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Kentucky heat wave risk

120 counties scored 0 rated Very High

Jefferson County has the highest heat wave risk in Kentucky, scoring 96.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across Kentucky have increased 31% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Jefferson County 96.9 Relatively High 0
2 Boyd County 96.6 Relatively High 1
3 McCracken County 95.2 Relatively Moderate 44
4 Daviess County 90.8 Relatively Moderate 37
5 Greenup County 88 Relatively Moderate 0
6 Fayette County 87 Relatively Moderate 0
7 Carter County 86.4 Relatively Moderate 0
8 Warren County 82.2 Relatively Moderate 0
9 Kenton County 80.6 Relatively Moderate 3
10 Laurel County 79.5 Relatively Moderate 0
11 Lawrence County 78 Relatively Low 0
12 Christian County 76.2 Relatively Low 37
13 Graves County 75.2 Relatively Low 43
14 Hopkins County 75.1 Relatively Low 39
15 Henderson County 73.8 Relatively Low 42
16 Calloway County 73.5 Relatively Low 41
17 Muhlenberg County 73.5 Relatively Low 36
18 Hardin County 72 Relatively Low 0
19 Marshall County 70.7 Relatively Low 41
20 Campbell County 68 Relatively Low 3
21 Pike County 67.2 Relatively Low 0
22 Pulaski County 66.1 Relatively Low 0
23 Whitley County 65.3 Relatively Low 1
24 Barren County 61.9 Relatively Low 0
25 Madison County 61.1 Relatively Low 0
26 Union County 60.5 Relatively Low 42
27 Johnson County 60.3 Relatively Low 0
28 Lewis County 59.3 Relatively Low 2
29 Floyd County 58.2 Relatively Low 0
30 Ohio County 58 Relatively Low 0
31 Knox County 55.8 Relatively Low 0
32 Grayson County 54.4 Relatively Low 0
33 Boone County 54 Relatively Low 3
34 Logan County 53.3 Relatively Low 0
35 Caldwell County 52.1 Relatively Low 39
36 Bullitt County 51.7 Relatively Low 0
37 Trigg County 51.3 Relatively Low 38
38 Fulton County 51.2 Relatively Low 45
39 Rowan County 51.2 Relatively Low 0
40 Ballard County 50.6 Relatively Low 43
41 Mason County 50.4 Relatively Low 3
42 Livingston County 50.3 Relatively Low 40
43 Scott County 50 Relatively Low 0
44 Martin County 49.5 Relatively Low 0
45 Meade County 49.3 Relatively Low 0
46 Crittenden County 49 Relatively Low 38
47 Clay County 47.5 Relatively Low 0
48 Breckinridge County 47.2 Relatively Low 0
49 Webster County 46.6 Relatively Low 41
50 Lyon County 46 Relatively Low 38
51 Elliott County 45.5 Relatively Low 0
52 McLean County 45.4 Relatively Low 40
53 Shelby County 45.4 Relatively Low 0
54 Nelson County 44.9 Relatively Low 0
55 McCreary County 44.3 Relatively Low 0
56 Clark County 43.6 Relatively Low 0
57 Grant County 43 Relatively Low 3
58 Bell County 42.8 Relatively Low 0
59 Montgomery County 42.6 Relatively Low 0
60 Jessamine County 41.3 Relatively Low 0
61 Wayne County 41.3 Relatively Low 0
62 Perry County 40.9 Relatively Low 0
63 Hart County 40.8 Relatively Low 0
64 Allen County 40.6 Relatively Low 0
65 Hickman County 40.5 Relatively Low 44
66 Todd County 40.2 Relatively Low 38
67 Franklin County 40.1 Relatively Low 0
68 Rockcastle County 40.1 Relatively Low 0
69 Carlisle County 40 Relatively Low 43
70 Harlan County 39.7 Relatively Low 0
71 Fleming County 39.4 Relatively Low 0
72 Simpson County 39.3 Relatively Low 0
73 Taylor County 38.9 Relatively Low 0
74 Butler County 38.2 Very Low 0
75 Morgan County 37.7 Very Low 0
76 Bourbon County 36.8 Very Low 0
77 Letcher County 36.7 Very Low 0
78 Oldham County 36.5 Very Low 0
79 Lincoln County 35.7 Very Low 0
80 Hancock County 35.3 Very Low 0
81 Pendleton County 35.2 Very Low 3
82 Russell County 35.2 Very Low 0
83 Breathitt County 35.1 Very Low 0
84 Estill County 34.7 Very Low 0
85 Magoffin County 34.7 Very Low 0
86 Adair County 34.6 Very Low 0
87 Boyle County 34.1 Very Low 0
88 Jackson County 33.7 Very Low 0
89 Knott County 32.9 Very Low 0
90 Bath County 32.8 Very Low 0
91 Powell County 32.1 Very Low 0
92 Monroe County 31.9 Very Low 0
93 Harrison County 31.8 Very Low 0
94 Metcalfe County 31.2 Very Low 0
95 Garrard County 29.2 Very Low 0
96 Casey County 29 Very Low 0
97 Woodford County 28.6 Very Low 0
98 Edmonson County 28.5 Very Low 0
99 Marion County 27.9 Very Low 0
100 Mercer County 26.8 Very Low 0
101 Leslie County 26.3 Very Low 0
102 Green County 25.8 Very Low 0
103 Anderson County 25.7 Very Low 0
104 Larue County 25.2 Very Low 0
105 Owen County 25.1 Very Low 3
106 Wolfe County 24.8 Very Low 0
107 Bracken County 23.7 Very Low 3
108 Clinton County 23.7 Very Low 0
109 Nicholas County 23.4 Very Low 0
110 Carroll County 22.9 Very Low 3
111 Cumberland County 22.1 Very Low 0
112 Lee County 21.5 Very Low 0
113 Spencer County 21.4 Very Low 0
114 Robertson County 21.1 Very Low 3
115 Henry County 20.8 Very Low 0
116 Menifee County 20.2 Very Low 0
117 Washington County 20.1 Very Low 0
118 Trimble County 18.8 Very Low 0
119 Gallatin County 18.7 Very Low 3
120 Owsley County 17.9 Very Low 0

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.

Heat Wave risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Kentucky:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest heat wave risk county in Kentucky?

Jefferson County, KY has the highest heat wave risk in Kentucky, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 96.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").

What causes heat wave risk in Kentucky?

Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.