Levisa Fork at Paintsville water level

Name: Levisa Fork at Paintsville water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Levisa Fork, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.72ft Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 885 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:07 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Levisa Fork at Paintsville is at 3.72 ft, in the normal range.

It is 31.28 ft below the flood stage of 35.00 ft.

It has risen 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM. There is still 31.28 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 3.50 ft and 5.47 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 45.92 ftJanuary 31, 1957
Forecast peak: 3.60 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Levisa Fork at Paintsville

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 35.00 ft, 31.28 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

47.40 ft: 100 year return period flood.
45.92 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Ninety percent of businesses and eighty percent of homes are flooded.
44.60 ft: 50 year return period flood.
44.00 ft: Right bank overtopped.
42.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. Businesses begin to flood.
39.00 ft: 10 year return period flood.
38.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. Water enters houses along Bridge Street, Frank Street, and Euclid Avenue.
35.50 ft: Water is in the Veterans Referral Center building on Euclid Avenue.
35.00 ft: Low lying areas flood. The underpass at KY 40 is closed, separating the town east of the river. Left bank is overtopped, flooding Bridge Street.
32.00 ft: Water covers low spot on underpass of KY 40.
3.72 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	45.92 ft	January 31, 1957
2	44.20 ft	March 14, 1963
3	42.19 ft	April 6, 1977
4	42.15 ft	February 4, 1939
5	42.00 ft	January 29, 1918
6	42.00 ft	March 24, 1929
7	41.36 ft	March 1, 1955
8	41.06 ft	May 8, 1958
9	41.06 ft	January 9, 1946
10	40.70 ft	January 18, 1918

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 38° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 68° 43° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 43° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 74° 47° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on Levisa Fork

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Levisa Fork at Big RockRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	2.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	46 mi
Levisa Fork below Fishtrap Dam near MillardRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	10.84 ft	No reference yet	±0	34 mi
Levisa Fork at PikevilleRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	6.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	28 mi
Levisa Fork at PrestonsburgRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blaine Creek near BlaineRiver gauge, Blaine Creek	2.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	15 mi
Licking River below Mason Fork near SalyersvilleRiver gauge, Licking River	4.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	16 mi
Tug Fork at KermitRiver gauge, Tug Fork	3.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.65 ft	21 mi
Johns Creek near MetaRiver gauge, Johns Creek	15.3 cfs	Normal	−4.6 cfs	25 mi
Big Sandy River at LouisaRiver gauge, Big Sandy River	4.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.89 ft	26 mi
Tug Fork at WilliamsonRiver gauge, Tug Fork	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	30 mi
East Fork Twelvepole Creek near DunlowRiver gauge, East Fork Twelvepole Creek	4.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	30 mi
Little Sandy River below Grayson Dam near LeonRiver gauge, Little Sandy River	42.8 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Levisa Fork at Paintsville?

The official flood stage is 35.00 ft. The level is currently 31.28 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Levisa Fork at Paintsville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT, the water level was 3.72 ft. Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Levisa Fork at Paintsville rising or falling?

Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Levisa Fork at Paintsville normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Levisa Fork at Paintsville?

The highest level on record is 45.92 ft on January 31, 1957.

Is Levisa Fork at Paintsville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03212500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.81537, -82.79155 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.72 ft	2026-10-19 12:45	Provisional
Flow	885 cfs	2026-10-19 12:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Levisa Fork at Paintsville (usgs:03212500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/levisa-fork-at-paintsville

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer