73
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in McCracken County, Kentucky: 73 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #316 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in McCracken County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in McCracken County is the 2010s, when 25 of the county's 73 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 McCracken County archive, flash flood makes up 13.9% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #316 for this hazard and #6 within Kentucky, putting it in the 89.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in McCracken County with 15 recorded events, while Oct 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2000 | BARKLEY ARPT | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2025 | PADUCAH | 0 | $125K |
| Jul 18, 2025 | PADUCAH | 0 | $5K |
| Feb 15, 2025 | KREBS | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 15, 2025 | OAKS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | OAKS | 0 | $150K |
| Mar 3, 2023 | FUTRELL | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2023 | FREMONT | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2022 | LONE OAK | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2022 | HARDMONEY | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 17, 2022 | PADUCAH | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McCracken County
- Thunderstorm Wind 217
- Hail 76
- Flood 70
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread flash flooding occurred in Paducah. Between 4.8 and 5.5 inches of rain was measured in less than two hours. Numerous vehicles were stranded on flooded streets. Some people were rescued from stranded cars by police and fire personnel. A railroad underpass on a major city street was impassable. Garages and basements were flooded. Several apartments and at least one home were flooded. In the downtown Paducah area, the courthouse and jail were flooded.
A wide area of flooding developed near Baptist Hospital in Paducah, with water flooding the main entrance of the hospital. Multiple cars were pictured stranded in roughly 6-8 inches of water. Several vehicles were stuck in the water at 28th and Jefferson, and additional stuck vehicle reports came in from Broadway St and Jackson St. Hourly rainfall rates peaked at 1.5-2 an hr over that Midtown portion of Paducah.
In Paducah, several vehicles were stranded beneath a railroad overpass on U.S. Highway 62. Vehicles were stalled out on at least one other flooded roadway. One of the vehicles was a van with three children inside. A tow truck successfully pulled the van out of the water. Numerous other traffic issues occurred in Paducah due to water on the roadways. There was minor flooding of several residences in Paducah. Water was deep enough to enter vehicles on U.S. Highway 62 in Paducah. A lot of overflow was reported in places that don't normally flood near the Ballard County line. On the west side of Paducah, flash flooding of a creek damaged a small bridge, floated two vehicles, and entered an apartment.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in McCracken County, Kentucky?
73 flash flood events are recorded in McCracken County between 1996 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in McCracken County?
The strongest flash flood on record in McCracken County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for McCracken 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 McCracken County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/mccracken-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.