Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Ashland

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Downtown Ashland, KYPhoto: Corey Graese · CC BY-SA 4.0
BHazard risk
Natural hazards in Ashland · FEMA

FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Ashland as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashland gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns, #54 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 44 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 91%Tornadoes 3%Earthquakes 2%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 59%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#54 of 142 in Kentucky
Hazard risk
B#54 of 142
in Kentucky · lower than 59% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
91% of expected building damage
Flood claims
44
paid since 1978 · $511K
Flooded more than once
6
properties
Disasters paid out here
16
of 28 declared for Boyd County

What stands out about Ashland’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Moved out of harm’s way25 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 19786 flood claims were paid for 1978 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Ashland 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

91%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Ice storms Strong wind Hurricanes Cold waves top 3% Winter storms Lightning Wildfire Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 30% of Ashland’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Ashland’s grade

River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ashland, and Ashland’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Ashland sits
Ashland
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B #54 of 142 in Kentucky; lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Ashland’s residents live in 10 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding91%Tornadoes3%Everything else6%

The typical Kentucky town has higher expected damage than 52% of U.S. towns; within the state, Ashland has less expected damage per building than 62% of Kentucky towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $10.8M a year in losses across Ashland: $6.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 10 census tracts by where Ashland’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Ashland flood? Sometimes: 44 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ashland, from FEMA’s records: 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 6 claims1979: 5 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 1 claim1988: 0 claims1989: 2 claims1990: 2 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 1 claim1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 5 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 1 claim2001: 0 claims2002: 4 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 2 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 3 claims2010: 2 claims2011: 3 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 1 claim2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 1 claim2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims197819791997
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Mid-spring storms3 claims · $10K
  • The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $14K
44
paid claims since 1978
$511K
paid to owners
6
homes flooded more than once
$12K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Boyd County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

16 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ashland

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  2. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides107 households applied for aid$599K aid approved
  3. 2022Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides2 households applied for aid$500 aid approved
  4. 2021Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides19 households applied for aid$16K aid approved$62K to the City of Ashland for repairs
  5. 2021Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides$57K to the City of Ashland for repairs
  6. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$191K to the City of Ashland for repairs
Show all 16
  1. 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$54K to the City of Ashland for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2015Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$125K to the City of Ashland for repairs
  3. 2015Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$93K to the City of Ashland for repairs
  4. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding188 households applied for aid$271K aid approved$101K to the City of Ashland for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  5. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes35 households applied for aid$87K aid approved$34K to the City of Ashland for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  6. 2009Severe Winter Storm and Flooding$66K to the City of Ashland for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  7. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides5 households applied for aid$8K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
  8. 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes3 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
  9. 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes7 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
  10. 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$7K to the City of Ashland for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AshlandBoyd County only

Boyd County has had 28 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Ashland archive →
Next door

Ashland and its neighbors

Ashland has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Westwood: hazard risk CCatlettsburg: hazard risk DWestwoodCatlettsburgAshland
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
AshlandBless damage than 59%river and rain flooding44
WestwoodCmore damage than 72%river and rain flooding88
CatlettsburgDmore damage than 91%river and rain flooding17

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what Ashland 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 ↗
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 Ashland

Is Ashland at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashland has lower expected damage per building than 59% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #54 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Ashland flood?

Flood insurance has paid 44 claims in Ashland since 1978, $511K in all, or 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 6 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (3).

Is Ashland 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 Boyd County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ashland?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ashland’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 Ashland?

By FEMA money that reached Ashland, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides (2024): 107 households applied for aid, $599K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 3 paid, $10K.

Is Ashland at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Ashland’s rate for it is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ashland.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ashland’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.