Flash Flooding in Kentucky, April 16 to 17, 1998

Severe thunderstorms on the evening of April 16 produced wind damage, hail, and tornadoes. At Windy in Wayne County, a barn was damaged by thunderstorm winds, and a spotter south of Brodhead in Rockcastle County estimated wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph. East of Hazel Patch, in Laurel County, a trailer was damaged by thunderstorm winds. Two tornadoes also touched down, one in Rockcastle County, and another that moved from Wayne into McCreary County. The thunderstorms also brought extremely heavy rain, and this resulted in widespread flash flooding from the 16th to the 17th. Numerous roads were flooded, and some roads and bridges were washed out. There were also several massive mud and rock slides. One slide severely damaged a house in Leslie County. In Clay County a house on Elk Creek was completely washed off its foundation early on April 17th. Numerous houses and trailers were also flooded in Clay County, and some people had to escape the rising waters by climbing from the windows of their homes. A security guard at a coal tipple in Clay County had to be rescued by a helicopter. Corbin, in Whitley County, was especially hard hit. Forty to fifty businesses in Corbin sustained flood damage. Local residents described the flood in downtown Corbin as the worst since 1957.