthquakes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Strong wind Hail Ice storms Lightning top 2% Wildfire Cold waves Landslides top 4% Winter storms Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts lightning at 12% of Kennedy’s expected losses. Lightning does little damage to buildings (0.3%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Kennedy flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kennedy. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Kennedy isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lamar County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
6storm safe rooms built
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kennedy

Disasters that paid out in Kennedy itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Kennedy), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2005Hurricane Katrina4 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$4K to the Town of Kennedy for repairs
  2. 2004Hurricane Ivan5 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
  3. 2001Severe Storms and Tornadoes$710K to the Town of Kennedy for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in KennedyLamar County only

Lamar County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

Old photos of Kennedy after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Kennedy archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Kennedy faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Kennedy

Is Kennedy in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Lamar County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Kennedy?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kennedy’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Kennedy?

By FEMA money that reached Kennedy, Severe Storms and Tornadoes (2001): $710K to the Town of Kennedy for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kennedy.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kennedy’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.