Flood — Monroe, Kentucky

2018-12-31 · near Gamaliel, Monroe, Kentucky

Event narrative

A 19 year old female on Lyons Road attempted to drive through a low water crossing on the Rocky Branch of the East Fork of the Barren River just before 7 pm CST on New Year's Eve, but was washed away by the swollen creek's rising water. Her vehicle was carried downstream 500 yards, where it was discovered unoccupied the next day. After several days of searching, law enforcement located her body seven miles downstream on January 5, 2019.

Wider weather episode

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms rolled through southern Indiana and central Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of December 31, 2018. In addition to strong straight line wind gusts that caused sporadic tree damage in the region, heavy rains caused creeks to rise in southern Kentucky. A teen who drove into a low-water crossing across a creek in Monroe County lost her life when her vehicle was washed away.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.6746, -85.7850)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 793808. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.