Lexington House · Photo: RobertDrake2015 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Lexington
Lexington isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lexington has 763 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 46 claims here since 1980.
What Lexington 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
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.
Does Lexington flood? Sometimes: 46 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lexington, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irene16 claims · $753K
- Hurricane Floyd5 claims · $86K
- The Torrential rain4 claims · $32K
Lexington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Greene County.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lexington
Disasters that paid out in Lexington itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Lexington), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$20K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Sandy$8K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
- 2011Hurricane Irene52 households applied for aid$212K aid approved$766K to the Town of Lexington for repairs16 flood claims paid for it, $753K
- 2008Severe Winter Storm$48K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$386K to the Town of Lexington for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
- 2003Snow$5K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
Show all 9
- 2002Snowstorms$13K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$37K to the Town of Lexington for repairs
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations$31K to the Town of Lexington for repairs5 flood claims paid for it, $86K
Greene County has had 20 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; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Lexington after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lexington archive →Lexington and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
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 Lexington 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.
- 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 Lexington
Does Lexington flood?
Flood insurance has paid 46 claims in Lexington since 1980, $1.2M in all. 8 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irene (16).
Is Lexington 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 Greene County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lexington?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lexington’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 Lexington?
By FEMA money that reached Lexington, Hurricane Irene (2011): 52 households applied for aid, $212K approved, and $766K to the Town of Lexington for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irene: 16 paid, $753K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lexington.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lexington’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.