Flood, Pendleton
- When
- March 1, 12:30 PM EST to March 6, 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Pendleton forecast zone
- Deaths
- 5 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $35 million
- Coordinates
- 38.696, -84.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood in Kentucky, March 1 to 6, 1997
Persistent heavy rainfall occurred for nearly 36 hours on the 1st and 2nd. Up to 12 inches of rain fell across parts of Northern Kentucky bringing the Licking river at Falmouth out of it's banks.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 5
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $35 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS ILN wrote it up.
Persistent heavy rainfall occurred for nearly 36 hours on the 1st and 2nd. Up to 12 inches of rain fell across parts of Northern Kentucky bringing the Licking river at Falmouth out of it's banks. On the evening of the 2nd, the river crested at over 50 feet, which is the highest stage on record. The crest is an estimation since the gage was under water. Over 80 percent of Falmouth was inundated with water and almost the entire town of 2400 residents was evacuated. The town of Butler also experienced significant flooding. US 27 and Route 22 were covered by high water. Five people were killed by the river flooding all of which returned to their homes after being evacuated to shelters.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Pendleton | 1997-03-02 | 53 | Male | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
| Flood, Pendleton | 1997-03-02 | 54 | Female | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
| Flood, Pendleton | 1997-03-02 | 14 | Female | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
| Flood, Pendleton | 1997-03-02 | 75 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Flood, Pendleton | 1997-03-02 | 27 | Male | In Water | Direct |
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Tornadoes in Tennessee, March 1, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Flooding in Tennessee, March 1 to 11, 1997
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Tornadoes in Arkansas, March 1, 1997
- Flash Flood in Ohio, March 1 to 2, 1997
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, March 1, 1997
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, March 1 to 2, 1997
More
Every storm in Kentucky in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, March 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5597066.