Kentucky, 1997

Flooding in Kentucky, March 1 to 4, 1997

March 1 to 4, 1997 · NWS JKL · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Flash flooding that began early in the day developed into widespread small stream and river flooding. The Licking River below Cave Run Lake, and along the Fleming-Bath County line reached its highest level in history.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 JKL wrote it up.

Flash flooding that began early in the day developed into widespread small stream and river flooding. The Licking River below Cave Run Lake, and along the Fleming-Bath County line reached its highest level in history. Sherburne was especially hard hit.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Bath

When
March 1, 6:00 PM EST to March 4, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Bath forecast zone
Property damage
$2.0 million
Coordinates
38.145, -83.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Fleming

When
March 1, 6:00 PM EST to March 4, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Fleming forecast zone
Property damage
$3.0 million
Coordinates
38.370, -83.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rowan

When
March 1, 6:00 PM EST to March 4, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Rowan forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Coordinates
38.196, -83.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

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: 5594458, 5594459, 5594460.