Flatwoods, Kentucky
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 2002. It stands in the Flatwoods-Russell census division. It lies in ZIP code area 41139. It lies near Kennedy Hollow. The Survey maps it on the Ironton quadrangle. 7,325 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 682 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresFlatwoods fell from 7,423 to 7,325 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7,423 | |
| 2020 | 7,325 | -98 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 17 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1898 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:62500
- 1900 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1953 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:24000
- 1957 USGS Huntington quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:24000
- 1960 USGS Huntington quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1972 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1981 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:100000
- 2002 USGS Ironton quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
222 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 222 fires within 5 miles of Flatwoods between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,957 acres in total. None started naturally. 45 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 102 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 45 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 37 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 12 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 12 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 7 |
| Other causes | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2007 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 11 acres | Wayne National Forest | WIND FIRE |
| 6 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wayne National Forest | JANIE FIRE |
| 28 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 28 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 8.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 24 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wayne National Forest | IRONTON #1 FIRE |
| 20 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wayne National Forest | HANGING ROCK SPUR A |
| 1 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7.0 acres | Wayne National Forest | SNAP 2 FIRE |
| 24 August 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 45 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Flatwoods: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironton Plant Number 85 | Clay | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
39 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Flatwoods in 39 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 30 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 3 flash flood. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | 1 killed, $5,000 | Behind the initial severe thunderstorms, winds remained gusty in training thunderstorms and showers. A tree fell onto the cab of a pickup truck traveling on Happy Ridge Road. The 35 year old male driver was killed. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $50,000 | Large trees were blown down. Vehicles were damaged. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $20,000 | Trees were blown down damaging power lines. One tree fell onto a house. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $20,000 | Traffic lights and their poles were knocked down on Diederich Boulevard and at Bellefronte Street. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $15,000 | Multiple areas of downed trees were observed throughout the county. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $15,000 | Trees fell onto power lines. Power outages occurred. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | Flatwoods | $10,000 | Multiple instances of flooding were observed in the town of Russell. High water flowed along Diederich Boulevard and US Route 23, where multiple vehicles were stranded. High water reached up to the front step of several homes and local businesses, some of which observed water seeping into the floor at the front of the store. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $10,000 | A Kroger sign was blown down. Winds with this storm were estimated to be around 50 mph. |
| September 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $8,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the Bellefonte, Flatwoods, Raceland, and Russell areas. |
| December 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $8,000 | Trees were blown down along Red Devil Lane. Trees fell and a power pole was leaning along Cardinal Road. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $6,000 | Several areas in the Flatwoods area observed downed trees and power lines. These included Wilburn Street, Crestwood Court, Cumberland Avenue, Beth Ann Drive, Mullins Street, and Grandview Drive. On Cumberland Avenue, a tree fell onto two homes. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $5,000 | A tree fell down on a house. Minor damage occurred. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $5,000 | Trees were blown down onto power lines. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $5,000 | A few trees were blown down. Some trees pulled down power lines. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $3,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down along Brenda Sue Drive near Flatwoods. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $3,000 | Trees fell along Route 1458. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $3,000 | A few trees and several large branches were blown down. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $2,000 | A tree fell onto a house and nearby power lines along State Route 207 near Baker Cemetery Road in Greenup. Several other trees fell around the Greenup area as well. |
| January 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $2,000 | Multiple trees were blown down in Flatwoods. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $2,000 | Trees were blown down in Russell. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $1,500 | Tree down on power lines. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $1,000 | A former TV meteorologist reported one large tree was uprooted which also damaged a residential fence. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $1,000 | Large branches and a few trees were blown down. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $1,000 | Several large tree branches were broken off, plus a few trees were uprooted |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $500 | Several trees were blown down onto Bellefonte Road in Flatwoods. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $500 | A tree was blown down across a road in the town of Russell. |
| February 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $500 | Several large branches down in Flatwoods. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $250 | In Flatwoods, one tree blew down onto Long Street. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $250 | A tree was blown down at the intersection of Red Devil Lane and Seaton Drive in Russel. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | $200 | A tree was blown down onto the road outside the town of Russell. |
| July 2025 | Flash Flood | Flatwoods | - | In Flatwoods, water entered a building on Powell Lane. |
| September 2025 | Flash Flood | Flatwoods | - | Flooding was observed at the intersection of State Route 207 and Tom Road in Little Sandy. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Flatwoods | - | Several trees were blown down near the Russell Soccer Complex in Flatwoods. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
| November 2002 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Flatwoods | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Heights | 0.9 miles | 17 | |
| Russell | 1.1 miles | 17 | |
| West Russell | 1.1 miles | 17 | |
| Raceland | 1.3 miles | 17 | |
| Worthington | 1.8 miles | 17 | |
| Melrose | 2.0 miles | 17 | |
| Riverview | 2.0 miles | 17 | |
| Bellefonte | 2.5 miles | 22 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Flatwoods | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q991194 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 492225. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.









