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Providence-Main-Street-Park-kyPhoto: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Providence · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Providence than in 84% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Providence gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #116 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (49%), then earthquakes (24%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1994.

River and rain flooding 49%Earthquakes 24%Ice storms 9%

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

more than 84%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#116 of 142 in Kentucky
Hazard risk
C−#116 of 142
in Kentucky · higher than 84% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
49% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 1994 · $613
Disasters paid out here
8
of 19 declared for Webster County
By hazard

What Providence 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

49%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

24%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts

Ice storms

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Winter storms top 3% Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Providence’s grade

River and rain flooding is 49% of the building damage FEMA expects in Providence, and Providence’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 9%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Providence sits
Providence
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #116 of 142 in Kentucky; higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Providence’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding49%Earthquakes24%Ice storms9%Everything else18%

The typical Kentucky town has higher expected damage than 52% of U.S. towns; within the state, Providence has more expected damage per building than 82% of Kentucky towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Providence: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Providence’s 2,892 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Providence flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1994

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Providence, from FEMA’s records: 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1994: 1 claim1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims1994
19942026
1
paid claims since 1994
$613
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$613
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Webster County.
Disasters

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Providence

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

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides12 households applied for aid$56K aid approved$132K to the City of Providence for repairs
  2. 2016Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$19K to the City of Providence for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Winter Storm and Flooding$359K to the City of Providence for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Wind Storm Associated with Tropical Depression Ike$17K to the City of Providence for repairs
  5. 2004Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow$5K to the City of Providence for repairs
  6. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides17 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$19K to the City of Providence for repairs
Show all 8
  1. 2003Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  2. 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$1.5M to the City of Providence for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ProvidenceWebster County only

Webster County has had 19 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 Providence after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Providence archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Providence 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 ↗
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 ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
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 ↗
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 Providence

Is Providence at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Providence has higher expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #116 of 142 in Kentucky. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (49%) and earthquakes (24%). 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 Providence flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Providence since 1994, $613 in all, or 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Providence 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 Webster County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Providence?

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

By FEMA money that reached Providence, Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding (2002): $1.5M to the City of Providence for repairs.

Is Providence at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (49%), and Providence’s rate for it is higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Providence.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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