48
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$7.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Johnson County, Kentucky: 48 recorded events between 1998 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #639 nationally and #25 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Johnson County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Johnson County is the 2010s, when 27 of the county's 48 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Johnson County archive, flash flood makes up 14.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #639 for this hazard and #25 within Kentucky, putting it in the 78.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for flash flood in Johnson County with 13 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2015 | FLATGAP | 0 | 4 | 15 | $3.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2025 | DAWKINS | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 24, 2019 | DAWKINS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2017 | OIL SPGS | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 28, 2017 | DENVER | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 13, 2015 | PAINTSVILLE | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 13, 2015 | STAFFORDSVILLE | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 13, 2015 | FLATGAP | 0 | $3.5M |
| Jul 6, 2015 | LOWMANSVILLE | 0 | $10K |
| Sep 6, 2014 | WILLIAMSPORT | 0 | $1K |
| Sep 4, 2014 | EAST PT | 0 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Johnson County
- Thunderstorm Wind 191
- Hail 58
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding occurred in the Redbush and Flatgap communities, with devastating flooding occurring along Big Mudlick Creek and Ramey Branch. Four fatalities occurred and over 50 swift water rescues were performed in this area. Entire double wide houses were seen floating down Big Mudlick Creek and getting forced under a bridge. More than 150 homes were destroyed with as many as 500 homes being affected to some extent. While no rain gauges were located in this hard hit area, radar estimates indicate that around 3 of rain fell in an hour with brief rainfall rates of 6 to 7 per hour falling.||Of the four fatalities, one elderly woman and a disabled man were killed as they were trapped inside their mobile homes which were swept away by the flooding. A man was swept away after he got out of his sport utility vehicle as water rose around it. A fourth flood victim drown while attempting to rescue family members from the flood waters. He had successfully rescued his father, uncle, sister and nephew before being swept away.
Widespread flash flooding occurred across much of Johnson County during the evening of August 22nd as over three inches of rain fell in one to two hours. Basements, garages and homes were flooded in numerous areas with multiple reports of road damage to private and public property. Roads were completely blocked and in some cases were completely washed away. There were also numerous reports of downed trees and electric lines due to mudslides. Sixteen homes were classified as having major damage along with two businesses.
Flash flooding produce property damage and a number of road closures with flood waters reported entering homes in many locations. Roads that were closed because of the flooding included Hwy 581, Hwy 132, Hwy 993, Whipporwill road, the right fork of Lindy Branch, and KY Rt. 3224. Route 581 from the 2600 block to the 3600 block had 2.5 feet of water flowing across it and the water reached depths of 5 to 6 feet during the worst of the flooding. Route 132 and the right fork of Lindy Branch Road had chest deep water across them with four homes in the area flooded.Heavy rain also caused a number of mudslides in and around Wittensville. Multiple trees were also wash off hillsides in the area.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Johnson County, Kentucky?
48 flash flood events are recorded in Johnson County between 1998 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Johnson County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Johnson County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Johnson County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Johnson County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/johnson-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.