Levisa Fork at Paintsville, KY
River level and flood forecast · Johnson County
The river is 30.8 ft below flood stage (35 ft).
Forecast to rise to 5.1 ft Tue 8 AM, below the 35 ft flood stage.
Flow: 976 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:45 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 42 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 38 ft |
| Flood stage | 35 ft |
| Action stage | 28 ft |
| Record crest (January 31, 1957) | 45.92 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 47.4 ft100 year return period flood.
- 45.92 ftFlooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Ninety percent of businesses and eighty percent of homes are flooded.
- 44.6 ft50 year return period flood.
- 44 ftRight bank overtopped.
- 42 ftMajor flooding occurs. Businesses begin to flood.
- 39 ft10 year return period flood.
- 38 ftModerate flooding occurs. Water enters houses along Bridge Street, Frank Street, and Euclid Avenue.
- 35.5 ftWater is in the Veterans Referral Center building on Euclid Avenue.
- 35 ftLow lying areas flood. The underpass at KY 40 is closed, separating the town east of the river. Left bank is overtopped, flooding Bridge Street.
- 32 ftWater covers low spot on underpass of KY 40.
Highest crests on record
- 45.92 ft — January 31, 1957
- 44.2 ft — March 14, 1963
- 42.19 ft — April 6, 1977
- 42.15 ft — February 4, 1939
- 42 ft — January 29, 1918
Recent crests: 40.02 ft (February 17, 2025) · 39.72 ft (March 1, 2021) · 35 ft (February 24, 2019) · 37.67 ft (February 17, 2003) · 40.45 ft (May 9, 1984)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PTVK2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.