BlockBefore

Letcher County, Kentucky

91 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases across 1 place.

Research this county

From the record

4 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Kentucky within the United States
Letcher County within Kentucky
Explore by year 1909 1926

What the record shows

  • 1 place in this county was surveyed for fire insurance: Whitesburg, in 1927.
  • 2 fire insurance atlases survive for the county. Topographic coverage is national; fire insurance survey reached only incorporated places with something worth insuring.
  • 1,495 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 4 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings and 1 district.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 85 populated places in this county; 85 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Photographs

1 photograph,

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Jenkins Central Power Plant, North side of U.S. Highway 23, south of Little Elkhorn Creek, Jenkins, Letcher County, KY
Jenkins Central Power Plant, North side of U.S. Highway 23, south of Little Elkhorn Creek, Jenkins, Letcher County, KY
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress

Places on the National Register

4

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
C.B. Caudill Storebuilding200100001597
Dunham High Schoolbuilding2025100011679
Jenkins Schoolbuilding201111000004
Whitesburg Historic Districtdistrict200606000813

Digitised newspapers

6 issues

Sampled issues, machine-read from the Library of Congress scan and published page by page, so every headline and column is searchable text.

The Mountain Eagle

Whitesburg, Letcher County, Ky., 1907 to Current. Machine-read from the Library of Congress scan.

The county from the air

30 shown

Flown by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1937 and 1989, the Aerial Photo Single Frames collection is the definitive mid-century view of the land: fields, roads and rivers as the camera saw them. The Survey holds 628 frames inside the rectangle that bounds this county; the 30 frames below were taken over the county itself, chosen across the decades of flights (at most four a year from that rectangle), so one flight cannot crowd out the rest. The full set is free to browse and download at EarthExplorer under the dataset Aerial Photo Single Frames.

U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-04-17, scale 1:36400
1952-04-17, scale 1:36400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-04-17, scale 1:36400
1952-04-17, scale 1:36400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-04-17, scale 1:36400
1952-04-17, scale 1:36400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1952-04-17, scale 1:36400
1952-04-17, scale 1:36400. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-20, scale 1:39000
1953-04-20, scale 1:39000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-20, scale 1:39000
1953-04-20, scale 1:39000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-20, scale 1:39000
1953-04-20, scale 1:39000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1953-04-20, scale 1:39000
1953-04-20, scale 1:39000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:60000
1960-04-19, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:60000
1960-04-19, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:60000
1960-04-19, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1960-04-19, scale 1:60000
1960-04-19, scale 1:60000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-05-01, scale 1:28000
1961-05-01, scale 1:28000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-05-01, scale 1:28000
1961-05-01, scale 1:28000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-05-01, scale 1:28000
1961-05-01, scale 1:28000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1961-05-01, scale 1:28000
1961-05-01, scale 1:28000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-09-29, scale 1:22000
1969-09-29, scale 1:22000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1969-09-29, scale 1:22000
1969-09-29, scale 1:22000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1975-04-06, scale 1:78000
1975-04-06, scale 1:78000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-04-01, scale 1:80000
1976-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-04-01, scale 1:80000
1976-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1976-04-01, scale 1:80000
1976-04-01, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-04, scale 1:80000
1977-03-04, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-04, scale 1:80000
1977-03-04, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-04, scale 1:80000
1977-03-04, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1977-03-24, scale 1:80000
1977-03-24, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.
U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph, 1979-12-04, scale 1:80000
1979-12-04, scale 1:80000. U.S. Geological Survey aerial photograph.

Weather records

9 stations, 3 gages

The thermometers that kept this county's weather, and the gages that measured the flow of its streams, as the federal records hold them. The extremes below are measured values from those records, not estimates.

The 1950 census, district by district

52 districts

Who lived here in 1950, one enumeration district at a time, as the Census Bureau described each district. Each row opens its official National Archives result, with Population Schedules and ED Maps available there.

  • 67-1Whitesburg city, comprising parts of Magisterial Districts 1 and 7: Whitesburg city - That part in Magisterial District 1
  • 67-2Whitesburg city - That part in Magisterial District 7 north of State Hwy. 15
  • 67-3Whitesburg city - That part in Magisterial District 7 south of State Hwy. 15
  • 67-4Jeremiah, unincorporated, comprising parts of Magisterial Districts 1 and 5: Jeremiah, unincorporated - That part in Magisterial District 1 Bounded by 1/2 mile offset line east of and parallel to unnamed road and State Hwy. 7; Unnamed road, State Hwy. 7, Southerly line from junction of State Hwy. 7 and Unnamed road to Magisterial District line; Magisterial District line; Magisterial District line
  • 67-5Jeremiah, unincorporated - That part in Magisterial District 5 Bounded by County line; Magisterial District line, State Hwy. 7; State Hwy. 7; 1/4 mile offset line west of and parallel to State Hwy. 7, Unnamed road and Unnamed road
  • 67-6Jeremiah, unincorporated - That part in Magisterial District 5 Bounded by Magisterial District line; Southerly line from junction of Magisterial District line to intersection of unnamed creek and unnamed road; Unnamed road, Unnamed creek, 1/4 mile offset line west of and parallel to unnamed road; State Hwy. 7
  • 67-7Magisterial District 1, outside Whitesburg city and Jeremiah, unincorporated: Magisterial District 1 - That part north of Little Cowan Creek and Cowan Creek, southeast of Cowan Creek - Whitesburg Rd., and east of State Hwy. 15, outside Whitesburg city
  • 67-8Magisterial District 1 - That part west of State Hwy. 15, north of Cowan Creek - Whitesburg Rd. and North Fork of Kentucky River, and southeast of State Hwy. 160
  • 67-9Magisterial District 1 - That part northwest of State Hwy. 160, outside Jeremiah, unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of Jeremiah)
  • 67-10Magisterial District 1 - That part southwest of North Fork of Kentucky River, Cowan Creek and Little Cowan Creek (Remainder of Magisterial District 1 is in Whitesburg city and Jeremiah, unincorporated)
  • 67-11Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated, comprising parts of Magisterial Districts 2 and 8: Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated - That part in Magisterial District 2 Bounded by 1/4 mile offset line north of and parallel to U. S. Hwy. 119; Jenkins town limits; 1/4 mile offset line south of and parallel to U. S. Hwy. 119; Magisterial District line
  • 67-12Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated - That part in Magisterial District 8 Bounded by 1/4 mile offset line north of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119; Magisterial District line; 1/4 mile offset line south of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119; Unnamed road extended and unnamed road
  • 67-13Magisterial District 2, outside Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated: Jenkins town: Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Town limits; Town limits; North Fork of Kentucky River; Joes Branch
  • 67-14AJenkins town - That part Bounded by North Fork of Kentucky River; Recreation Hotel property line; Town limits; Town limits
  • 67-14BJenkins town - That part Bounded by North Fork of Kentucky River; Church Hollow Creek; Town limits; Recrestion Hotel property line
  • 67-14CJenkins town - That part Bounded by North Fork of Kentucky River; Town limits; Town limits; Church Hollow Creek
  • 67-15Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Town limits; Joes Branch; North Fork of Kentucky River, Elkhorn Creek; Elkhorn Creek, Elkhorn Creek extended
  • 67-16Jenkins town - That part Bounded by U.S. Hwy. 119; Elkhorn Creek; North Fork of Kentucky River; Town limits
  • 67-17Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Unnamed road from Wright Fork to Elkhorn Creek; Elkhorn Creek; U.S. Hwy. 119, Town limits; Wright Fork
  • 67-18Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Town limits; Elkhorn Creek extended, Elkhorn Creek; Unnamed road from Wright Fork to Elkhorn Creek; Wright Fork
  • 67-19Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Town limits; Town limits; Wright Fork; She Fork, She Fork extended
  • 67-20Jenkins town - That part Bounded by Town limits; She Fork extended, She Fork; Wright Fork; Town limits
  • 67-21Magisterial District 2 - That part Bounded by County line; County line; State line; Jenkins town limits
  • 67-22Magisterial District 2 - That part outside Haymond -Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated Bounded by Jenkins town limits; 1/4 mile offset line north of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119; Magisterial District line (See separate map for boundaries of Haymond -Cromona - Potters Fork)
