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North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard

Highest listed crest 37.54 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft55 crests since 1912

The North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 55 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2025. The highest, 37.54 ft on January 29, 1957, was major flooding, 17.54 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the North Fork Kentucky River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
37.54 ft
January 29, 1957; 47,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.0 ft
Crests at major
4
26th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
February 16, 2025
30.52 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Perry County
Kentucky

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard
Action stage16.08Feb 20, 1991The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.036Mar 28, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.07Feb 16, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.04Mar 12, 1963Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

55 crests from 1912 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard, 1912 to 2025 152025303540ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 33.0 ft Jan 1, 1912: 36.30 ft, major floodingMay 30, 1927: 34.00 ft, major floodingFeb 3, 1939: 29.95 ft, moderate floodingJul 8, 1942: 21.75 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1944: 17.90 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 1946: 26.55 ft, minor flooding; 27,400 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1947: 25.94 ft, minor flooding; 26,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1948: 19.20 ft, action stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1951: 27.20 ft, moderate flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1953: 23.88 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1955: 20.16 ft, minor flooding; 20,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1956: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1956: 20.71 ft, minor flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1956: 21.29 ft, minor flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1957: 37.54 ft, major flooding; 47,800 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1958: 19.18 ft, action stage; 19,700 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1959: 17.99 ft, action stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1962: 20.90 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 35.00 ft, major flooding; 43,700 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1963: 23.31 ft, minor flooding; 25,600 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 21.74 ft, minor flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 29.85 ft, moderate flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 24.31 ft, minor flooding; 27,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1970: 20.55 ft, minor flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 21.95 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1971: 24.91 ft, minor flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1972: 21.55 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1972: 21.17 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1972: 19.08 ft, action stage; 19,500 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 24.71 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1973: 23.40 ft, minor flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 23.81 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 19.92 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1974: 26.94 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1975: 21.84 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1977: 32.06 ft, moderate flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1978: 19.70 ft, action stage; 20,400 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 32.12 ft, moderate flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1989: 23.43 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1989: 27.35 ft, moderate flooding; 30,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1991: 19.30 ft, action stage; 18,000 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1991: 21.99 ft, minor flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1994: 23.97 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 25.14 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1998: 25.47 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 2002: 24.26 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 2003: 26.94 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 2003: 20.36 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 2015: 24.18 ft, minor flooding; 25,310 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2017: 20.07 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2018: 23.66 ft, minor flooding; 17,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 25.80 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 25.01 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2021: 24.84 ft, minor flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2025: 30.52 ft, moderate flooding; 35,515 cubic feet per second Highest, 37.54 ft, Jan 29, 1957 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 7 1960s: 6 1970s: 11 11 1980s: 3 1990s: 4 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 4 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 55 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard
1Jan 29, 195737.54+17.54Major47,800
2Jan 1, 191236.30+16.30Major—
3Mar 12, 196335.00+15.00Major43,700
4May 30, 192734.00+14.00Major—
5May 7, 198432.12+12.12Moderate38,000
6Apr 5, 197732.06+12.06Moderate39,000
7Feb 16, 202530.52+10.52Moderate35,515
8Feb 3, 193929.95+9.95Moderate—
9Mar 7, 196729.85+9.85Moderate35,500
10Oct 17, 198927.35+7.35Moderate30,200
11Feb 1, 195127.20+7.20Moderate28,100
12Jun 22, 197426.94+6.94Minor31,000
13Feb 16, 200326.94+6.94Minor—
14Jan 8, 194626.55+6.55Minor27,400
15Aug 5, 194725.94+5.94Minor26,700
16Feb 7, 202025.80+5.80Minor28,200
17Apr 19, 199825.47+5.47Minor—
18Mar 4, 199725.14+5.14Minor—
19Mar 1, 202125.01+5.01Minor18,400
20May 7, 197124.91+4.91Minor28,000
21Mar 28, 202124.84+4.84Minor18,300
22Mar 17, 197324.71+4.71Minor27,700
23Dec 31, 196924.31+4.31Minor27,100
24Mar 18, 200224.26+4.26Minor—
25Mar 5, 201524.18+4.18Minor25,310
26Feb 18, 195624.00+4.00Minor24,400
27Feb 11, 199423.97+3.97Minor25,000
28May 19, 195323.88+3.88Minor24,300
29Jan 11, 197423.81+3.81Minor26,300
30Feb 11, 201823.66+3.66Minor17,100
31Jun 16, 198923.43+3.43Minor24,100
32Nov 28, 197323.40+3.40Minor25,700
33Mar 17, 196323.31+3.31Minor25,600
34Dec 3, 199121.99+1.99Minor22,000
35Apr 28, 197021.95+1.95Minor23,500
36Mar 13, 197521.84+1.84Minor23,400
37Jul 8, 194221.75+1.75Minor21,900
38Mar 26, 196521.74+1.74Minor23,200
39Feb 25, 197221.55+1.55Minor23,000
40Apr 16, 195621.29+1.29Minor21,300
41Apr 12, 197221.17+1.17Minor22,400
42Feb 27, 196220.90+0.90Minor22,100
43Mar 14, 195620.71+0.71Minor20,700
44Feb 15, 197020.55+0.55Minor21,600
45Apr 11, 200320.36+0.36Minor—
46Mar 6, 195520.16+0.16Minor20,000
47Apr 24, 201720.07+0.07Minor14,000
48Jun 2, 197419.92−0.08Action20,200
49May 24, 197819.70−0.30Action20,400
50Feb 20, 199119.30−0.70Action18,000

The worst floods along the North Fork Kentucky River

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

January 29, 1957: 37.54 ft here, major flooding

  • JacksonKY · Jan 30, 1957 · 40.41 ft · Major

March 12, 1963: 35.00 ft here, major flooding

  • JacksonKY · Mar 13, 1963 · 37.17 ft · Moderate

May 7, 1984: 32.12 ft here, moderate flooding

  • JacksonKY · May 8, 1984 · 41.97 ft · Major

Gauges on the North Fork Kentucky River

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

Flood gauges on the North Fork Kentucky River
WhitesburgKY10.022.03 ft, Jul 28, 20221
Hazard this gaugeKY20.037.54 ft, Jan 29, 19574
JacksonKY29.043.46 ft, Jul 29, 20226

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HAZK2, 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.