Flash Flood, Bell
- When
- April 18, 7:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Bell County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 36.731, -83.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flooding in Kentucky, April 18 to 19, 1998
From April 18 to 19, most of southeast Kentucky received 1 to 3 inches of rain, but some spots received 3 to 5 inches. The heavy rain resulted in widespread flash flooding, small stream flooding, and eventually river flooding.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.7 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 19
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.
From April 18 to 19, most of southeast Kentucky received 1 to 3 inches of rain, but some spots received 3 to 5 inches. The heavy rain resulted in widespread flash flooding, small stream flooding, and eventually river flooding. Numerous roads were flooded, or blocked by mud and rock slides. Flooding was especially severe along the Right and Left Forks of Beaver Creek in Floyd County. Approximately 229 homes were affected by the flash flooding in Floyd County, and numerous residents had to be evacuated.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
19 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Harlan
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Harlan County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 36.857, -83.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Letcher
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Letcher County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $40,000
- Coordinates
- 37.121, -82.855 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Knott
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Knott County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Coordinates
- 37.354, -82.954 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Perry
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Perry County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Coordinates
- 37.244, -83.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Leslie
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Leslie County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $180,000
- Coordinates
- 37.094, -83.381 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Clay
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clay County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 37.160, -83.715 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Laurel
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Laurel County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 37.111, -84.118 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Knox
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Knox County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 36.891, -83.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Whitley
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Whitley County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 36.758, -84.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, McCreary
- When
- April 18, 10:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- McCreary County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 36.737, -84.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Lee
- When
- April 18, 11:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Lee County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $60,000
- Coordinates
- 37.595, -83.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Owsley
- When
- April 18, 11:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Owsley County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $80,000
- Coordinates
- 37.419, -83.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Breathitt
- When
- April 18, 11:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Breathitt County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 37.522, -83.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Magoffin
- When
- April 18, 11:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Magoffin County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $75,000
- Coordinates
- 37.707, -83.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Floyd
- When
- April 18, 11:00 PM EST to April 19, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Floyd County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $165,000
- Coordinates
- 37.557, -82.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Martin
- When
- April 19, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Martin County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 37.802, -82.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Pike
- When
- April 19, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Pike County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 37.469, -82.396 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Johnson
- When
- April 19, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Johnson County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Coordinates
- 37.847, -82.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 18, 1998
- Tornado in Alabama, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Alabama, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Georgia, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Mississippi, April 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, April 18, 1998
- Flooding in Indiana, April 18 to 30, 1998
- Hail in Texas, April 18 to 27, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Louisiana, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Alabama, April 18, 1998
- Hail in Alabama, April 18, 1998
More
Every storm in Kentucky in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 1998
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: 5642932, 5642933, 5642934, 5642935, 5642936, 5642937, 5642938, 5642939, 5642940, 5642941, 5642942, 5642943, 5642944, 5642945, 5642946, 5642947, 5642948, 5642949, 5642950.