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Natural Hazards Overview

Kentucky Natural Hazards Overview

13 Hazards Identified in Kentucky

Dam Failure
Drought
Earthquake
Extreme Temperature
Flood
Hail
Karst/Sinkhole
Landslide
Mine/Land Subsidence
Severe Storm (Thunderstorm)
Severe Winter Storm
Tornado
Wildfire

Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (for all hazards)

Summary of Current Local Policies, Programs, and Capabilities to Accomplish Hazard Mitigation

Kentucky’s local jurisdictions identify the following policies, programs, and capabilities. This is not exhaustive or a fully representative list:

– Floodplain Management Ordinances
– Community Rating System (CRS) Participation or Eligibility
– Zoning Regulations
– Subdivision Regulations
– Fire Prevention Codes
– Stormwater Management Plans
– National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Ready Program Participation
– Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs)
– Local Hazard Mitigation Plans
– Regional Development Agency
– Local Emergency Management
– Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
– Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs

Non-Federal Organizations Involved in Mitigation

– State Hazard Mitigation Office (KYEM)
– Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM)
– Kentucky Association of Mitigation Managers (KAMM)
– The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)
– National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
– Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)

The National Risk Index

The National Risk Index is a dataset and online tool to help illustrate the United States communities most at risk for 18 natural hazards. It was designed and built by FEMA in close collaboration with various stakeholders and partners in academia; local, state and federal government; and private industry.

The Risk Index leverages available source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline risk measurementfor each United States county and Census tract.

Kentucky Dam and Levee Hazard

Dam and levee failure poses some of the most significant potential losses to flooding in the Commonwealth.

Dam Definition

A dam is defined by KRS 151.250 as any structure that is 25 feet in height, measured from the downstream toe to the crest of the dam, or has a maximum impounding capacity of 50 acre-feet or more at the top of the structure.

Structures that fail to meet these criteria but have the potential to cause significant property damage or pose a threat to life in the downstream area are regulated in the same manner as dams. All water impounding structures meeting those requirements, except federal dams and those permitted by the Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement, fall under the purview of DOW. KRS 151 requires the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC), Department for Environmental Protection (DEP), Division of Water (DOW) to identify, assess, and manage the Commonwealth’s Dam Safety Program.

The program was established in 1966, predating the establishment of the National Flood Insurance Program in 1968 and many other state dam-related programs. KRS 151.293 authorizes DOW to inspect existing structures that meet the definition of a dam. The Dam Safety program maintains a comprehensive inventory of all active and inactive dams throughout the Commonwealth. In determining the frequency of inspection of a particular dam, the division takes into consideration the size and type, topography, geology, soil condition, hydrology, climate, use of the reservoir, the expected inundation area downstream of the dam, the condition of the dam, and the hazard classification of the dam.

Dams

Dams serve many functions throughout the Commonwealth including flood control, water supply, and recreation. The intended uses for dams may evolve over time. Dams may pose significant hazards when risks are introduced via downstream development or as their components age.

Dams are classified according to the type of construction material used, the methods used in construction, the slope or cross-section of the dam, the way the dam resists the forces of the water pressure behind it, the means used for controlling seepage and, occasionally, according to the purpose of the dam. Materials used for construction of dams include earth, rock, tailings from mining or milling, concrete, masonry, steel, timber, or a combination of these materials. Dams have many beneficial uses throughout the Commonwealth including flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. Often, dams are designed for an intended purpose that changes over time (e.g. when a dam designed for recreation becomes a community water supply). They are dynamic systems that require proper design, maintenance, and operation.

Dams may pose risks both upstream and downstream of the water impounding structure. Often, large dam owners, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, identify areas upstream and downstream that must remain protected due to the potential of being inundated by floodwaters. However, most areas upstream and downstream of dams are often unrestricted to development, introducing considerable risks to dam owners, communities, and private citizens. Unchecked or unregulated development may occur downstream of dams, introducing risks either through deliberate or inadvertent actions.

Additionally, dams may pose a significant risk when their components age or are not properly maintained. Consequently, catastrophic damage is possible should a dam failure occur. For these reasons, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) has a dedicated Dam Safety program established by state statute (KRS 151.250).

