Kentucky avalanche risk
Pike County has the highest avalanche risk in Kentucky, scoring 75.7 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pike County | 75.7 | Relatively Low |
| 2 | Harlan County | 75.3 | Relatively Low |
| 3 | Letcher County | 70.5 | Relatively Low |
| 4 | Bell County | 69.7 | Relatively Low |
| 5 | Leslie County | 65.6 | Very Low |
| 6 | Floyd County | 58.3 | Very Low |
| 7 | Knott County | 56.3 | Very Low |
| 8 | Perry County | 54.7 | Very Low |
| 9 | Estill County | 51.8 | Very Low |
| 10 | Clay County | 49.7 | Very Low |
| 11 | Whitley County | 39.3 | Very Low |
| 12 | Knox County | 39 | Very Low |
| 13 | Martin County | 38.5 | Very Low |
| 14 | McCreary County | 34.2 | Very Low |
| 15 | Lee County | 27.9 | Very Low |
| 16 | Lewis County | 27.6 | Very Low |
| 17 | Madison County | 25.3 | Very Low |
| 18 | Breathitt County | 25.1 | Very Low |
| 19 | Menifee County | 21.8 | Very Low |
| 20 | Powell County | 21.2 | Very Low |
| 21 | Greenup County | 20 | Very Low |
| 22 | Wolfe County | 16.2 | Very Low |
| 23 | Rowan County | 15.6 | Very Low |
| 24 | Jackson County | 14.3 | Very Low |
| 25 | Pulaski County | 13.3 | Very Low |
| 26 | Rockcastle County | 12.7 | Very Low |
| 27 | Lawrence County | 9.5 | Very Low |
| 28 | Johnson County | 7.3 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Avalanche risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Kentucky:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest avalanche risk county in Kentucky?
Pike County, KY has the highest avalanche risk in Kentucky, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 75.7 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes avalanche risk in Kentucky?
Avalanche risk reflects expected annual losses from snow avalanche events, primarily affecting mountain counties in the West. The highest scores belong to Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Washington counties where active ski terrain, mountain highways, and communities overlap with historically active avalanche paths and high seasonal snowpack. Avalanche events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.