Photo: STONE8HENGE · Public domainFEMA puts Hurstbourne’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 64% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hurstbourne gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns, #85 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%). Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979.
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
What Hurstbourne 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
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Hurstbourne’s grade
River and rain flooding is 86% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hurstbourne, and Hurstbourne’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 8% (higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts).
C+ #85 of 142 in Kentucky; higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Hurstbourne’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Kentucky town has higher expected damage than 52% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hurstbourne has more expected damage per building than 60% of Kentucky towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Hurstbourne: $2.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hurstbourne flood? Sometimes: 12 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hurstbourne, from FEMA’s records: 6.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Hurstbourne isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.The storms Hurstbourne remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for Jefferson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hurstbourne itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19792 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20062 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20182 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared for Jefferson County
Jefferson County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Hurstbourne after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hurstbourne archive →Hurstbourne and its neighbors
Hurstbourne is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffersontown | Bless damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Hurstbourne | C+more damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
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.
Get ready for what Hurstbourne faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Hurstbourne
Is Hurstbourne at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hurstbourne has higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #85 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (86%) and tornadoes (8%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Hurstbourne flood?
Flood insurance has paid 12 claims in Hurstbourne since 1979, $205K in all, or 6.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 65% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Hurstbourne 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 Jefferson County, 53% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hurstbourne?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hurstbourne’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Hurstbourne at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (86%), and Hurstbourne’s rate for it is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hurstbourne.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hurstbourne’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.