Dam Information

Drought Hazard

Drought is a natural hazard. We can’t see it ignite, like a fire, or predict where it is likely to touch down, as we can a tornado. Like its natural hazard cousins, however, drought can leave a trail of destruction that may even include loss of life.

And while we might refer to a fire’s crackle or the roar of a tornado, a drought hazard does not announce its arrival. In fact, those familiar with drought call it a “creeping phenomenon” because what may first appear to be merely a dry spell can only be discerned in hindsight as the early days of a drought.

Drought’s stealthy reputation is also based on the way its effects vary from region to region. A week without rain might be considered a drought in a tropical climate like Bali, while a gap of only seven days between rains might be unusual in Libya, a desert area where annual rainfall is less than seven inches (180 millimeters). Drought can even co-exist with record rainfall!

Defining Drought, Drought Response, and Drought Mitigation

In the most general sense, drought is defined as a deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time (usually a season or more) resulting in a water shortage. The effects of this deficiency are often called drought impacts. Natural impacts of drought can be made even worse by the demand that humans place on a water supply.

There is not a single definition of drought to succinctly describe the progressive nature of drought development. Most often drought is defined by a combination of several definitions for increasing drought severity that are based on meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic effects, as outlined below.

Meteorological Drought: Meteorological measurements are generally the first indicators of drought development. This category of drought is often defined by a period of precipitation deficit that is outside of a “normal” range over a defined period of time.

Agricultural Drought occurs when there is not enough soil moisture to meet the needs of a particular crop at a particular time. Agricultural drought develops at some point after meteorological drought and is identified by linking the characteristics of a meteorological drought to agricultural impacts.

Hydrological Droughtrefers to the deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies. It is measured as streamflow and as lake, reservoir, and groundwater levels. There is a time lag between lack of rain and diminished quantities of water in streams, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers.

Socioeconomic Droughtoccurs when physical water shortage begins to affect people, individually or collectively. This category of drought is manifested by adverse impacts to the health, well-being and quality of life of the people, or when drought begins to affect the supply and demand of an economic product.

Drought Information

Earthquake

An earthquake occurs when a fault suddenly ruptures and releases elastic energy in the form of seismic waves. Rupture begins at the hypocenter (referred to as the epicenter at the surface). Seismic waves can also be generated by volcanic activity, mine blasts, and other natural and manmade sources, but are generally not strong enough to cause damage to the built environment. Magnitude is a measure of the size of an earthquake.

Earthquakes are caused by the slow movements of tectonic plates. Although most earthquakes, especially large ones (magnitude equal to or greater than 8.0), have occurred along plate boundaries, a few strong earthquakes have occurred in plate interiors.

Seismic hazard is the physical phenomenon of an earthquake that can cause damage to the built environment. When an earthquake (fault rupture) occurs, the rupture may continue to the surface and create a surface rupture hazard, which can damage any building or structure built on it. The fault rupture also generates strong seismic waves that propagate along the ground surface and create a ground-motion hazard that can damage or even collapse buildings and other structures.

Surface rupture and ground motion are the primary hazards generated directly by an earthquake. Not all earthquakes generate surface rupture. Ground-motion hazard can affect a large area and is responsible for most of the damage from an earthquake. Thus, ground-motion hazard from earthquakes is of major concern.

FEMA’s Earthquake Safety Checklist

FEMA’s Earthquake & Wind Programs Branch, along with the National Earthquake and Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), published the updated Earthquake Safety Checklist (FEMA B-526). The checklist acts as a reference guide that helps individuals and families prepare for an earthquake event and prevent earthquake-related damage.

FEMA B-526 lists several steps to take in the event of an earthquake to mitigate damage and risk to people and property. The checklist includes all necessary items to keep on hand in the case of an earthquake such as flashlights, spare batteries, water, first aid kits, battery-powered radios, etc.

Included is an earthquake hazard hunt to help individuals identify potential dangers in the home by conducting a search for specific hazards such as:

Tall, heavy furniture that can topple over in the event of an earthquake
Appliances that could move and rupture gas or electric lines
Hanging plants in heavy pots
Heavy picture frames or mirrors
Flammable liquids

There are step-by-step instructions for a family earthquake drill. FEMA B-526 references the Great ShakeOut and practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On in the event of an earthquake. The checklist highlights ways to protect yourself and others from an earthquake in various environments including in a home, outdoors, in your car, in public transportation, or trapped under fallen debris. It also describes steps to take after the ground stops shaking and post-earthquake hazards that may occur.

