Natural Disasters in West Van Lear, KY

Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data

Natural Hazard Risk

Source: FEMA National Risk Index

Risk Score

71.1

Relatively Low

Expected Annual Loss

61.5

Score (0-100)

Social Vulnerability

82.1

Score (0-100)

Community Resilience

17.1

Score (0-100)

Top Hazard Risks

Landslide89.9Wildfire76.3Winter Weather65.1

Hazard	Risk Score
Landslide	89.9
Wildfire	76.3
Winter Weather	65.1
Heat Wave	60.3
Hurricane	45.8
Lightning	44.6
Earthquake	42.8
Hail	38.9
Cold Wave	36.5
Ice Storm	33.2
Strong Wind	31.7
Tornado	30.5
Avalanche	7.3

Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.

Disaster Declarations

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA

Total Declarations

Most Recent

Winter Storm

Jan 2026

Most Common Type

Severe Storm

23 declarations

Date	Type	Declaration
Jan 24, 2026	Winter Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORM
Apr 24, 2025	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Apr 3, 2025	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING
Feb 24, 2025	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Feb 16, 2025	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES
Nov 26, 2024	Tropical Storm	REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE
May 9, 2023	Flood	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Apr 10, 2023	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Jul 29, 2022	Flood	SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Feb 27, 2022	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES
Apr 23, 2021	Flood	SEVERE, STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Mar 31, 2021	Severe Ice Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Apr 24, 2020	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Mar 28, 2020	Biological	COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Mar 13, 2020	Biological	COVID-19
Apr 17, 2019	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Apr 12, 2018	Flood	SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Aug 12, 2015	Severe Storm	SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDE
May 12, 2015	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORM, SNOWSTORM, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
May 1, 2015	Flood	SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES

Showing 20 of 48 declarations

Flood Insurance (NFIP)

Source: FEMA NFIP

Total Claims

309

Total Claims Paid

$5,249,340

Avg Claim Payout

$16,988

County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.

Disaster Recovery Spending

Source: FEMA Public Assistance

Total Federal Spending

$19,885,859

Disasters with PA

Total Projects

459

Disaster	Type	Projects	Federal $
DR-4595	Severe Storm(s)	79	$7,398,974
DR-4592	Severe Storm(s)	8	$4,222,763
DR-4860	Other	23	$1,787,850
DR-4428	Severe Storm(s)	23	$1,162,206
DR-4663	Flood	18	$685,664
DR-4711	Severe Storm(s)	17	$530,659
DR-1523	Severe Storm(s)	84	$520,730
DR-4217	Flood	10	$462,123
DR-4239	Severe Storm(s)	19	$413,589
DR-4358	Other	6	$391,213
DR-4196	Severe Storm(s)	6	$367,362
DR-4057	Severe Storm(s)	37	$353,581
DR-1818	Severe Ice Storm	16	$263,922
DR-1407	Severe Storm(s)	31	$196,278
DR-1454	Severe Storm(s)	24	$192,471

Showing top 15 of 23 disasters by spending

Hazard Mitigation

Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance

Mitigation Projects

Federal Funding

$688,514

Properties Protected

Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio

1.26

BCR

Top Mitigation Project Types

Project Type	Projects	Federal $
601.1: Generators	5	$307,300
403.3: Stormwater Management - Flapgates/Floodgates	2	$19,720
91.2: Local Multihazard Mitigation Plan - NEW	2	$225,000
200.6: Acquisition of Private Real Property (Structures and Land) - Landslide	1	$97,160
200.1: Acquisition of Private Real Property (Structures and Land) - Riverine	1	$39,334

Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.

West Van Lear has a relatively low overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are landslide, wildfire, winter weather. The area has had 48 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is severe storm (23 declarations). 309 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $19,885,859 in public assistance recovery funding. 11 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.