  • 67-23Magisterial District 2 - That part outside Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated Bounded by 1/4 mile offset line south of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119; Jenkins town limits; County line; Magisterial District line (See separate map for boundaries of Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork) (Remainder of Magisterial District 2 is in Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated)
  • 67-24Magisterial District 3: Magisterial District 3 - That part Bounded by County line; Magisterial District line; State Hwy. 113; State Hwy. 7
  • 67-25Magisterial District 3 - That part Bounded by County line; State Hwys. 7, 15, 160; Magisterial District line
  • 67-26Magisterial District 3 - That part Bounded by State Hwy. 113; Magisterial District line; Magisterial District line; State Hwys. 160, 15, 7
  • 67-27Magisterial District 4: Magisterial District 4 - That part north of U.S. Hwy. 119, Eolia Rd. and Poor Fork of Cumberland River
  • 67-28Magisterial District 4 - That part south of U.S. Hwy. 119, Eolia Rd. and Poor Fork of Cumberland River
  • 67-29Magisterial District 5, outside Jeremiah, unincorporated: Blackey town
  • 67-30Hot Spot, unincorporated: Hot Spot, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Unnamed stream, Johnson's Creek, 1/2 mile offset line north of and parallel to State Hwy. 160; Magisterial District line; State Hwy. 160, Magisterial District line; 1/4 mile offset line west of and parallel to Johnson's Branch
  • 67-31Hot Spot, unincorporated - That part Bounded by State Hwy. 160; Magisterial District line; Magisterial District line; State Hwy. 160
  • 67-32Magisterial District 5 - That part north of Rockhouse Creek and North Fork of Kentucky River, and east of Elk Creek, Unnamed road from Bull Run to Elk Creek, and Bull Run, outside Blackey town and Jeremiah, unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of Jeremiah)
  • 67-33Magisterial District 5 - That part west of Bull Run, Unnamed road from Bull Run to Elk Creek, and Elk Creek, and north of North Fork of Kentucky River
  • 67-34Magisterial District 5 - That part south and southwest of North Fork of Kentucky River, outside Blackey town
  • 67-35Magisterial District 5 - That part northeast of North Fork of Kentucky River and southeast of Rockhouse Creek, outside Blackey town and the unincorporated places of Hot Spot and Jeremiah. (See separate maps for boundaries of Hot Spot and Jeremiah) (Remainder of Magisterial District 5 is in Jeremiah, unincorporated)
  • 67-36Magisterial District 6: Magisterial District 6 - That part east and south of State Hwy. 160
  • 67-37Magisterial District 6 - That part west and north of State Hwy. 160
  • 67-38Magisterial District 7, outside Whitesburg city: Thornton, unincorporated: Thornton, unincorporated - That part Bounded by U.S. Hwy. 119; 1/4 mile offset line east of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119; Unnamed road extended; U.S. Hwy. 119
  • 67-39Thornton, unincorporated - That part Bounded by Due east line; U.S. Hwy. 119; Unnamed road; Unnamed road, 1/4 mile offset line west of and parallel to U.S. Hwy. 119
  • 67-40Magisterial District 7 - That part north of Mayking - Bilvia Rd., and east of U.S. Hwy. 119 and Thornton Creek, outside Thornton unincorporated. (See separate map for boundaries of Thornton)
  • 67-41Magisterial District 7 - That part west of Thornton Creek and U.S. Hwy. 119, outside Whitesburg city and Thornton, unincorporated (See separate map for boundaries of Thornton)
  • 67-42Magisterial District 7 - That part southeast of U.S. Hwy. 119 and south of Mayking - Bilvia Rd. (Remainder of Magisterial District 7 is in Whitesburg city)
  • 67-43Magisterial District 8, outside Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork, unincorporated: Fleming town: Fleming town - That part north of Main (State Hwy. 343)
  • 67-44Fleming town - That part south of Main (State Hwy. 343)
  • 67-45Neon city: Neon city - That part east of State Hwy. 317
  • 67-46Neon city - That part west of State Hwy. 317
  • 67-47Seco town
  • 67-48Hemphill, unincorporated Bounded by County line; 1/2 mile offset line east of and parallel to State Hwy. 317; State Hwy. 317, Unnamed road; 1/2 mile offset line west of and parallel to State Hwy. 317
  • 67-49Magisterial District 8 - That part west of State Hwy. 317 and northwest of U.S. Hwy. 119, outside Neon city and Seco town and Hemphill, unincorporated. (See seperate map for boundaries of Hemphill)
  • 67-50Magisterial District 8 - That part east of State Hwy. 317 and southeast of U.S. Hwy. 119, outside Fleming town, Neon city, and Seco town and the unincorporated places of Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork and Hemphill. (See separate maps for boundaries of Haymond - Cromona - Potters Fork and Hemphill) (Remainder of Magisterial District 8 is in Haymond - Cromona- Potters Fork, unincorporated)