Earthquake Home Hazard Hunt Poster

Earthquake Safety at Home

Earthquake Information Document

Extreme Heat Hazard

Extreme heat, defined by the CDC as "summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average," poses a significant threat to human health and well-being. The prolonged exposure to these elevated temperatures can overwhelm the body's natural cooling mechanisms, potentially leading to a range of health issues, some of which can be life-threatening.

How Heat Affects the Body

Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and -- as the last extremity is reached -- by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees. The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body's blood circulates closer to the skin's surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body's heat dissipating function. Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation -- and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat glands are pouring liquid -- including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride -- onto the surface of the skin.

Too Much Heat

Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise, and heat-related illness may develop.

Ranging in severity, heat disorders share one common feature: the individual has overexposed or overexercised for his/her age and physical condition in the existing thermal environment. Sunburn, with its ultraviolet radiation burns, can significantly retard the skin's ability to shed excess heat. Studies indicate that, other things being equal, the severity of heat disorders tend to increase with age -- heat cramps in a 17-year-old may be heat exhaustion in someone 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60. Acclimatization has to do with adjusting sweat-salt concentration, among other things. The idea is to lose enough water to regulate body temperature, with the least possible chemical disturbance.

Cities Pose Special Hazards

The stagnant atmospheric conditions of the heat wave trap pollutants in urban areas and add the stresses of severe pollution to the already dangerous stresses of hot weather, creating a health problem of undiscovered dimensions. A map of heat-related deaths in St. Louis during 1966, for example, shows a heavier concentration in the crowded alleys and towers of the inner city, where air quality would also be poor during a heat wave.

The high inner-city death rates also can be read as poor access to air-conditioned rooms. While air-conditioning may be a luxury in normal times, it can be a lifesaver during heat wave conditions. The cost of cool air moves steadily higher, adding what appears to be a cruel economic side to heat wave fatalities. Indications from the 1978 Texas heat wave suggest that some elderly people on fixed incomes, many of them in buildings that could not be ventilated without air conditioning, found the cost too high, turned off their units, and ultimately succumbed to the stresses of heat. (NOAA Extreme Heat)

Extreme Heat Information

Flood

What is a Flood?

According to FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a flood is defined as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land affecting two or more properties or two or more acres of land. This inundation can be caused by overflowing inland or tidal waters, unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters, or mudflows caused by flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) generally defines a flood as a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from overflow of inland or tidal waters, or from unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source. This definition emphasizes the overflow onto normally dry land and the temporary nature of the inundation.

The primary factors that determine the severity of a flood are rainfall intensity and duration and topography.

Flood Information

Hail

Hail is a form of precipitation composed of solid ice, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory. It is formed within thunderstorms when strong updrafts carry raindrops into extremely cold regions of the atmosphere where they freeze. These frozen droplets then grow larger by colliding with supercooled water droplets that freeze onto their surface. When the hailstone becomes too heavy for the updraft to support its weight, it falls to the ground.

Watch Inside the Hail Camera: 4K Slow Motion Reveals Storm Science Like Never Before on YouTube.

Karst/Sinkhole Hazards

What is Karst?

Many geologic, topographic, and climatologic factors influence the development of karst, and not all karst features - such as sinkholes, caves, and springs - are present to the same extent or develop in the same way in every karst area.

Comparing karst characteristics in the various states can be useful and informative. Karst features are also locally - to regionally - unique, so that karst features in one state may not be completely analogous to those in another.

Where Is Karst Located in Kentucky?

Kentucky is one of the most famous karst areas in the world. Much of the state’s beautiful scenery, particularly the horse farms of the Inner Bluegrass, is the result of development of karst landscape.

The karst topography of Kentucky is mostly on limestone, but also some dolostone. The areas where those rocks are near the surface closely approximate where karst topography will form. In humid climates such as Kentucky’s, you should assume that all limestone has karst development, although that development may not be visible at the surface.

