Prepping in Louisville
Hurricane Ike's winds in 2008 and an ice storm in early 2009 each left a huge part of Louisville without power. The city also sits beside the Ohio River and a major chemical corridor.
- Ohio River flooding
- Severe storms and ice
- Chemical incidents
Sign up today
The official Louisville alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- LENSAlertSign up for LENSAlert
Louisville Metro's emergency notification system. Text LENSAlert to 67283, or set up a free Smart911 profile to add details about your household.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Louisville
- Ohio River flooding
- The floodwall protects much of the city, but heavy rain still floods creeks, basements and low streets.
- Severe storms and tornadoes
- Spring and summer storms bring tornado warnings and damaging wind.
- Ice and winter storms
- The January 2009 ice storm brought down trees and lines across the city for days.
- Chemical incidents
- Industrial plants in the Rubbertown area mean some neighborhoods may be told to shelter in place.
- Heat
- Humid summers make outages dangerous.
What that means for your plan
Know how to shelter in place: close windows and doors, turn off HVAC, and wait for the all-clear on official channels.
Plan for long outages in both winter and summer: warmth, a way to cool down, water and a power station.
Never drive into flooded roads, and keep valuables off basement floors.
Do these first, in this order
- LENSAlert and a NOAA weather radio
Tornado, flood and shelter-in-place alerts.
Radios and communication guide - Power station
Phones, lights and medical devices through outages.
Power stations and generators guide - Warmth without power
Ice storms bring long outages in the cold.
Lighting and staying warm guide - Two weeks of water
Basic insurance for any long outage.
Water storage and filters guide - Shelter-in-place kit
Plastic sheeting, tape and N95 masks.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - First-aid kit
Storm cleanup injuries.
First aid and medical guide
Questions
How do I get emergency alerts in Louisville?
Text LENSAlert to 67283 for Louisville Metro's alerts, and consider a Smart911 profile. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on, too.
What should I do if told to shelter in place?
Go inside, close windows and doors, turn off heating and air conditioning, and stay tuned to official alerts until the all-clear.
How ready is your Louisville home?
The quiz weights every item for suburbs risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.