Disaster Data / States / Kentucky
Kentucky: Federal Disaster Declarations
Kentucky has recorded 50 major disaster declarations since FY2000 (through FY2026), the federal government's fullest response to an event. Alongside those sit 7 emergency declarations and 8 fire management declarations, 65 in all. Its most common hazard is severe storm. It ranks #4 nationally by major disasters.
Totals: FY2000 to FY2026 · Page last rebuilt Oct 25, 2026 · the current in-progress fiscal year is not included in totals
Past 12 months
Recent declarations and aid so far
Kentucky has had 3 federal declarations in the past 12 months. The figures are what FEMA has reported to date and grow as recovery continues. All of them fall in complete fiscal years and are counted in the totals above.
| Declaration | Declared | Households approved | Individual Assistance | Public Assistance obligated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4937-KYMajor disaster · Severe Storm | Sep 1, 2026Incident period Jun 26 to 30, 2026 | None reported | None reported | $734K |
| DR-4913-KYMajor disaster · Winter Storm | May 29, 2026Incident period Jan 23 to 27, 2026 | None reported | None reported | $9.4M |
| EM-3633-KYEmergency · Winter Storm | Jan 24, 2026Incident period Jan 23 to 27, 2026 | None reported | None reported | None reported yet |
Individual Assistance is FEMA's Individuals and Households Program, from OpenFEMA's Housing Assistance data for owners and renters. Public Assistance is the obligated federal share from OpenFEMA's grant award activity, which usually starts posting weeks to months after a declaration. Select a declaration number to open its full event profile.
Federal Public Assistance obligated
$2.3B has been obligated to Kentucky in Public Assistance since FY2000.
$2B followed major disasters other than COVID-19. $2M followed emergency declarations, which cover debris removal and emergency protective work only. $294M, or 13% of the total, was COVID-19, which every state and county in the country received.
Obligated is the committed share, not necessarily spent, and can be revised as projects close out. Totals are summed from funded localities, so a declaration administered entirely at state level may not appear here.
Most common hazards
- Severe Storm 36
- Fire 8
- Flood 7
- Tornado 3
- Severe Ice Storm 3
- Winter Storm 2
- Biological 2
- Snowstorm 2
All declarations on record
Major disaster (DR). The big one. Opens the full toolbox: repair money for public infrastructure, help for households, and mitigation funding to reduce the next loss.
Emergency (EM). Narrower and usually faster, for protective work before or during an incident. Capped, and rarely brings household assistance. Nearly every state and county has one from COVID-19.
Fire management (FM). Cost sharing to fight a wildfire as it burns. Not a disaster declaration, and it does not open recovery programs.
DR = Major disaster (Stafford Act) · EM = Emergency declaration · FM = Fire management assistance
Showing 65 declarations
| Date | Number | Type | Hazard | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2026 | DR-4937-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 29, 2026 | DR-4913-KY | DR | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| Jan 24, 2026 | EM-3633-KY | EM | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| May 23, 2025 | DR-4875-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| Apr 24, 2025 | DR-4864-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EM-3626-KY | EM | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| Feb 24, 2025 | DR-4860-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Feb 16, 2025 | EM-3624-KY | EM | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| Nov 26, 2024 | DR-4848-KY | DR | Tropical Storm | Remnants Of Hurricane Helene |
| Jul 23, 2024 | DR-4804-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 22, 2024 | DR-4782-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 9, 2023 | DR-4711-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 10, 2023 | DR-4702-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Jul 29, 2022 | DR-4663-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Feb 27, 2022 | DR-4643-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides |
| Dec 12, 2021 | DR-4630-KY | DR | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EM-3575-KY | EM | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| Apr 23, 2021 | DR-4595-KY | DR | Flood | Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Mar 31, 2021 | DR-4592-KY | DR | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 24, 2020 | DR-4540-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Mar 28, 2020 | DR-4497-KY | DR | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| Mar 13, 2020 | EM-3469-KY | EM | Biological | Covid-19 |
| Apr 17, 2019 | DR-4428-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 26, 2018 | DR-4361-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 12, 2018 | DR-4358-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Nov 20, 2016 | FM-5166-KY | FM | Fire | Southeastern Kentucky Fire Complex |
| Nov 8, 2016 | FM-5158-KY | FM | Fire | Eagles Nest Fire |
| Aug 26, 2016 | DR-4278-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Aug 12, 2015 | DR-4239-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslide |
| May 12, 2015 | DR-4218-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 1, 2015 | DR-4217-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 30, 2015 | DR-4216-KY | DR | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Sep 30, 2014 | DR-4196-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Mar 6, 2012 | DR-4057-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| Jul 25, 2011 | DR-4008-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| May 4, 2011 | DR-1976-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| Jul 23, 2010 | DR-1925-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| May 11, 2010 | DR-1912-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Tornadoes |