The outcrop area of the limestone bedrock in Kentucky has been used to estimate the percentage of karst terrain or topography in the state. About 55 percent of Kentucky is underlain by rocks that could develop karst terrain, given enough time. About 38 percent of the state has at least some karst development recognizable on topographic maps, and 25 percent of the state is known to have well-developed karst features.

Some of the larger Kentucky cities and towns located on karst are Frankfort, Louisville, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, Georgetown, Winchester, Paris, Versailles, and Nicholasville (all located in the Inner Bluegrass Region); Fort Knox, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Munfordville, Russellville, Hopkinsville, and Princeton (in the Western Pennyroyal Region); and Somerset, Monticello, and Mount Vernon (in the Eastern Pennyroyal Region).

Karst Facts

Mammoth Cave is the longest surveyed cave in the world, with more than 400 miles of passages.

Two other caves extend more than 30 miles, and seven mapped Kentucky caves are among the 50 longest in the United States.

Much of Kentucky‘s prime farmland is underlain by karst, as is a substantial amount of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

About 40 percent of groundwater used for drinking water in the U.S. comes from karst aquifers.

According to the Kentucky Division of Water, springs and wells in karst areas supply water to tens of thousands of private homes, and are also used by five public water suppliers serving:

Hardin County Water District No. 1

Hardin County Water District No. 2

Georgetown Municipal

Cadiz Municipal

Green River Valley Water District

Karst hazards that could have an impact on Kentucky’s citizens and infrastructure include sinkholes, flooding, and groundwater and surface-water contamination. Sinkholes are by far the largest and most frequently encountered karst hazards.

Sinkholes

How Do Sinkholes Form?

Sinkholes are by far the largest and most frequently encountered karst hazards. Sinkholes Subsidence is a natural or human-induced process that results in progressive lowering of land-surface elevations. Sinkhole subsidence is a consequence of karst development and may occur over long-term (including geologic) and short-term timescales.

Sinkholes are physically manifested as closed and internally drained topographic depressions, of generally circular shape, that develop where soil or other overburden material subsides or collapses into subsurface voids. Sinkholes can form because of both natural (karst-related) processes and as a direct or indirect consequence of human activities.

Human activities that can cause sinkholes include groundwater withdrawals, alteration or diversion of surface runoff, subsurface mining, subsurface erosion, piping, or compaction of unconsolidated soils or sediments along buried pipelines or beneath highways and roads, and decaying buried organic debris (e.g., tree roots, buried trash, and other debris).

Sinkholes also form in non-karst areas where leaking water or sewer pipes and other human activities create or result in subsidence, compaction, or subsurface erosion (i.e., piping) of soil, gravel, or other fill materials. Pipeline leakage and flooding affect highway roadbeds, pipelines, and other utility trenches, and often confuse non-geologists because the “sinkholes” created by these localized collapses may not be, and often are not, related in any way to karst or karst processes.

Sinkholes are classified by geologists using numerous descriptive terms depending on the types of geologic materials and processes or sequence of processes involved in their formation. Sinkholes may be grouped into two broad categories: subsidence and collapse.

Subsidence and collapse sinkholes often occur together in the same karst area, and many sinkholes form as a combination of the two processes.

Subsidence sinkholes form by the relatively slow and gradual subsurface dissolution of soluble bedrock and piping of unconsolidated cover materials (soil, alluvium) into fractures and conduits enlarged by solution in the epikarst, a zone of intensified weathering and dissolution at the soil-bedrock interface.
Collapse sinkholes form suddenly by failure of the roof or arch of soil, bedrock, or other surface and subsurface materials located above subsurface karst voids and caves. Collapse sinkholes that form over voids in unconsolidated materials - soil, sediment, or brecciated bedrock - are common and are referred to as cover-collapse sinkholes.
Cover-collapse sinkholes are typically steep-walled circular or funnel-shaped depressions having diameters that range from a few feet to hundreds of feet

The Kentucky Geological Survey began developing a catalog of case histories of cover-collapse occurrences in 1997 and has documented 354 occurrences throughout the state. An average of 24 new reports is received each year.

If you discover a sinkhole on your property, report it to your local public works department, sewer district, or other local officials as the sinkhole could be the result of a sewer collapse or other drainage issue.

