Kentucky, 2000

Flash Flooding in Kentucky, January 3, 2000

January 3, 2000 · NWS PAH · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A slow-moving band of thunderstorms with torrential downpours affected most of the Pennyrile region of West Kentucky. 47 inches at Marion.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
$593,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 PAH wrote it up.

A slow-moving band of thunderstorms with torrential downpours affected most of the Pennyrile region of West Kentucky. Storms earlier in the day had already saturated the ground, and this additional rain brought rainfall totals up to 5.66 inches at Princeton, 4.94 inches at Owensboro, and 5.47 inches at Marion. Many creeks and streams rose out of their banks. Many road closures were required due to washouts, especially in Crittenden, Webster, Daviess, and Mclean Counties. In Calloway County, Bee Creek flooded fields, including a soccer field. In Daviess County, about 50 homes on the southwest side of Owensboro were threatened or directly affected by flooding. Road closures in Daviess County included U.S. 431 and Kentucky Routes 2707, 2698, 2699, 661, and 81. In Mclean County, flooding was reported on Kentucky Routes 256, 797, and 136. Water was also over U.S. 431 at Island. Occurrences of road flooding were less numerous in Lyon and Caldwell Counties. In Hopkins County, between one quarter and one half million dollars damage was caused by road washouts. A Hopkins County school was flooded. In Henderson County, two homes just east and southeast of Cairo sustained flood damage.

The radar

The Ft Campbell radar (KHPX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Caldwell

When
January 3, 5:10 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where
Caldwell County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Crittenden

When
January 3, 5:10 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Crittenden County, Countywide
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Daviess

When
January 3, 5:20 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Daviess County, Countywide
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Hopkins

When
January 3, 5:20 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where
Hopkins County, Countywide
Property damage
$400,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, McLean

When
January 3, 5:20 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where
McLean County, Countywide
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Webster

When
January 3, 5:20 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where
Webster County, Countywide
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Henderson

When
January 3, 6:00 PM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Henderson County, Countywide
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Lyon

When
January 3, 6:15 PM CST to 7:45 PM CST
Where
Lyon County, Countywide
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Muhlenberg

When
January 3, 6:15 PM CST to 7:50 PM CST
Where
Muhlenberg County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Calloway

When
January 3, 6:20 PM CST to 7:55 PM CST
Where
Calloway County, Countywide
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.621, -88.272 (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

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2000

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: 5132360, 5132361, 5132362, 5132363, 5132364, 5132365, 5132367, 5132368, 5132369, 5132366.