Rivers in Kentucky
South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville
Below flood stage
2.97ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 8:30 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 27.00 ft
- Record crest
- 44.33 ft2021
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 38.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 32.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 27.00 ft |
| Action | 21.50 ft |
- 44.33 ftFlooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Town is completely cut off.
- 35.00 ftWater enters the basement of a home off of Highway 30 on the right bank of the river.
- 27.00 ftLow lying areas flood. The bridge at Upper Wolf Creek Road, Shephards Lane, and the east end of Applegate Road at Buck Creek are impassable.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 18% |
| Moderate flooding | 15% |
| Major flooding | 6% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 22, 2026.
Crest history
115 crests on NOAA’s list since 1926.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 1, 2021 | 44.33 ft |
| 2 | January 30, 1957 | 43.40 ft |
| 3 | February 17, 2025 | 42.76 ft |
| 4 | June 29, 1947 | 41.70 ft |
| 5 | May 8, 1984 | 41.12 ft |
| 6 | February 28, 1962 | 40.74 ft |
| 7 | February 1, 1939 | 40.50 ft |
| 8 | March 14, 1975 | 40.36 ft |
| 9 | March 13, 1963 | 39.85 ft |
| 10 | March 23, 1929 | 39.30 ft |
| 11 | January 8, 1946 | 38.83 ft |
| 12 | February 17, 2003 | 38.63 ft |
| 13 | February 2, 1951 | 38.48 ft |
| 14 | February 14, 1948 | 38.26 ft |
| 15 | April 5, 1977 | 37.75 ft |
| 16 | December 22, 1926 | 37.00 ft |
| 17 | April 29, 1970 | 36.93 ft |
| 18 | December 9, 1978 | 36.91 ft |
| 19 | February 18, 1956 | 36.85 ft |
| 20 | January 11, 1974 | 36.84 ft |
| 21 | March 7, 1967 | 36.10 ft |
| 22 | February 7, 2004 | 35.67 ft |
| 23 | October 18, 1989 | 34.28 ft |
| 24 | April 13, 1972 | 34.28 ft |
| 25 | March 23, 1952 | 34.14 ft |
Most recent crests
- February 17, 2025: 42.76 ft
- March 29, 2021: 31.18 ft
- March 1, 2021: 44.33 ft
- May 20, 2020: 28.39 ft
- February 14, 2020: 27.33 ft
- February 7, 2020: 32.09 ft
- December 31, 2019: 29.05 ft
- December 17, 2019: 31.31 ft
- February 24, 2019: 32.09 ft
- February 21, 2019: 30.59 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.