Reporting A Cover-Collapse Sinkhole

What Is the Sinkhole Risk in Kentucky?

Subsidence sinkholes in Kentucky are generally recognizable as broad, shallow, bowl-shaped depressions. These sinkholes are largely responsible for the rolling topography that characterizes much of the Bluegrass and Western Pennyroyal Regions. Diameters can range from several tens to hundreds of feet, and shapes can be circular, elongate or irregular and complex.

Karst & Sinkhole Information

Landslides

What is a Landslide?

The term landslide includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows. Although gravity acting on an over-steepened slope is the primary reason for a landslide, there are other contributing factors:

Erosion by rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves create over-steepened slopes.
Rock and soil slopes are weakened through saturation by snowmelt or heavy rains.
Earthquakes create stresses that make weak slopes fail. Earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and greater have been known to trigger landslides.
Volcanic eruptions produce loose ash deposits, heavy rain, and debris flows.
Excess weight from accumulation of rain or snow, stockpiling of rock or ore from waste piles, or from man-made structures may stress weak slopes, making them susceptible to failure.

Slope material that becomes saturated with water may develop a debris flow or mud flow. The resulting slurry of rock and mud may pick up trees, houses, and cars, thus blocking bridges and tributaries causing flooding along its path.

Landslides occur when the strength of rocks or soil is exceeded by stress applied to those hillslope materials. Common stresses are gravity, increased pore-water pressure, earthquake shaking, and slope modification. The style of movement and resulting landform or deposit are influenced by the rock and soil type, slope location, and how fast the rock or soil moves.

Some of the most common terms are landslide, mudslide, and rockslide. Other terms such as mass wasting, slope movement, and slope failure are also commonly used to discuss landslide phenomena. Regardless of which term is used, all landslides share physical and mechanical (in rock and soil) processes that explain their occurrence.

Landslides Information

Mine Subsidence

What is Mine Subsidence?

Mine subsidence can be described as settlement of the ground surface because of readjustments of mine overburden overlying voids created during or after the mining process. These readjustments can be caused by roof falls, pillar failure, pillars sinking into weak floors, coal fires, and other factors.

Where underground mines are overlain by a considerable thickness of consolidated rock, subvertical fractures can propagate upward toward the surface, resulting in downward settling of the strata. Alternatively, shallow mines overlain by a thinner rock overburden may collapse, causing overlying soil and unconsolidated sediment to sink into the resulting void. Both processes result in a surface depression that worsens over time.

Propagation of fractures and stresses from underground mine collapse leads to vertical displacement (collapse), tilting, horizontal displacement, and strain at the surface. Subsidence does not occur above all mines.

What is the Mine Subsidence Risk in Kentucky?

Mine subsidence in Kentucky is most often associated with coal mined in underground mines but can also be associated with other minerals such as limestone, lead, and zinc mined in the subsurface. Coal-mine subsidence is the dominant type, because significantly more coal has been mined than limestone and vein minerals, and the thin-bedded strata above many coal beds is more susceptible to fracturing and is weaker than thick limestone sequences or limestones containing vein minerals.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines estimated that 2 million acres of land has been influenced by coal-mine subsidence, mostly in the eastern United States. In Kentucky, 37,200 acres in urban areas have been estimated to be threatened from coal mine subsidence.

The hazard in Kentucky is limited to the eastern and western coal fields. The mined areas cover about 800,000 acres of the land surface of Kentucky, or about 3 percent of the land surface.

Subsidence can damage manmade surface structures, modify surface drainage (and result in ponding), and modify groundwater and aquifers. The most documented hazards related to mine subsidence are surface cracks and building damage. Subsidence typically causes cracks in foundations, walls, and ceilings, and separation of chimneys, porches, and steps from a structure. In some cases, water, sewer, and gas lines have been broken. Telephone lines and power lines can also be damaged by subsidence.

Severe Storm (Thunderstorm)

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), for a thunderstorm to be considered severe, it must create at least one of the following:

Hail that is one (1) inch in diameter or larger

Winds of 58 miles per hour (mph) or greater

Plus, any thunderstorm inherently has lightning in it. It can't be a thunderstorm without it. There are many characteristics of thunderstorms that are dangerous, including lightning, hail, and damaging winds.