Wildfire, 1997 to 2020

788 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 788 of them, burning about 38,228 acres. None started naturally and 118 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning385
Missing data/not specified/undetermined194
Arson/incendiarism118
Recreation and ceremony73
Equipment and vehicle use6
Misuse of fire by a minor5
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Smoking3

The five largest, by the area the report gives. Three of them were set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
4 November 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined2,765 acresKentucky Division of ForestryCLOVERLICK FIRE
7 November 1999Arson/incendiarism1,756 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
25 November 2012Debris and open burning1,542 acresKentucky Division of ForestryBARTESTA B
26 October 2016Debris and open burning1,500 acresKentucky Division of ForestryLITTLE SHEPHERDS TRAIL
7 April 1999Debris and open burning1,500 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
1 November 2001Arson/incendiarism1,500 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
2 November 2016Debris and open burning1,200 acresKentucky Division of ForestryNUMBER ONE HILL
10 November 2001Arson/incendiarism1,000 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1968 to 2025

60 of 285 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 285 reports for this county, causing 3 deaths, no injuries and about $5,439,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind143
Flash Flood49
Hail41
Flood31
Heavy Rain16
Tornado2
Lightning1
Funnel Cloud1
Debris Flow1

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2022Flash FloodDay3 killedMultiple reports of flash flooding were received across the eastern half of Letcher County. Some of these reports include:||01:00 AM EST - Pictures show a car forced into a culvert pipe by flash flooding in front of the Colson Volunteer Fire Department. |05:00 AM EST - The Isom IGA is innundated to above the doorway by flash flooding along Rockhouse Creek.|05:20 AM EST - A picture showed the Appalshop at Whitesburg innundated by flash flood waters. |05:30 AM EST - A picture showed several feet of flash flood waters rushing down East Main Street (KY-15) in front of the Railroad Street Mercantile of downtown Whitesburg.|06:00 AM EST - Flash flooding was reported at 7:12 AM EST (though likely started closer to 6:00 AM EST) along KY-119 between JD Maggard Store and the Upper FD. |07:00 AM EST - The cooperative observer located 1 mile SSW of Ermine measured a 24-hour rainfall total of 3.45 inches.
June 1983Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500,000no account filed
August 2001Flash FloodCountywide$548,000Public roads and bridges were no match for the flash flooding that moved through the county. Heavy rains on already saturated ground produced widespread damage. The damage was extensive enough for the county to be classified as a Presidentially Declared Disaster Area. Homes were also damaged in the deluge in the Gilley and Gordon areas. Kentucky Highway 510 was completely flooded and residents of the area had to be rescued from the high water.
June 2004Flash FloodWhitesburg$500,000One foot of water was over Highway 931, south of Cowan. Highway 931 was washed out near Highway 2035 and residents were evacuated out of their homes in Cowan. Highway 2035 was impassable and water was reported to have flooded into homes.
February 2020FloodJenkins$350,000A local radio station reported nearly 3 dozen roads impacted by flood waters across Letcher County, including several locations in Whitesburg and Jenkins. Mudslides were also caused by the previous heavy rainfall. Elkhorn Dam was seen with water rushing over it into the streets downtown due to the heavy rain.||Emergency Management also reported numerous roads impacted by flood waters. The most substantial of these being on Orchard Road near the community of Ice, west of Whitesburg. High water in the North Fork of the Kentucky River caused a pier of a bridge to be ripped up and destroyed.
July 2000Flash FloodCountywide$300,000Flash flooding caused significant damage to 20 roads and at least 18 bridges. Six of the damaged bridges were deemed unusable. 15 to 20 homes received water damage and two were evacuated.
May 1978Tornado (F1)not stated$250,000no account filed
July 2002Flash FloodFleming$200,000Heavy rains sent flood waters raging through the town of Fleming-Neon and some outlying areas. The flash flooding damaged homes, closed businesses, and coated City Hall in mud. The flooding also temporarily closed local roads.
July 2004Flash FloodWhitesburg$110,000Greater than six inches of water was flowing across the intersection of Kentucky Highways 119 and 2035. Near the community of Cowan, two to three people were evacuated. Fifteen homes sustained interior water damage with an additional 15 homes receiving exterior water damage. Three to four bridges were washed out and a portion of Highway 931 was damaged.
