1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 18, 2:40 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 240 AM EST MON MAR 18 2002 DUE TO NUMEROUS FLOODING PROBLEMS THIS MORNING...WILL HAVE TO BE KIND OF BRIEF WITH THIS AFD. VERY SERIOUS FLOODING IS OCCURRING IN THE CUMBERLAND RIVER BASIN EARLY THIS MORNING AND THE HEADWATERS OF THE KY RIVER ARE RISING. PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS PACKAGE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SHORT TERM...AND FOR HOW LONG TO CONTINUE WITH THE FLOOD WATCH. 05Z SFC CHART SHOWING A COMPLEX PATTERN OVER THE OHIO AND TN VALLEYS...BUT OVERALL SHOWING ONE COLD FRONTAL BNDRY WITH NUMEROUS LOWS OVER OH/IN/IL AND DOWN INTO AR, WITH ANOTHER BNDRY OVER THE TN/MS VALLEY INTO E TN. 00Z 8H AND 5H CHART SHOWING A VERY MOIST SW FLOW. RADAR SHOWING THAT THE HEAVIEST RAINS THIS MORNING CONTINUE TO FALL OVER THE SOUTHERN MOST PORTIONS OF THE CWA WITH LIGHTER RAINS FALLING ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. STORM TOTAL PRECIPS SHOWING THAT 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES...TAPERING OFF STEADILY TO THE NORTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. MODELS ARGUE THAT THE RAIN TODAY WILL TAPER OFF AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES. THIS DIURNAL TREND HAS BEEN THE CASE THE LAST FEW DAYS AND BASED ON RADAR MOSAICS THIS LOOKS ON TRACK. WILL GO WITH LIKELY POPS TODAY WITH MENTION OF MAINLY THIS MORNING. THEN WE SHOULD GET INTO A LULL (AGAIN) THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE NEXT WAVE/ROUND OF RAINS WONT MOVE IN UNTIL LATE TONIGHT...HOWEVER MODELS HAVE NOT BEEN HANDLING TIMING OF PCPN WELL AT ALL LATELY SO I AM A LITTLE LEARY. MODELS HAVE ALSO BEEN TOO LIGHT ON THE QPFS. DUE TO THE FACT THAT SO MUCH FLOODING IS ONGOING AT THIS TIME...WILL CONTINUE WITH THE FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 4 PM TODAY FOR THE SOUTHERN 1/2-2/3 OF THE CWA. WILL LET DAYSHIFT MAKE THE CALL ON WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND THE WATCH INTO TONIGHT FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF RAINS. ETA/AVN MODELS HAVE BEEN FLIP FLOPPING A BIT ON WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN AXIS WILL SET UP FOR TUE-WED. NOW THE MODELS ARE BRINGING THE RAINS BACK MORE SO ACROSS KY AND SOUTHERN OH/IL/IN...THE CANADIAN MODEL IS EVEN MORE PESSIMISTIC. THE EXTENDED ETA IS SIMILAR TO THE AVN/CANADIAN. OVERALL...IT APPEARS THAT THE HEAVIEST RAIN AXIS WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH...BUT HOW FAR NORTH IS IN QUESTION. IM GOING TO REMAIN A LITTLE PESSIMISTIC FOR TUE AND WED AND KEEP LIKELY POPS GOING...WHICH WILL ADD INSULT TO INJURY AS FAR AS FLOODING PROBLEMS ARE CONCERNED. HOWEVER...IT APPEARS THAT THE AREA OF FLOOD PROBLEMS WILL LIFT MORE NORTHWARD AND AWAY FROM THE CUMBERLAND BASIN...BUT MORE INTO THE KY RIVER BASIN AND THE LICKING BASIN. PCPN SHOULD END ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WED NIGHT AS THE WHOLE SYSTEM FINALLY WINDS UP AND LIFTS OUT. NO CHANGES PLANNED AT THIS TIME FOR THE EXTENDED ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE THE BETTER CHC FOR LIGHT PCPN MAY BE THUR AND NOT FRIDAY AS WE HAVE IN THE ZONES NOW. THAT PCPN WOULD BE QUITE LIGHT THOUGH AND NOT CAUSE ANYMORE FLOOD PROBLEMS. AVN/NGM MOS SIMILAR AND LOOK CLOSE. WILL USE A BLEND WHERE DIFFERENCES DO OCCUR. GFE/IFPS...JUST PLAN ON TWEAKING THE DATA BASE HERE AND THERE AS NEEDED BASED ON LATEST GUIDANCE. WILL RAISE THE POPS SOMEWHAT FOR WED DURING THE DAY. WORK ZONES OUT BEFORE TOO AWFUL LONG UNDER SDFOZFJKL. FURTHER COORDINATION WELCOME. THANKS TO SDF AND MRX FOR COORDINATION. .JKL...FFA FOR THE ABOUT THE SOUTHERN 1/2 OF THE CWA TODAY UNTIL 4 PM. HALL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON, KY
256 AM EST MON MAR 18 2002
TIME(EST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 PM BARBOURVILLE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 KNOX A FEW BRIDGES WASHED OUT.
