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Licking River at Falmouth

Highest listed crest 51.80 ftFlood stage 33.0 ft27 crests since 1908

The Licking River at Falmouth crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 27 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1908 to 2025. The highest, 51.80 ft on March 2, 1997, was major flooding, 18.80 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Licking River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
51.80 ft
March 2, 1997
Flood stage
33.0 ft
Major flooding from 41.0 ft
Crests at major
4
26th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
38.63 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Pendleton County
Kentucky
Identifiers
NWS FLMK2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Licking River at Falmouth
Action stage23.010Feb 17, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)33.04May 20, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage37.06Apr 6, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage41.04Mar 2, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

27 crests from 1908 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Licking River at Falmouth, 1908 to 2025 102030405060ft Flood stage 33.0 ftMajor 41.0 ft Apr 4, 1908: 30.00 ft, action stageJan 12, 1913: 34.40 ft, minor floodingDec 15, 1915: 31.00 ft, action stageJan 1, 1922: 40.80 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1927: 38.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 23, 1937: 41.40 ft, major floodingMar 20, 1943: 37.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1945: 35.60 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1948: 41.60 ft, major floodingJan 7, 1950: 34.00 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1964: 47.10 ft, major floodingFeb 17, 1989: 39.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 28, 1994: 30.50 ft, action stageMay 19, 1995: 29.00 ft, action stageJan 24, 1996: 20.00 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1996: 29.00 ft, action stageMar 2, 1997: 51.80 ft, major floodingFeb 19, 2000: 37.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 2002: 28.90 ft, action stageSep 25, 2006: 20.70 ft, below flood stageOct 28, 2006: 19.10 ft, below flood stageMay 3, 2010: 32.90 ft, action stage; 60,268 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2015: 30.10 ft, action stageNov 7, 2018: 23.80 ft, action stageMay 20, 2020: 34.40 ft, minor flooding; 63,746 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 32.30 ft, action stageApr 6, 2025: 38.63 ft, moderate flooding; 73,654 cubic feet per second Highest, 51.80 ft, Mar 2, 1997 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Licking River at Falmouth 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Licking River at Falmouth
1Mar 2, 199751.80+18.80Major—
2Mar 10, 196447.10+14.10Major—
3Apr 14, 194841.60+8.60Major—
4Jan 23, 193741.40+8.40Major—
5Jan 1, 192240.80+7.80Moderate—
6Feb 17, 198939.00+6.00Moderate—
7Apr 6, 202538.63+5.63Moderate73,654
8Jan 27, 192738.00+5.00Moderate—
9Mar 20, 194337.00+4.00Moderate—
10Feb 19, 200037.00+4.00Moderate—
11Mar 6, 194535.60+2.60Minor—
12Jan 12, 191334.40+1.40Minor—
13May 20, 202034.40+1.40Minor63,746
14Jan 7, 195034.00+1.00Minor—
15May 3, 201032.90−0.10Action60,268
16Feb 17, 202532.30−0.70Action—
17Dec 15, 191531.00−2.00Action—
18Jan 28, 199430.50−2.50Action—
19Apr 4, 201530.10−2.90Action—
20Apr 4, 190830.00−3.00Action—
21May 19, 199529.00−4.00Action—
22May 16, 199629.00−4.00Action—
23Mar 21, 200228.90−4.10Action—
24Nov 7, 201823.80−9.20Action—
25Sep 25, 200620.70−12.30Below flood stage—
26Jan 24, 199620.00−13.00Below flood stage—
27Oct 28, 200619.10−13.90Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Licking River

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

March 2, 1997: 51.80 ft here, major flooding

March 10, 1964: 47.10 ft here, major flooding

April 14, 1948: 41.60 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Licking River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Licking River
Blue Licks SpringKY25.047.60 ft, Mar 3, 19973
Falmouth this gaugeKY33.051.80 ft, Mar 2, 19974
McKinneysburgKY35.055.21 ft, Mar 2, 19972
SalyersvilleKY17.023.05 ft, May 31, 20041

Other gauges in Pendleton County

Flood gauges in Pendleton County
McKinneysburg35.055.21 ft, Mar 2, 19972

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FLMK2, 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.