| Aug 14, 2009 | DR-1855-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| May 29, 2009 | DR-1841-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding And Mudslides |
| Feb 5, 2009 | DR-1818-KY | DR | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| Jan 28, 2009 | EM-3302-KY | EM | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| Oct 9, 2008 | DR-1802-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike |
| May 19, 2008 | DR-1757-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides |
| Feb 21, 2008 | DR-1746-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And |
| May 25, 2007 | DR-1703-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Rockslides |
| Dec 1, 2005 | DR-1617-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| Sep 10, 2005 | EM-3231-KY | EM | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| Feb 8, 2005 | DR-1578-KY | DR | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Record Snow |
| Aug 6, 2004 | DR-1537-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| Jun 10, 2004 | DR-1523-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| Jul 2, 2003 | DR-1475-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Rock Slides, And Tornadoes |
| Jun 3, 2003 | DR-1471-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Rock Slides, And Tornadoes |
| Mar 14, 2003 | DR-1454-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice And Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Mud And |
| May 7, 2002 | DR-1414-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding |
| Apr 4, 2002 | DR-1407-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| Nov 2, 2001 | FM-2385-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Southeastern Fire Complex - 11/02/01 |
| Nov 2, 2001 | FM-2386-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Eastern Fire Complex - 11/02/2001 |
| Nov 2, 2001 | FM-2384-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Kentucky River Complex - 11/02/01 |
| Aug 15, 2001 | DR-1388-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| Nov 4, 2000 | FM-2349-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Southeastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00 |
| Nov 4, 2000 | FM-2350-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Eastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00 |
| Feb 28, 2000 | DR-1320-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| Jan 10, 2000 | DR-1310-KY | DR | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Torrential Rains, And Flash Flooding |
| Nov 20, 1999 | FM-2288-KY | FM | Fire | Ky, Wildfires #001 |
Individual Assistance to households
FEMA Individual Assistance to households across Kentucky, combined across the Housing Assistance owner and renter programs. Valid registrations are households that applied within a designated Individual Assistance area; approved figures are those FEMA found eligible under the Individuals and Households Program. Self-reported, drawn from NEMIS through OpenFEMA, and present only where Individual Assistance was designated.
| Assistance type | Approved amount |
|---|---|
| Repair and replacement | $285M |
| Rental assistance | $33M |
| Other needs | $158M |
Hazard mitigation funded
Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance obligated across Kentucky to reduce future disaster losses, by program. Figures are federal share obligated, reported through OpenFEMA and not audited.
| Program | Projects | Federal share obligated |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) | 864 | $261M |
| Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) | 56 | $21M |
| Legislative Pre-Disaster Mitigation (LPDM) | 9 | $8M |
| Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) | 43 | $6M |
| Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) | 2 | $736K |
| Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) | 3 | $334K |
Denied requests
FEMA turned down 6 declaration requests from Kentucky since FY2000, a declaration-request denial rate of 8.5%. This is the President denying a governor or tribal leader's request for a declaration, tracked in a separate FEMA dataset from approved declarations, and is not the same thing as an individual being denied assistance under an approved declaration.
| Date | Type | Hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 2025 | Major Disaster | Winter Storm |
| Mar 27, 2024 | Major Disaster | Severe Storm |
| Aug 18, 2023 | Major Disaster | Severe Storm |
| Aug 19, 2021 | Major Disaster | Flood |
| Apr 7, 2006 | Major Disaster | Severe Storm |
| Aug 29, 2003 | Major Disaster | Severe Storm |
How these numbers are built
Every figure is drawn from FEMA's OpenFEMA datasets: the Disaster Declarations Summaries for declarations and the Declaration Denials dataset for turndowns, rebuilt automatically each week. A "declaration" is one unique combination of declaration type (DR / EM / FM), disaster number, and state, so a single disaster affecting five states counts as five declarations. Years are federal fiscal years (Oct 1 to Sep 30). Totals, ranks, and rates on this page cover complete fiscal years only. Declarations from the fiscal year still in progress are listed in each state's declaration tables and its recent-declarations panel, but are not counted in any total until the year is complete. Uses OpenFEMA data but is not endorsed by or affiliated with FEMA.