How much did the North Fork Kentucky River rise in Eastern KY during floods?
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Flooding in Eastern Kentucky
“Catastrophic” flash flooding hit parts of Eastern Kentucky July 28, 2022.
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Water levels at North Fork Kentucky River in Whitesburg reached record-breaking heights during Thursday’s mass flooding event, according to the National Weather Service.
Data from the NWS’ hydrograph in Whitesburg shows the water level of the North Fork Kentucky River reached 20.91 feet at 10 a.m. Thursday, which broke the previous record by over six feet. The old record stood since 1957.
Only three times has the water level gone above 14 feet, the latest in 1957. The water level has only gone above 10 feet 11 other instances, the latest in March 2021, according to NWS.
The water level eclipsed 10 feet, which is the stage where flooding begins in low lying areas , between 5:15-5:30 a.m. Thursday. The previous water level record of 14.7 feet was broken less than two hours later.
No updates on the water level had been posted since 10 a.m. Thursday. NWS projects the water level to go beneath 10 feet at 1 p.m. Friday and reach more normal levels later in the day.
Water level records at the North Fork Kentucky River in Jackson were also broken early Friday morning. The water level went above the previous record of 43.1 at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. The old record had stood from 1939.
The water level peaked at 43.47 feet at 2:30 a.m. Friday. At 10 a.m. Friday the water level sat at 42.27 and was projected to go down to a more normal level Sunday.
Water levels at the North Fork Kentucky River in Hazard didn’t quite reach record levels but still topped out at 25.74 feet at 11:15 p.m. Thursday, which is the highest it’s been since March 2021. The water level as of 10:30 a.m. Friday was 8.36 feet and steeply declining.
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 8:12 AM with the headline "How much did the North Fork Kentucky River rise in Eastern KY during floods?."
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