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Red River at Clay City

Highest listed crest 26.75 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft70 crests since 1932

The Red River at Clay City crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1932 to 2025. The highest, 26.75 ft on December 9, 1978, was major flooding, 9.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.75 ft
December 9, 1978; 28,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
7
14th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 5, 2025
23.27 ft, major flooding
Location
Powell County
Kentucky

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red River at Clay City
Action stage13.09Mar 7, 2004The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.019Sep 11, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.035Feb 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.07Apr 5, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1932 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red River at Clay City, 1932 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Jan 30, 1932: 20.40 ft, moderate flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1937: 18.70 ft, minor flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1938: 22.80 ft, moderate flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1939: 20.00 ft, moderate flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1939: 22.30 ft, moderate flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1940: 17.71 ft, minor flooding; 9,360 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1942: 19.46 ft, moderate flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1944: 16.81 ft, action stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1945: 18.83 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1948: 19.50 ft, moderate flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1949: 17.24 ft, minor flooding; 8,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1950: 20.28 ft, moderate flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1950: 19.56 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1952: 22.01 ft, moderate flooding; 19,200 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1953: 16.32 ft, action stage; 7,180 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1955: 19.35 ft, moderate flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1956: 18.98 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1957: 17.49 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1958: 18.74 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 23.90 ft, major flooding; 22,600 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1963: 17.75 ft, minor flooding; 8,480 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 16.79 ft, action stage; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1965: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 8,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 19.88 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1967: 19.64 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1968: 19.23 ft, moderate flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1970: 20.60 ft, moderate flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1971: 16.90 ft, action stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1972: 19.02 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 19.42 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1975: 19.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1975: 19.33 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1978: 20.60 ft, moderate flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1978: 26.75 ft, major flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1981: 16.43 ft, action stage; 7,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1983: 16.27 ft, action stage; 7,330 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1984: 19.28 ft, moderate flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1984: 20.52 ft, moderate flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1986: 17.36 ft, minor flooding; 8,760 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1988: 18.80 ft, minor floodingFeb 16, 1989: 22.03 ft, moderate flooding; 17,300 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1990: 19.42 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1990: 21.50 ft, moderate floodingDec 3, 1991: 18.65 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1993: 17.48 ft, minor flooding; 8,930 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1994: 19.29 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1995: 18.90 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 1997: 19.40 ft, moderate floodingJun 18, 1997: 19.41 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 2000: 13.33 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2003: 23.16 ft, major flooding; 19,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2004: 14.59 ft, action stageMar 7, 2004: 15.60 ft, action stageJun 1, 2004: 24.08 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2004: 18.66 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2004: 20.03 ft, moderate flooding; 12,730 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2005: 18.30 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 2006: 19.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 2009: 17.94 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 2010: 23.36 ft, major flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 20.38 ft, moderate flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2015: 20.68 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2015: 20.04 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2015: 17.29 ft, minor flooding; 7,119 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2018: 17.62 ft, minor flooding; 7,431 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2019: 21.10 ft, moderate flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2020: 19.93 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2021: 25.81 ft, major flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2025: 21.31 ft, moderate flooding; 12,726 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2025: 23.27 ft, major flooding; 17,176 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.75 ft, Dec 9, 1978 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red River at Clay City 1930s: 5 1940s: 5 1950s: 7 1960s: 6 1970s: 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 8 8 2000s: 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 4 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Red River at Clay City
1Dec 9, 197826.75+9.75Major28,800
2Mar 1, 202125.81+8.81Major18,500
3Jun 1, 200424.08+7.08Major22,000
4Feb 28, 196223.90+6.90Major22,600
5May 3, 201023.36+6.36Major17,400
6Apr 5, 202523.27+6.27Major17,176
7Feb 17, 200323.16+6.16Major19,600
8Jun 15, 193822.80+5.80Moderate21,100
9Jul 6, 193922.30+5.30Moderate19,800
10Feb 16, 198922.03+5.03Moderate17,300
11Mar 23, 195222.01+5.01Moderate19,200
12Dec 31, 199021.50+4.50Moderate—
13Feb 17, 202521.31+4.31Moderate12,726
14Feb 25, 201921.10+4.10Moderate14,000
15Apr 4, 201520.68+3.68Moderate11,600
16Apr 29, 197020.60+3.60Moderate14,400
17Jan 27, 197820.60+3.60Moderate13,500
18May 8, 198420.52+3.52Moderate13,400
19Jan 30, 193220.40+3.40Moderate15,100
20Mar 5, 201520.38+3.38Moderate11,100
21Feb 1, 195020.28+3.28Moderate15,100
22Apr 15, 201520.04+3.04Moderate10,600
23Sep 18, 200420.03+3.03Moderate12,730
24Feb 4, 193920.00+3.00Moderate14,400
25May 20, 202019.93+2.93Moderate11,500
26Mar 7, 196719.88+2.88Moderate12,600
27May 15, 196719.64+2.64Moderate12,100
28Jul 27, 195019.56+2.56Moderate13,500
29Feb 14, 194819.50+2.50Moderate13,400
30Dec 31, 194219.46+2.46Moderate13,300
31Jan 11, 197419.42+2.42Moderate11,700
32Dec 24, 199019.42+2.42Moderate12,100
33Jun 18, 199719.41+2.41Moderate—
34Mar 4, 199719.40+2.40Moderate—
35Mar 1, 195519.35+2.35Moderate12,800
36Mar 30, 197519.33+2.33Moderate11,400
37Mar 10, 199419.29+2.29Moderate11,800
38Apr 23, 198419.28+2.28Moderate11,300
39Apr 5, 196819.23+2.23Moderate11,300
40Apr 16, 197219.02+2.02Moderate10,900
41Mar 12, 197519.00+2.00Moderate10,900
42Jan 24, 200619.00+2.00Moderate—
43Dec 15, 195618.98+1.98Minor12,000
44May 20, 199518.90+1.90Minor—
45Jan 2, 194518.83+1.83Minor11,700
46Nov 21, 198818.80+1.80Minor—
47Apr 28, 195818.74+1.74Minor11,500
48Jan 19, 193718.70+1.70Minor11,800
49Sep 9, 200418.66+1.66Minor—
50Dec 3, 199118.65+1.65Minor10,700

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CYCK2, 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.