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South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana

Highest listed crest 28.53 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft35 crests since 1913

The South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1913 to 2025. The highest, 28.53 ft on March 3, 1997, was major flooding, 8.53 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.53 ft
March 3, 1997; 39,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
3
37th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
21.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Harrison County
Near Paris (13.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana
Action stage16.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.026Apr 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.06May 20, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.03Mar 3, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 1913 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana, 1913 to 2025 202224262830ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Mar 27, 1913: 21.00 ft, minor floodingNov 2, 1919: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1919: 22.30 ft, moderate flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1920: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1922: 22.60 ft, moderate flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondDec 8, 1924: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1927: 21.20 ft, minor flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1928: 20.10 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1937: 20.00 ft, minor flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1943: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1948: 23.32 ft, major flooding; 35,300 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1950: 20.80 ft, minor flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1950: 20.60 ft, minor flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1952: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1961: 20.22 ft, minor flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 20.55 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1964: 22.59 ft, moderate flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 20.48 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 20.08 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1978: 22.99 ft, moderate flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1979: 21.40 ft, minor flooding; 24,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1989: 23.02 ft, major flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1995: 21.20 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 1995: 20.00 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 1997: 28.53 ft, major flooding; 39,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2000: 20.43 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2002: 20.50 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2008: 20.11 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 2010: 21.92 ft, minor flooding; 25,834 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2011: 21.98 ft, minor flooding; 25,958 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2015: 22.98 ft, moderate flooding; 28,155 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 2018: 20.09 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2020: 22.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 16, 2025: 20.26 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 21.78 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.53 ft, Mar 3, 1997 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana 1910s: 3 1920s: 5 5 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 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

Highest listed crests, South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana
1Mar 3, 199728.53+8.53Major39,000
2Apr 13, 194823.32+3.32Major35,300
3Feb 16, 198923.02+3.02Major28,300
4Dec 10, 197822.99+2.99Moderate26,100
5Apr 5, 201522.98+2.98Moderate28,155
6Jan 24, 192222.60+2.60Moderate32,300
7Mar 5, 196422.59+2.59Moderate29,000
8May 20, 202022.40+2.40Moderate—
9Dec 7, 191922.30+2.30Moderate31,100
10Apr 13, 201121.98+1.98Minor25,958
11May 4, 201021.92+1.92Minor25,834
12Apr 6, 202521.78+1.78Minor23,800
13Nov 2, 191921.40+1.40Minor27,700
14Mar 19, 194321.40+1.40Minor27,700
15Sep 22, 197921.40+1.40Minor24,800
16Jan 22, 192721.20+1.20Minor27,000
17May 19, 199521.20+1.20Minor—
18Mar 27, 191321.00+1.00Minor—
19Jan 6, 195020.80+0.80Minor25,700
20Dec 8, 192420.60+0.60Minor25,100
21Jun 19, 195020.60+0.60Minor25,100
22Feb 28, 196220.55+0.55Minor25,000
23Jan 9, 192020.50+0.50Minor24,800
24Mar 20, 200220.50+0.50Minor—
25Jan 11, 197420.48+0.48Minor23,000
26Feb 19, 200020.43+0.43Minor—
27Feb 16, 202520.26+0.26Minor21,000
28May 8, 196120.22+0.22Minor24,000
29Mar 23, 195220.20+0.20Minor23,900
30Apr 5, 200820.11+0.11Minor—
31Jun 30, 192820.10+0.10Minor23,600
32Sep 25, 201820.09+0.09Minor—
33Mar 14, 197820.08+0.08Minor22,200
34Jan 22, 193720.000.00Minor23,300
35Dec 19, 199520.000.00Minor—

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CYNK2, 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.