Kentucky lightning risk
120 counties scored 0 rated Very High
Fayette County has the highest lightning risk in Kentucky, scoring 95.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Kentucky have decreased 57% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayette County | 95.9 | Relatively High | 6 |
| 2 | Madison County | 94.3 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 3 | Jefferson County | 91.3 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 4 | Shelby County | 87.5 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 5 | Hardin County | 86.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 6 | Nelson County | 85.5 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 7 | Kenton County | 83.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Christian County | 80.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 9 | Barren County | 79.3 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 10 | Jessamine County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 11 | McCracken County | 78.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 12 | Hopkins County | 78.4 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 13 | Campbell County | 78 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Pulaski County | 78 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 15 | Rowan County | 77.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Boone County | 76.6 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 17 | Warren County | 75.7 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 18 | Calloway County | 75.1 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 19 | Graves County | 74.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 20 | Logan County | 74 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 21 | Bath County | 73.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 22 | Laurel County | 73.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 23 | Scott County | 71.6 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 24 | Pendleton County | 71.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Bullitt County | 70 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Daviess County | 69.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 27 | Franklin County | 65.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 28 | Oldham County | 64.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Trigg County | 63.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 30 | Knox County | 60.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Montgomery County | 60.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 32 | Grant County | 60.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Wayne County | 60.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 34 | Whitley County | 58.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 35 | Boyd County | 57.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Floyd County | 56.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 37 | Marshall County | 56.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 38 | McCreary County | 55.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Clark County | 55.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Simpson County | 55.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 41 | Woodford County | 54.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Harrison County | 53.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Fleming County | 53 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Muhlenberg County | 51.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Boyle County | 51.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Russell County | 50.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 47 | Garrard County | 50.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 48 | Taylor County | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 49 | Mercer County | 49.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Greenup County | 49.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 51 | Lincoln County | 49.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Henderson County | 49.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Bourbon County | 48.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Perry County | 48.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Adair County | 47 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Mason County | 46.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Grayson County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 58 | Rockcastle County | 45.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 59 | Casey County | 44.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 60 | Meade County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Johnson County | 44.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Powell County | 43.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 63 | Anderson County | 42.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 64 | Estill County | 42.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Marion County | 42.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 66 | Carter County | 41.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Ohio County | 41.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Hart County | 40.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 69 | Monroe County | 40 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 70 | Clinton County | 39.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Pike County | 39.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Lewis County | 39.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Henry County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 74 | Metcalfe County | 37.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Clay County | 36.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Allen County | 36.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 77 | Spencer County | 35.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Jackson County | 35.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Breathitt County | 35.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Bracken County | 34.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Nicholas County | 34 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | Larue County | 33.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 83 | Morgan County | 33.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 84 | Caldwell County | 32.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 85 | Fulton County | 32.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 86 | Green County | 31.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 87 | Lawrence County | 29.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 88 | Gallatin County | 28.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 89 | Magoffin County | 28.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 90 | Breckinridge County | 28 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 91 | Washington County | 27.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 92 | Cumberland County | 27.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 93 | Todd County | 27.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 94 | Elliott County | 27 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 95 | Knott County | 27 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 96 | Carroll County | 26.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 97 | Lyon County | 26.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 98 | Martin County | 26.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 99 | Owen County | 26.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 100 | Wolfe County | 26.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 101 | Union County | 26.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 102 | Livingston County | 25.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 103 | Webster County | 24.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 104 | Crittenden County | 24.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 105 | Butler County | 22.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 106 | Lee County | 22.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 107 | Trimble County | 21.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 108 | Ballard County | 21.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 109 | Bell County | 20.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 110 | Hickman County | 20.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 111 | Edmonson County | 20.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 112 | McLean County | 18.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 113 | Harlan County | 16.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 114 | Leslie County | 16.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 115 | Carlisle County | 15 | Very Low | 0 |
| 116 | Menifee County | 14.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 117 | Hancock County | 13.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 118 | Owsley County | 12.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 119 | Letcher County | 12.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 120 | Robertson County | 10.5 | 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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Kentucky:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Kentucky?
Fayette County, KY has the highest lightning risk in Kentucky, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 95.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in Kentucky?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.