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Licking River near Salyersville

Highest listed crest 23.05 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft8 crests since 2002

The Licking River near Salyersville crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 8 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2002 to 2025. The highest, 23.05 ft on May 31, 2004, was major flooding, 6.05 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.05 ft
May 31, 2004
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 21.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
February 16, 2025
19.16 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Magoffin 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 near Salyersville
Action stage14.01May 3, 2002The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.03May 2, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.03Feb 16, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage21.01May 31, 2004Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

8 crests from 2002 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Licking River near Salyersville, 2002 to 2025 141618202224ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 21.0 ft May 3, 2002: 14.92 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2003: 17.75 ft, minor flooding; 3,710 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 23.05 ft, major floodingApr 30, 2005: 17.52 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2009: 20.67 ft, moderate flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 17.09 ft, minor flooding; 3,446 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 20.43 ft, moderate flooding; 7,320 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 19.16 ft, moderate flooding; 4,320 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.05 ft, May 31, 2004 20052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Licking River near Salyersville 2000s: 4 4 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 2000s2010s2020s
  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. 95 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 25.40 ft on Feb 3, 1939; 19.58 ft on Mar 6, 1939; 19.17 ft on Jul 5, 1939; 18.19 ft on Apr 20, 1940; 18.91 ft on Jun 23, 1942; 20.40 ft on Mar 20, 1943; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Licking River near Salyersville
1May 31, 200423.05+6.05Major—
2May 9, 200920.67+3.67Moderate5,000
3Mar 1, 202120.43+3.43Moderate7,320
4Feb 16, 202519.16+2.16Moderate4,320
5Feb 16, 200317.75+0.75Minor3,710
6Apr 30, 200517.52+0.52Minor—
7May 2, 201617.09+0.09Minor3,446
8May 3, 200214.92−2.08Action2,630

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 1, 2021: 20.43 ft here, moderate flooding

February 16, 2025: 19.16 ft here, moderate flooding

February 16, 2003: 17.75 ft here, minor 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
FalmouthKY33.051.80 ft, Mar 2, 19974
McKinneysburgKY35.055.21 ft, Mar 2, 19972
Salyersville this gaugeKY17.023.05 ft, May 31, 20041

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SAYK2, 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.