TRAILER WASHED DOWN HILL.
HIGHWAYS 229 AND 25 CLOSED.
HIGHWAY 1527 BLOCKED.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1030 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 BELL MANY COUNTY ROADS UNDER
WATER AND CLOSED. REPORTED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
0830 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 MCCREARY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
UNDER WATER. NUMEROUS
ROCKSLIDES. WATER OVER
HIGHWAYS 92E AND 1470.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM LONDON KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 LAUREL ROAD CLOSED AT MIDDLE
GROUND WAY AND COURT ROAD.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
1145 PM SOMERSET KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 PULASKI STORM DRAINS BACKED UP.
WALL COLLAPSE. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1045 PM MONTICELLO KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 WAYNE ROUTES KY92 AND 1009
CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 WHITLEY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
EVACUATIONS. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1130 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 HARLAN MANY EVACUATIONS AND ROADS
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1215 AM STINNETT KY FLASH FLOODS
03/19/02 LESLIE ROADS CLOSED DUE TO
FLOODING. HOMES EVACUATED
IN STINNETT. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON, KY
256 AM EST MON MAR 18 2002
TIME(EST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 PM BARBOURVILLE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 KNOX A FEW BRIDGES WASHED OUT.
TRAILER WASHED DOWN HILL.
HIGHWAYS 229 AND 25 CLOSED.
HIGHWAY 1527 BLOCKED.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1030 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 BELL MANY COUNTY ROADS UNDER
WATER AND CLOSED. REPORTED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
0830 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 MCCREARY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
UNDER WATER. NUMEROUS
ROCKSLIDES. WATER OVER
HIGHWAYS 92E AND 1470.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM LONDON KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 LAUREL ROAD CLOSED AT MIDDLE
GROUND WAY AND COURT ROAD.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
1145 PM SOMERSET KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 PULASKI STORM DRAINS BACKED UP.
WALL COLLAPSE. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1045 PM MONTICELLO KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 WAYNE ROUTES KY92 AND 1009
CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 WHITLEY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
EVACUATIONS. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1130 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 HARLAN MANY EVACUATIONS AND ROADS
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1215 AM STINNETT KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 LESLIE ROADS CLOSED DUE TO
FLOODING. HOMES EVACUATED
IN STINNETT. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CEGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON, KY
256 AM EST MON MAR 18 2002
TIME(EST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 PM BARBOURVILLE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 KNOX A FEW BRIDGES WASHED OUT.
TRAILER WASHED DOWN HILL.
HIGHWAYS 229 AND 25 CLOSED.
HIGHWAY 1527 BLOCKED.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1030 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 BELL MANY COUNTY ROADS UNDER
WATER AND CLOSED. REPORTED
BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
0830 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 MCCREARY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
UNDER WATER. NUMEROUS
ROCKSLIDES. WATER OVER
HIGHWAYS 92E AND 1470.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM LONDON KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 LAUREL ROAD CLOSED AT MIDDLE
GROUND WAY AND COURT ROAD.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
1145 PM SOMERSET KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 PULASKI STORM DRAINS BACKED UP.
WALL COLLAPSE. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1045 PM MONTICELLO KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 WAYNE ROUTES KY92 AND 1009
CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1100 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 WHITLEY MANY ROADS CLOSED AND
EVACUATIONS. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
1130 PM COUNTY WIDE KY FLASH FLOODS
03/17/02 HARLAN MANY EVACUATIONS AND ROADS
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1215 AM STINNETT KY FLASH FLOODS
03/18/02 LESLIE ROADS CLOSED DUE TO
FLOODING. HOMES EVACUATED
IN STINNETT. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
CEGThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:46 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rains that fell on March 17 and 18 caused several roads to flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, March 2002
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: 5286660.