Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Licking River at McKinneysburg

Highest listed crest 55.21 ftFlood stage 35.0 ft71 crests since 1921

The Licking River at McKinneysburg crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1921 to 2025. The highest, 55.21 ft on March 2, 1997, was major flooding, 20.21 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
55.21 ft
March 2, 1997
Flood stage
35.0 ft
Major flooding from 50.0 ft
Crests at major
2
46th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
43.76 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Pendleton County
Kentucky

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 McKinneysburg
Action stage32.015Sep 25, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)35.014Feb 17, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage42.04Apr 6, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage50.02Mar 2, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1921 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Licking River at McKinneysburg, 1921 to 2025 102030405060ft Flood stage 35.0 ftMajor 50.0 ft Dec 1, 1921: 42.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 20, 1937: 47.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 17, 1939: 36.68 ft, minor flooding; 40,400 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1940: 32.77 ft, action stage; 34,600 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1941: 21.90 ft, below flood stage; 18,800 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1942: 23.72 ft, below flood stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1943: 40.86 ft, minor flooding; 46,700 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1944: 24.45 ft, below flood stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1945: 40.41 ft, minor flooding; 43,400 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1946: 32.92 ft, action stage; 32,800 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1947: 24.72 ft, below flood stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1948: 47.59 ft, moderate flooding; 54,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1949: 30.42 ft, below flood stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1951: 33.58 ft, action stage; 32,700 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1952: 33.96 ft, action stage; 32,600 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1953: 31.25 ft, below flood stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1954: 13.25 ft, below flood stage; 7,050 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1955: 28.95 ft, below flood stage; 26,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1956: 32.25 ft, action stage; 31,600 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1957: 30.26 ft, below flood stage; 26,700 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1958: 31.93 ft, below flood stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 33.12 ft, action stage; 33,200 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1960: 29.24 ft, below flood stage; 27,700 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1961: 41.08 ft, minor flooding; 44,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 39.09 ft, minor flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1963: 30.55 ft, below flood stage; 29,600 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 50.26 ft, major flooding; 59,100 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1965: 24.35 ft, below flood stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1966: 29.45 ft, below flood stage; 25,800 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1966: 32.26 ft, action stage; 29,400 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1968: 30.48 ft, below flood stage; 27,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1969: 22.67 ft, below flood stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1970: 31.67 ft, below flood stage; 28,700 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1970: 26.83 ft, below flood stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1972: 33.88 ft, action stage; 31,500 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1972: 31.04 ft, below flood stage; 27,900 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 1974: 36.00 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1975: 33.67 ft, action stage; 31,600 cubic feet per secondOct 18, 1975: 29.82 ft, below flood stage; 26,300 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1977: 20.65 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 35.59 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1978: 38.73 ft, minor flooding; 37,900 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1979: 26.06 ft, below flood stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1981: 19.28 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1983: 37.67 ft, minor flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1984: 27.49 ft, below flood stage; 23,100 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1985: 