May 2018Flash FloodMillstone$80,000Dispatch and local media reported several instances of flash flooding from near Fish Pond Lake to Fleming-Neon and Whitaker. This included portions of Kentucky Highway 3406 being closed, along with several other local roads. Just southeast of Tolliver Town and near Payne Gap, a couple of culverts were displaced due to swiftly flowing flood waters. Three people had to be rescued from their vehicles after they became inundated by water, while four homes were flooded.
February 2019Heavy RainSkyline$70,000Local media reported at least 30 rock and mud slides in and around Whitesburg and throughout the county, along with pavement breaks. A slide in Whitesburg caused Main Street to be shutdown for a couple of weeks to ensure its structural integrity.
May 2009Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$50,000Downed power lines left 3500 people without power across the county.
June 2009Flash FloodHemphill$50,000A bridge on Highway 343 was washed out. Homes on Yonts Fork Road had water flowing into them.
April 1998Flash FloodCountywide$40,000no account filed
May 2009Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$30,000Numerous trees were reported down on Hwys 317, 805 and 343. Similar problems were also reported in Fleming Neon and Jenkins.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindCrown$25,000Power lines were blown down 2 miles northwest of Whitesburg in the Sand Lick and Smoot areas.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$25,000Trees down countywide. Road crews spent 2 days cutting downed trees off the roads.
April 1998HailIsom$20,000no account filed
April 1998HailFleming$20,000no account filed
April 1998Flash FloodCountywide$20,000no account filed
August 2022Flash FloodNeon$15,000Pictures show King's Collision (NAPA store) in Neon surrounded by flash flood waters. The waters were up to the floor of a vehicle in the parking lot. The media also reported flash flooding on the streets at the intersection of KY-317 and KY-343 just past King's Collision.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindPremium$15,000A roof was blown off of a house.
April 2012Flash FloodColson$10,000Flash flooding occurred in the Sandlick and Smoot Creek areas with flood waters and mudslides closing highway 931 near Polly and Lucastown and highway 1148 near Sandlick Gap. Two people were trapped in their home and one person was trapped in a car. A local state of emergency was declared and several bridges and culverts were damaged by the floods.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindFleming$10,000Trees were blown down in several areas around Fleming-Neon.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindJeremiah$10,000Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees and caused damage to roofs and chimneys on homes in the Blair Branch community.
August 2007LightningIsom$10,000Lightning struck transformer 3 miles from junction of Highways 315 and 7 towards Dean. Powerlines were also down.
June 2004Flash FloodLetcher$10,000Highway 2036 was washed out at Mill Branch Road.
August 2003Flash FloodWhitesburg$10,000Several areas of Letcher County were affected by flash flooding. At 3:30 pm EDT, four feet of water was reported running over Kentucky Route 7. At 4:13 pm, one to two feet of running water was reported over Route 1811, about 5 miles northwest of Whitesburg. At 4:24 pm, high water was reported flowing over Route 3402 from Little Dry Fork, making the road impassable. At 4:30 pm, 4 to 6 feet of water were reported over Doty Creek Road near Highway 7, washing the road out.
January 2002Heavy RainKings Creek$10,000A home under construction at Ratcliff Branch was knocked off of its foundation from a mudslide.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindJeremiah$8,000Numerous large tree limbs up to 5 inches in diameter were blown down. Two chimneys were also blown down from two very old and poorly constructed houses.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$7,000A tree was blown down on Highway 15. Numerous large limbs were also blown down.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindThornton$7,000Porch blown off house and roof's torn off two houses. Several trees blown down.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindCountywide$7,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed by strong winds across much of Letcher county, including the towns of Millstone, Thornton, and Sandlick.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindFleming$6,000Trees were blown down on KY Highway 805 near Fleming-Neon by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$5,000Numerous reports of trees and power lines down throughout the county.
