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North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson — water level right now

Breathitt County, Kentucky · NWS gauge JKNK2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
29
minor flood stage
 
43.46
record crest
set 2022-07-29
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 23
minor · 29
moderate · 31
major · 40
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage40extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage31some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage29low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage23water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
143.462022-07-29+14.46 above
243.11939-02-04+14.1 above
342.91927-05-30+13.9 above
441.971984-05-08+12.97 above
541.281951-02-02+12.28 above
640.551948-02-14+11.55 above
740.411957-01-30+11.41 above
8401918-01-28+11 above
9401913-03-01+11 above
1039.91929-03-24+10.9 above
1139.042021-03-02+10.04 above
1238.81946-01-08+9.8 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Middle Fork Kentucky River at Buckhorn Lake 15 mi away · loading… South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville 16 mi away · loading… Kentucky River at Heidelberg 21 mi away · loading… Licking River near Salyersville 22 mi away · loading… North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard 24 mi away · loading… South Fork Kentucky River at Oneida 24 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDJKNK2
USGS site03280000
CountyBreathitt
StateKentucky
NWS forecast officeJackson
River forecast centerOhio River Forecast Center
Coordinates37.551, -83.385
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson

Is North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 29 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson?

major flood stage 40 ft, moderate flood stage 31 ft, minor flood stage 29 ft, action stage 23 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 43.46 ft, reached on 2022-07-29 — that is 14.46 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Jackson and local emergency management.