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Kentucky River near Ravenna

Highest listed crest 40.30 ftFlood stage 21.0 ft53 crests since 1913

The Kentucky River near Ravenna crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 53 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1913 to 2025. The highest, 40.30 ft on March 2, 2021, was major flooding, 19.30 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Kentucky River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
40.30 ft
March 2, 2021; 86,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
21.0 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
12
7th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 5, 2025
32.02 ft, major flooding
Location
Estill County
Kentucky

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Kentucky River near Ravenna
Action stage17.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.028Mar 30, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.013May 20, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.012Apr 5, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

53 crests from 1913 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kentucky River near Ravenna, 1913 to 2025 202530354045ft Flood stage 21.0 ftMajor 31.0 ft Mar 27, 1913: 38.87 ft, major floodingJan 29, 1918: 37.57 ft, major floodingMar 24, 1929: 37.27 ft, major floodingJan 24, 1937: 27.47 ft, moderate floodingFeb 4, 1939: 39.37 ft, major floodingJan 31, 1957: 38.37 ft, major floodingMar 1, 1972: 37.57 ft, major floodingFeb 9, 1978: 37.57 ft, major floodingFeb 18, 2003: 35.02 ft, major floodingFeb 7, 2004: 30.15 ft, moderate flooding; 49,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2004: 23.44 ft, minor flooding; 34,800 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2004: 28.06 ft, moderate flooding; 45,800 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2004: 22.25 ft, minor flooding; 31,300 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2004: 21.20 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 21.55 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 21.35 ft, minor flooding; 28,598 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 21.14 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 2009: 22.25 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 2009: 25.04 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 2009: 28.58 ft, moderate floodingJan 26, 2010: 24.93 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 2010: 22.52 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 2010: 28.39 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 2011: 21.09 ft, minor flooding; 27,854 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 22.02 ft, minor flooding; 30,558 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 21.08 ft, minor flooding; 27,826 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2013: 22.50 ft, minor flooding; 31,982 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2013: 21.88 ft, minor flooding; 30,143 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2013: 21.14 ft, minor flooding; 27,996 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2014: 21.10 ft, minor flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2015: 22.27 ft, minor flooding; 31,296 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2015: 30.25 ft, moderate flooding; 51,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2015: 26.87 ft, moderate flooding; 42,796 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2015: 25.48 ft, moderate flooding; 39,589 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2015: 25.16 ft, moderate flooding; 38,862 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2016: 24.05 ft, minor flooding; 36,314 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 23.24 ft, minor flooding; 34,140 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2017: 21.57 ft, minor flooding; 29,235 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2018: 22.07 ft, minor flooding; 30,705 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 21.02 ft, minor flooding; 27,657 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 31.73 ft, major flooding; 53,061 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2019: 22.42 ft, minor flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2019: 25.58 ft, moderate flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2019: 23.47 ft, minor flooding; 37,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2020: 25.32 ft, moderate flooding; 39,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2020: 24.93 ft, minor flooding; 38,291 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2020: 22.52 ft, minor flooding; 35,200 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 25.14 ft, moderate flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2021: 40.30 ft, major flooding; 86,300 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2021: 24.71 ft, minor flooding; 41,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2025: 36.96 ft, major flooding; 64,999 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2025: 32.02 ft, major flooding; 53,684 cubic feet per second Highest, 40.30 ft, Mar 2, 2021 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kentucky River near Ravenna 1910s: 2 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 13 2010s: 24 24 2020s: 8 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 53 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kentucky River near Ravenna
1Mar 2, 202140.30+19.30Major86,300
2Feb 4, 193939.37+18.37Major—
3Mar 27, 191338.87+17.87Major—
4Jan 31, 195738.37+17.37Major—
5Jan 29, 191837.57+16.57Major—
6Mar 1, 197237.57+16.57Major—
7Feb 9, 197837.57+16.57Major—
8Mar 24, 192937.27+16.27Major—
9Feb 18, 202536.96+15.96Major64,999
10Feb 18, 200335.02+14.02Major—
11Apr 5, 202532.02+11.02Major53,684
12Feb 25, 201931.73+10.73Major53,061
13Mar 6, 201530.25+9.25Moderate51,400
14Feb 7, 200430.15+9.15Moderate49,700
15May 10, 200928.58+7.58Moderate—
16May 4, 201028.39+7.39Moderate—
17Jun 1, 200428.06+7.06Moderate45,800
18Jan 24, 193727.47+6.47Moderate—
19Apr 4, 201526.87+5.87Moderate42,796
20Dec 18, 201925.58+4.58Moderate43,000
21Apr 15, 201525.48+4.48Moderate39,589
22Feb 8, 202025.32+4.32Moderate39,180
23Jul 16, 201525.16+4.16Moderate38,862
24May 20, 202025.14+4.14Moderate42,000
25May 5, 200925.04+4.04Moderate—
26Jan 26, 201024.93+3.93Minor—
27Feb 14, 202024.93+3.93Minor38,291
28Mar 30, 202124.71+3.71Minor41,000
29Feb 17, 201624.05+3.05Minor36,314
30Dec 31, 201923.47+2.47Minor37,700
31May 28, 200423.44+2.44Minor34,800
32May 2, 201623.24+2.24Minor34,140
33Feb 7, 201022.52+1.52Minor—
34Mar 22, 202022.52+1.52Minor35,200
35Jan 17, 201322.50+1.50Minor31,982
36Dec 2, 201922.42+1.42Minor34,900
37Feb 23, 201522.27+1.27Minor31,296
38Dec 2, 200422.25+1.25Minor31,300
39Jan 29, 200922.25+1.25Minor—
40Mar 26, 201822.07+1.07Minor30,705
41Apr 17, 201122.02+1.02Minor30,558
42Feb 1, 201321.88+0.88Minor30,143
43Apr 25, 201721.57+0.57Minor29,235
44Apr 3, 200521.55+0.55Minor29,200
45Mar 7, 200421.40+0.40Minor28,700
46Apr 16, 200721.35+0.35Minor28,598
47Dec 11, 200421.20+0.20Minor28,200
48Jan 8, 200921.14+0.14Minor—
49Apr 19, 201321.14+0.14Minor27,996
50Feb 5, 201421.10+0.10Minor27,900

The worst floods along the Kentucky River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Kentucky River that crested above flood stage within a week.

March 2, 2021: 40.30 ft here, major flooding

February 4, 1939: 39.37 ft here, major flooding

March 27, 1913: 38.87 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Kentucky River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Kentucky River
HeidelbergKY20.035.60 ft, Feb 4, 19399
Ravenna this gaugeKY21.040.30 ft, Mar 2, 202112
Ford LockKY26.040.15 ft, Dec 10, 19781
Camp NelsonKY30.047.04 ft, Apr 6, 20256
High Bridge LockKY30.053.10 ft, Dec 8, 19786
Frankfort LockKY31.048.47 ft, Dec 10, 197810
LockportKY33.056.85 ft, Jan 26, 19376

Estill County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kentucky

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RAVK2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.