Kentucky, 2002

Flash Flooding in Kentucky, January 24, 2002

January 24, 2002 · NWS LMK · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

6 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 2:45 PM EST, 10 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 23, 2:45 PM EST, 10 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
245 PM EST WED JAN 23 2002

MODELS IN PRETTY MUCH AGREEMENT.

PROBLEMS CONT WITH IFPS.

WL REINTRODUCE PCPN WITH SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN ADVNC OF
VIGOROUS CDFNT SLATED TO PRESS INTO LOWER OHIO VALLEY TNGHT WITH
PROGRESSION FURTHER EAST ON THURS.

AMS THEN BEGINS TO DRY OUT FROM THE WEST AND NORTH THURSDAY NIGHT AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILD INTO RGN AND WIND SHIFTS TO NORTH.

WL MNTN HEAVY RAIN WORDING IN ALL ZONES FOR TONIGHT AND SPS ISSUED.

NGM AND AVN MOS RSNBL XCPT IN THE FIRST 12 TO 18 HOURS...WL USE THE 3HRLY MOS
TMPS...THRFTR WL USE A BLEND OF MOS.

.SDF...NONE.

CONGER

The radar

The Louisville radar (KLVX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:32 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Scott

When
January 24, 1:30 AM EST to 1:50 AM EST
Where
Scott County, Biddle
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.292, -84.584 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters engulfed a car on Biddle Road in northern Scott County. The occupants of the car, two males and one female, were rescued without injury.

Flash Flood, Meade

When
January 24, 1:30 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Meade County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.970, -86.217 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters closed roads countywide.

Flash Flood, Breckinridge

When
January 24, 1:45 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Breckinridge County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.773, -86.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters closed roads countywide.

Flash Flood, Oldham

When
January 24, 1:45 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Oldham County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.399, -85.448 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters closed roads countywide.

Flash Flood, Hancock

When
January 24, 2:20 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Hancock County, Countywide
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.842, -86.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters closed roads countywide.

Flash Flood, Jefferson

When
January 24, 2:30 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
Where
Jefferson County, Countywide
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
38.187, -85.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Various roads were closed in Louisville due to high water. Floyds Fork in eastern Jefferson County flooded.

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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2002

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: 5279714, 5279718, 5279717, 5279719, 5279715, 5279716.