20.84 ft, below flood stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1986: 25.20 ft, below flood stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1988: 25.59 ft, below flood stage; 20,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 28.42 ft, below flood stage; 25,500 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1990: 32.85 ft, action stage; 30,600 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1991: 30.40 ft, below flood stageDec 3, 1991: 28.43 ft, below flood stage; 25,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1993: 28.06 ft, below flood stage; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1994: 34.80 ft, action stageMar 11, 1994: 29.80 ft, below flood stageMar 2, 1997: 55.21 ft, major floodingDec 17, 2000: 25.37 ft, below flood stage; 21,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2002: 34.03 ft, action stageMay 6, 2003: 32.35 ft, action stage; 30,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 24.41 ft, below flood stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 26.13 ft, below flood stage; 23,400 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2010: 38.39 ft, minor flooding; 37,451 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2011: 36.17 ft, minor flooding; 37,573 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2011: 34.96 ft, action stage; 35,843 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2015: 35.41 ft, minor flooding; 36,484 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2018: 33.95 ft, action stage; 27,651 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 2018: 28.47 ft, below flood stage; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 38.36 ft, minor flooding; 36,214 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 37.07 ft, minor flooding; 35,569 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 43.76 ft, moderate flooding; 43,229 cubic feet per second Highest, 55.21 ft, Mar 2, 1997 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Licking River at McKinneysburg 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 0 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 43.75 ft on Feb 16, 1989.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Licking River at McKinneysburg
1Mar 2, 199755.21+20.21Major—
2Mar 10, 196450.26+15.26Major59,100
3Jan 20, 193747.80+12.80Moderate—
4Apr 13, 194847.59+12.59Moderate54,100
5Apr 6, 202543.76+8.76Moderate43,229
6Dec 1, 192142.50+7.50Moderate—
7May 9, 196141.08+6.08Minor44,700
8Mar 20, 194340.86+5.86Minor46,700
9Mar 7, 194540.41+5.41Minor43,400
10Feb 28, 196239.09+4.09Minor41,800
11Dec 10, 197838.73+3.73Minor37,900
12May 4, 201038.39+3.39Minor37,451
13May 20, 202038.36+3.36Minor36,214
14May 4, 198337.67+2.67Minor36,500
15Feb 17, 202537.07+2.07Minor35,569
16Apr 17, 193936.68+1.68Minor40,400
17Apr 13, 201136.17+1.17Minor37,573
18Jan 12, 197436.00+1.00Minor34,300
19Mar 14, 197835.59+0.59Minor33,800
20Apr 4, 201535.41+0.41Minor36,484
21Apr 24, 201134.96−0.04Action35,843
22Jan 28, 199434.80−0.20Action—
23Mar 21, 200234.03−0.97Action—
24Mar 23, 195233.96−1.04Action32,600
25Sep 25, 201833.95−1.05Action27,651
26Apr 23, 197233.88−1.12Action31,500
27Apr 26, 197533.67−1.33Action31,600
28Jan 15, 195133.58−1.42Action32,700
29Jan 22, 195933.12−1.88Action33,200
30Jun 17, 194632.92−2.08Action32,800
31Dec 19, 199032.85−2.15Action30,600
32Mar 3, 194032.77−2.23Action34,600
33May 6, 200332.35−2.65Action30,100
34Dec 11, 196632.26−2.74Action29,400
35Feb 18, 195632.25−2.75Action31,600
36May 7, 195831.93−3.07Below flood stage31,500
37Apr 2, 197031.67−3.33Below flood stage28,700
38Mar 4, 195331.25−3.75Below flood stage29,400
39Dec 9, 197231.04−3.96Below flood stage27,900
40Mar 17, 196330.55−4.45Below flood stage29,600
41May 27, 196830.48−4.52Below flood stage27,100
42Feb 16, 194930.42−4.58Below flood stage29,400
43Mar 24, 199130.40−4.60Below flood stage—
44Apr 4, 195730.26−4.74Below flood stage26,700
45Oct 18, 197529.82−5.18Below flood stage26,300
46Mar 11, 199429.80−5.20Below flood stage—
47May 1, 196629.45−5.55Below flood stage25,800
48Jul 3, 196029.24−5.76Below flood stage27,700
49Mar 7, 195528.95−6.05Below flood stage26,700
50Nov 6, 201828.47−6.53Below flood stage24,700

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: 55.21 ft here, major flooding

  • FalmouthKY · Mar 2, 1997 · 51.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Blue Licks SpringKY · Mar 3, 1997 · 47.60 ft · Major · its highest

March 10, 1964: 50.26 ft here, major flooding

January 20, 1937: 47.80 ft here, moderate flooding

  • FalmouthKY · Jan 23, 1937 · 41.40 ft · Major

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
FalmouthKY33.051.80 ft, Mar 2, 19974
McKinneysburg this gaugeKY35.055.21 ft, Mar 2, 19972
SalyersvilleKY17.023.05 ft, May 31, 20041

Other gauges in Pendleton County

Flood gauges in Pendleton County
Falmouth33.051.80 ft, Mar 2, 19974

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MKBK2, 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.