Lightning is one of the most dangerous aspects of a thunderstorm. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from the main area of the thunderstorm. That is about the distance you can hear thunder from the storm. Whether or not you can see the actual lightning flash, if you can hear thunder, you are at risk of being struck. Because of this, the National Weather Service has adopted the following the motto, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors” -- and stay there at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

Severe Winter Storm
Severe winter storms are a complex meteorological event characterized by a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow, strong winds, and dangerous wind chills. They can pose serious risks to human health, safety, and infrastructure.

The National Weather Service (NWS) defines a severe winter storm as one meeting specific criteria, including:

Heavy Snow:

Accumulation of 6 inches or more in 12 hours
Accumulation of 8 inches or more in 24 hours

Sleet: Accumulation of ½ inch or more
Freezing Rain: Accumulation of ¼ inch or more
Blizzard Conditions: Reduced visibility to ¼ mile or less for at least three hours due to falling and/or blowing snow, coupled with winds exceeding 35 mph

Severe winter storms are often called "deceptive killers" as many deaths are indirectly related to the storm. The primary dangers and impacts include:

Life-threatening cold and associated health risks: Hypothermia and frostbite can develop rapidly when exposed to low temperatures and wind chills.

Road Hazards: Heavy snow, blowing snow, ice, and black ice can make roads impassable or treacherous, leading to accidents and fatalities.

Power Outages: Strong winds, heavy snow, and ice accumulations can down trees and power lines, disrupting services and posing safety risks from cold or improper use of backup heating.

Isolation and Disruption of Services: Heavy snow can isolate communities or homes for days, hindering emergency services and disrupting essential services.

Economic Losses: Winter storms can result in significant economic costs due to lost productivity, transportation delays, business closures, infrastructure damage, and cleanup efforts.

Learn more at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Be #winteready!

For all storms

Download the free FEMA app to receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service and to stay informed about watches and warnings. If the option is available, sign up to receive emergency alerts for your area.
Make an emergency plan. Be sure to have extra water and nonperishable foods at home. Get started by having enough supplies for your household, including medication, disinfectants and pet supplies. Make sure you consider your family’s unique needs, including anyone who needs medicine or medical equipment. If there’s a chance you will need to evacuate, create a smaller “go bag” to take with you or keep in the trunk of your vehicle. Remember that after certain severe weather events like a hurricane or tornado, you may not be able to buy some essential items for days or even weeks.

Earthquake Safety at Home

KAMM Snow Mitigation Resources Information document

Tornado

A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes can be among the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.

About 1,200 tornadoes hit the U.S. yearly. Since official tornado records only date back to 1950, we do not know the actual average number of tornadoes that occur each year. Plus, tornado spotting and reporting methods have changed a lot over the last several decades, which means that we are observing more tornadoes that actually happen. (NOAA NSSL)

Be prepared for a tornado by understanding that they can happen anytime, anywhere so it’s important to know where to stay safe. If a tornado warning is issued for your area, immediately find a place such as a basement or storm cellar where you can safely shelter in place. If you can’t find a basement or storm cellar, locate a small, interior room on the lowest level where you are, and shelter there until it is safe to come out of your shelter location.
If you are outside and can’t get to a sturdy building, do not shelter under an overpass or bridge. You’re safer in a low, flat location.
Use your arms to protect your head and neck. Watch out for flying debris that can cause injury or death.

Tornado & High Winds Information.pdf

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are dangerous and can cause major damage from storm surge, wind damage, rip currents and flooding. They can happen along any U.S. coast or in any territory in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. Storm surge historically is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States. Hurricanes are not just a coastal problem. Find out how rain, wind, water and even tornadoes could happen far inland from where a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall. Start preparing now.

Know your risk for hurricanes and take action to be prepared.
If you live in an area that’s affected by hurricanes, practice your evacuation route with household members and pets, and identify where you will stay. Local emergency managers can provide the latest recommendations based on the threat to your community.
Make sure to clear storm drains and gutters and bring outside furniture indoors. Consider installing hurricane shutters if you need added protection against the storm.

