North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard water level

Name: North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard 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, North Fork Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.46ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 AM EDT (17 min ago)

Flow: 189 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard reads 4.46 ft, a normal level.

It is 15.54 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.46 ft and 4.64 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 37.54 ftJanuary 29, 1957

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 20.00 ft, still 15.54 ft away.

What happens at each level

37.50 ft: Flooding will exceed highest stage on record. Most of Hazard is covered. Water is four feet deep in some sections of business district.
34.60 ft: Main street is flooded in front of the First National Bank building.
33.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. Much of the business district is covered.
29.40 ft: Flooding reaches the front of the old railroad station.
28.50 ft: Flood waters cover the foot of the Depot bridge.
27.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. The lower part of the business district is affected.
25.00 ft: Flooding begins in some basements.
20.00 ft: Low lying areas flood. The street at the mouth of Big Bottom Branch is flooded.
4.46 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: 16 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	37.54 ft	January 29, 1957
2	36.30 ft	January 1, 1912
3	35.00 ft	March 12, 1963
4	34.00 ft	May 30, 1927
5	32.12 ft	May 7, 1984
6	32.06 ft	April 5, 1977
7	30.52 ft	February 16, 2025
8	29.95 ft	February 3, 1939
9	29.85 ft	March 7, 1967
10	27.35 ft	October 17, 1989

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.81 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 36° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 65° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 68° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 67° 43° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 67° 41° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 71° 45° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the North Fork Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Kentucky River at WhitesburgRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	22 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	24 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at BeattyvilleRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	9.73 ft	No reference yet	−0.24 ft	36 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cutshin Creek at WootonRiver gauge, Cutshin Creek	16.0 cfs	Normal	−5.9 cfs	9 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	4.16 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	17 mi
Poor Fork at CumberlandRiver gauge, Poor Fork	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	22 mi
Martin's Fork near HarlanRiver gauge, Martin's Fork	72.1 cfs	Normal	+6.1 cfs	29 mi
Cumberland River near HarlanRiver gauge, Cumberland River	178 cfs	Normal	+7.0 cfs	29 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	168 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	31 mi
South Fork Kentucky River at BoonevilleRiver gauge, South Fork Kentucky River	3.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.54 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 North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 AM EDT, the water level was 4.46 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard?

The highest level on record is 37.54 ft on January 29, 1957.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03277500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.24658, -83.18278 (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	4.46 ft	2026-10-19 11:45	Provisional
Flow	189 cfs	2026-10-19 11:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Fork Kentucky River at Hazard (usgs:03277500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/north-fork-kentucky-river-at-hazard

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