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North Fork Kentucky River at Whitesburg — water level right now

Letcher County, Kentucky · NWS gauge WHTK2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
10
minor flood stage
 
22.03
record crest
set 2022-07-28
–
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 · 8
minor · 10
moderate · 12
major · 14
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage14extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage10low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage8water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
122.032022-07-28+12.03 above
214.71957-01-29+4.7 above
314.51942-07-01+4.5 above
414.351927-05-01+4.35 above
513.051963-02-01+3.05 above
612.812025-02-16+2.81 above
711.261982-09-14+1.26 above
811.21989-10-17+1.2 above
911.152021-03-28+1.15 above
1011.011977-04-04+1.01 above
1110.581998-04-17+0.58 above
1210.21994-02-11+0.2 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

Carr Creek at Carr Creek Lake 14 mi away · loading… Poor Fork Cumberland River at Cumberland 14 mi away · loading… North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard 22 mi away · loading… Levisa Fork at Pikeville 29 mi away · loading… Russell Fork near Elkhorn City 29 mi away · loading… Levisa Fork at Fishtrap Lake 31 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDWHTK2
USGS site03277300
CountyLetcher
StateKentucky
NWS forecast officeJackson
River forecast centerOhio River Forecast Center
Coordinates37.118, -82.825
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 Whitesburg

Is North Fork Kentucky River at Whitesburg 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 10 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 Whitesburg?

major flood stage 14 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 10 ft, action stage 8 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 Whitesburg?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 22.03 ft, reached on 2022-07-28 — that is 12.03 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.