Flood — Lawrence, Kentucky

2025-04-03 to 2025-04-05 · near Hannah, Lawrence, Kentucky

Event narrative

Blaine Creek near Blaine exceeded a bankfull level of 17 feet on the afternoon of April 3rd. The creek initially crested late that night, but rose to a second, higher crest around 20.3 feet the afternoon of the 4th. The creek then receded back into its banks early in the morning on the 5th. Blaine Elementary School, Blaine Community Park, a log home downstream of the gauge, low sections of County Route 201, Left and Right Fork Laurel Road, and agricultural fields adjacent to the gauge were flooded in the midst of the swollen creek.

Wider weather episode

A line of showers and thunderstorms followed a warm front across the Middle Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians during the morning of April 3rd. A cold front brought more precipitation into the area the night of the 3rd and then stalled over West Virginia through the morning of the 4th. Showers continued in the vicinity of the boundary which slid to the south on the afternoon of the 4th before being lifted north as a warm front again on the 5th. Another cold front arrived the evening of the 5th and once again stalled over West Virginia. Precipitation eventually tapered off as the front sank to the southeast on the 7th.

Three to six inches of rain fell within the first 48 hours of the event, then an additional one to two inches accumulated in northeast Kentucky before precipitation exited on the 7th. Roads began to flood as creeks, streams, and smaller rivers rose out of their banks. Portions of Blaine Creek, Tygarts Creek, and the Little Sandy River all experienced flooding. Runoff eventually made its way into the Ohio River, causing flooding from the 6th through the 8th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.0226, -82.8828)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1242632. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.