Disaster Data / States / Kentucky / Bell County
CountyBell County recorded 18 federal disaster and emergency declarations since FY2000 (through FY2025): 12 major disasters, 4 emergencies, and 2 fire-management declarations. Its most common hazard is severe storm.
Highlighted: Bell County, KY
Totals: FY2000–FY2025 · Page last rebuilt Sep 12, 2026 · the current in-progress fiscal year is not included in totals
The federal disaster record for Bell County runs between 2000 and 2025, covering 18 declarations in all. Its most recent major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2025. The hazards behind these declarations were most often severe storm, flood, and biological. Since 2000, FEMA has obligated about $4.2 million in Public Assistance funding to the jurisdiction, most of it for roads and bridges.
Historical declarations show what has happened here. These national datasets add context about underlying natural-hazard risk and community vulnerability.
Approximately 77.8% of U.S. counties have an equal or lower overall SVI ranking.
Higher percentiles indicate greater relative social vulnerability within the CDC SVI framework. CDC SVI documentation
The NRI combines expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience to describe relative natural-hazard risk. FEMA NRI documentation
Federal share obligated to this jurisdiction under FEMA Public Assistance since 2000, grouped by damage category. Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar and reflect obligations, which may change as projects close out.
| Category | Projects | Federal share obligated |
|---|---|---|
| Roads and bridges(C) | 85 | $2,651,100 |
| Parks and recreation(G) | 16 | $411,680 |
| Debris removal(A) | 10 | $313,081 |
| Buildings and equipment(E) | 30 | $284,595 |
| Utilities(F) | 9 | $184,381 |
| Water control facilities(D) | 6 | $159,430 |
| Emergency protective measures(B) | 13 | $106,431 |
| Management costs(Z) | 4 | $92,914 |
| All categories | 173 | $4,203,612 |
For each disaster, the wait from the declaration to the first federal obligation (amber), then the federal share obligating after that (teal), on a shared 8-year scale. Typical wait to the first obligation here: about 259 days. An obligation is the federal share committed to the recipient state, not funds disbursed to the locality, which comes later and is not shown.
FEMA Individual Assistance to households in this jurisdiction, combined across the Housing Assistance owner and renter programs. Valid registrations are households that applied within a designated Individual Assistance area; approved counts and dollars are the households FEMA found eligible under the Individuals and Households Program. Figures are self-reported and drawn from NEMIS through OpenFEMA, not audited, and Individual Assistance exists only for disasters where it was designated, so many jurisdictions show none.
| Assistance type | Approved amount |
|---|---|
| Repair and replacement | $1,352,819 |
| Rental assistance | $118,572 |
| Other needs | $831,325 |
Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance obligated to this jurisdiction to reduce future disaster losses, across the FEMA mitigation programs. This is the record of past mitigation investment a local hazard mitigation plan documents. Figures are federal share obligated, reported through OpenFEMA and not audited, and are separate from the Public Assistance funding above.
| Program | Projects | Federal share obligated |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard Mitigation Grant Program(HMGP) | 5 | $1,298,817 |
Every local hazard mitigation plan must document previous occurrences of each hazard. Here is that record for Bell County, sourced to OpenFEMA and refreshed weekly. Copy it straight into your plan.
| Hazard | Date | FEMA declaration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Storm | Apr 3, 2025 | EM-3626-KY | EM |
| Severe Storm | Feb 24, 2025 | DR-4860-KY | DR |
| Severe Storm | Feb 16, 2025 | EM-3624-KY | EM |
| Tropical Storm | Nov 26, 2024 | DR-4848-KY | DR |
| Flood | May 9, 2023 | DR-4711-KY | DR |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2021 | DR-4595-KY | DR |
| Severe Storm | Apr 24, 2020 | DR-4540-KY | DR |
| Biological | Mar 28, 2020 | DR-4497-KY | DR |
| Biological | Mar 13, 2020 | EM-3469-KY | EM |
| Severe Storm | Apr 17, 2019 | DR-4428-KY | DR |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2018 | DR-4358-KY | DR |
| Flood | May 12, 2015 | DR-4218-KY | DR |
| Severe Storm | Jul 25, 2011 | DR-4008-KY | DR |
| Hurricane | Sep 10, 2005 | EM-3231-KY | EM |
| Severe Storm | Jun 10, 2004 | DR-1523-KY | DR |
| Severe Storm | Apr 4, 2002 | DR-1407-KY | DR |
| Fire | Nov 2, 2001 | FM-2385-KY | FM |
| Fire | Nov 4, 2000 | FM-2349-KY | FM |
DR = Major disaster (Stafford Act) · EM = Emergency declaration · FM = Fire management assistance
Showing 18 declarations
| Date | Number | Type | Hazard | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| May 9, 2023 | DR-4711-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Apr 23, 2021 | DR-4595-KY | DR | Flood | Severe, Storms, Flooding, 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 12, 2018 | DR-4358-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| May 12, 2015 | DR-4218-KY | DR | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| Jul 25, 2011 | DR-4008-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| Sep 10, 2005 | EM-3231-KY | EM | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| Jun 10, 2004 | DR-1523-KY | DR | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 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 4, 2000 | FM-2349-KY | FM | Fire | Ky - Southeastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00 |
Drawn from FEMA's OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, rebuilt each week. A declaration is counted here once for each designated area it names, so a single disaster covering many localities is counted in each one. For that reason these jurisdiction counts do not sum to Kentucky's statewide total. This page counts declarations that named this jurisdiction as a designated area. Totals cover complete fiscal years (Oct 1 to Sep 30); the in-progress year may appear in the most-recent list but is not counted in the totals. Uses OpenFEMA data but is not endorsed by or affiliated with FEMA.
Choose a citation style, then copy the formatted citation. This profile is derived from FEMA OpenFEMA data and is updated as the underlying Disaster Data build is refreshed.