February 2019Heavy RainPremium$5,000Local media reported a local bridge off Arrowhead Drive near Kings Creek becoming unstable due to recent rains. This closure of the bridge temporarily trapped three families across the bridge.
October 2014FloodNeon$5,000Flood damage was reported in downtown Neon at the Junction of Highway's 317 and 3407.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindErmine$5,000Several trees were blown down on Hwy 119 near Little Cowan Creek.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindSouthdown$5,000Several trees were blown down in Southdown.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindFleming$5,000Trees were blown down in the Neon and Haymond areas.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindJeremiah$5,000Tree's were blown down.
January 2008Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$5,000Trees were blown down on U.S. 119 near the top of Pine Mountain by wind gusts estimated at 62 mph.
January 1999Thunderstorm WindIce$5,000Trailer blown over.
November 1996Flash FloodWhitesburg$5,000no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$4,000A large tree was blown down onto a shed. The tree took down power lines leading to the adjacent house and crushed the power meter attached to the house, while doing only minor damage to the house itself.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindFleming$3,000Trees blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts were blocking the road on Rte 805 near Fleming Neon.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindThornton$3,000Three trees were blown down in Thornton.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$3,000One tree and one power line were blown down.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindFleming$3,000A tree was blown down and across Highway 343, blocking the roadway. Numerous large limbs were also blown down.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindRoxana$3,000Three trees down on Highway 160 near Kings Creek.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindMillstone$3,000Strong winds blew down trees and power lines.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$3,000High winds brought trees down in the area. One tree fell onto a truck producing damage.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$3,000Trees and power lines were downed across the county.
March 1997Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$3,000no account filed
March 1997Flash FloodBlackey$3,000no account filed
May 1996Flash FloodUlvah$3,000no account filed
December 2025Thunderstorm WindAdams$2,000The Letcher County EM shared pictures of downed trees and powerlines along KY-7 between Adams Branch Road and CR-1339, just southwest of Isom.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindWhitesburg$2,000Power lines blown down in the Dry Fork area.
April 2000Thunderstorm WindColson$2,000Roof damage to home.
December 2025Thunderstorm WindLetcher$1,000A report on social media showed a metal building in the 4300 block of KY-7 (between the Jeremiah and Letcher communities) with a peeled back roof. Pieces of sheet metal were blown straight into the yard of the neighboring property, along with lawn ornaments, outdoor furniture, and a metal swing set.

Mines and quarries

7 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 7 workings inside this county. 4 still produce and 3 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Stone, Crushed/Broken4
Silica2
Clay1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Pine Mountain Gap ShaleClayProspect
Gordon Lewis SandpitSilicaProspect
Hurricane Gap Sand PitSilicaProspect
Hurricane Gap QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Jenkins MineStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Whitesburg Mill QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Whitesburg MineStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every populated place in the county

85

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on. The 1 place that was also surveyed for fire insurance comes first, with the number of atlases and photographs held for them.

The vanished settlements of Letcher County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Recorded here

Whitesburg, Kentucky

18 topographic sheets and 2 fire insurance atlases, 1927

Everything this county holds

The complete index, with nothing left out. Each of these is a separate record with its own page: a federal survey report, or the case file that argued a property on to the National Register. Both are public domain and reproduced word for word.

Surveyed structures

1 structure

The vanished settlements of Letcher County, the places these records name that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.