Tornado & High Winds Information.pdf

Wildfire

Wildfire Warnings, Watches and Behavior

Red Flag Warning: Take Action. Be extremely careful with open flames. NWS issues a Red Flag Warning, in conjunction with land management agencies, to alert land managers to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern. NWS issues a Red Flag Warning when fire conditions are ongoing or expected to occur shortly.
Fire Weather Watch: Be Prepared. A Watch alerts land managers and the public that upcoming weather conditions could result in extensive wildland fire occurrence or extreme fire behavior. A watch means critical fire weather conditions are possible but not imminent or occurring.
Extreme Fire Behavior: This alert implies a wildfire is likely to rage of out of control. If is often hard to predict these fires because such they behave erratically, sometimes dangerously. One or more of the following criteria must be met:
- Moving fast: High rate of spread
- Prolific crowning and/or spotting
- Presence of fire whirls
- Strong convection column

Wildfire Hazard Season Begins Oct. 1

Kentuckians are urged to be alert as the fall wildfire hazard season begins Oct. 1, bringing outdoor burning restrictions to the state.

The Commonwealth’s outdoor burning law (KRS149.400) prohibits burning between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time if the fire is within 150 feet of any woodland, brushland or field containing dry grass or other flammable materials. These restrictions are in effect every fall (Oct. 1 – Dec. 15) and spring (Feb. 15 – April 30) to help prevent wildfires.

The National Interagency Coordination Center’s Predictive Services provides real-time guidance on the potential for wildfire in geographic areas based upon several data, including precipitation trends.

Kentucky has more than 12 million acres of forests, nearly half the state. Those forests are the foundation of a forest sector that is a major economic force in the Commonwealth. In 2022-2023, Kentucky’s forests supported a forest products industry that had an $18.6 billion total economic contribution and more than 28,000 jobs.

To help prevent wildfires, KDF recommends the following precautions:

Avoid burning debris during fire hazard seasons and during dry, windy conditions. Outdoor burning is illegal between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. in or within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland during wildfire hazard seasons.

Incorporate “Firewise” practices around homes and communities in forested areas. Firewise practices include creating a defensible space around homes by removing leaves, debris and firewood to ensure access for safety personnel and equipment in rural or isolated areas.

Report suspicious acts of arson to the nearest Kentucky State Police post or call the Target Arson Hotline at 800-27-ARSON.

Contact your local fire department or county judge/executive’s office for questions regarding local burn bans. Residents should call the Division for Air Quality at 888-BURN-LAW to learn about other specific regulations before burning anything.

Learn more about the Kentucky Division of Forestry and the Wildland Fire Management Program,

Wildfire Information

Prepare for Severe Weather

Don’t Let Severe Weather Take You by Surprise

KAMM is an Ambassador for a Weather Ready Nation

Find out what you can do before severe weather strikes. Preparation is key to staying safe and minimizing impacts.

Be Weather-Ready: Check the forecast regularly to see if you’re at risk of severe weather. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about severe thunderstorm watches and warnings. Check Weather-Ready Nation for tips.

Sign Up for Notifications: Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smart phones to alert residents to severe storms.

Create a Communications Plan: Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. Pick a safe room in your home such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Get more ideas for a readiness plan.

Practice Your Plan: Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a damaging wind or large hail is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when severe thunderstorm warnings are issued. Don’t forget pets if time allows.

Prepare Your Home: Keep trees and branches trimmed near your house. If you have time before severe weather hits, secure loose objects, close windows and doors, and move any valuable objects inside or under a sturdy structure.

Help Your Neighbor: Encourage your loved ones to prepare for severe thunderstorms. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt during severe weather.

USGS Natural Hazards Gateway - Educates citizens, emergency managers, and lawmakers on natural hazards facing the United States and demonstrates how USGS science helps mitigate disasters and build resilient communities.

Climate Change; Climate Resilience

Climate Change is an urgent issue that all of us face together. Hazard Mitigation can help our communities become more Climate Resilient. Climate change is associated with both rapid-onset events such as floods, hurricanes or wildfires and slow-onset events such as sea level rise or desertification. Climate resilience is the ability of social, economic and environmental systems to withstand these impacts so that they can thrive in spite of the impact. (practicalaction.org).

KAMM's Climate Change & Resilience