BlockWickliffe, Kentucky
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1939 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Wickliffe census division. It lies in ZIP code area 42087. The Survey maps it on the Wickliffe quadrangle. 670 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 354 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Wickliffe
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
- Ballard County Courthouselisted 1980
- Trimble Houselisted 2007
Population over time
2 figuresWickliffe fell from 688 to 670 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 | 688 | |
| 2020 | 670 | -18 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 15 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.
- 1939 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1951 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1952 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:62500
- 1955 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:62500
- 1956 USGS Dyersburg quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1970 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1972 USGS Wickliffe quadrangle1:62500
- 1985 USGS Sikeston quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
16 since 2002Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 16 fires within 5 miles of Wickliffe between 2002 and 2017, burning about 73 acres in total. None started naturally. None was 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 30 August 2007 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 35 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 20 August 2010 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | CORN SHELL |
| 5 April 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 13 April 2010 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 8 March 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 8 March 2004 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 8 March 2002 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 63 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wickliffe in 63 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 12 flood, 6 flash flood. The reports record 6 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1999 | Tornado (F1) | Wickliffe | 6 hurt, $200,000 | This tornado was rated on the high end of the F-1 category, with top winds near 105 MPH. A mobile home containing a family of six was demolished. All six occupants escaped with only minor to moderate injuries. One small child was not discovered in the debris for over 30 minutes. Rescue workers had difficulty reaching the home due to fallen trees and barns blown onto roadways. |
| May 2011 | Flood | Wickliffe | $1,000,000 | Record flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near and below the confluence of the Ohio River. The river gages at both Cairo, Illinois and New Madrid, Missouri measured record high levels exceeding the 1937 record flood. The activation of the New Madrid Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the evening of May 2 spared Ballard County from an even higher crest. With the detonation of the Mississippi River levee at Birds Point, Missouri, the Mississippi River dropped suddenly. Historic flooding of the Mississippi River inundated low-lying sections of Wickliffe. A few evacuations were required, and homes were sandbagged. All main arteries into and out of Wickliffe were closed except U.S. Highway 60. A section of U.S. Highway 51 was closed south of Wickliffe near a large paper mill. The paper mill was shut down for weeks. The bridge over the Ohio River on U.S. Highway 51/60/62 was closed when sections of the road leading to the bridge were covered by several feet of water. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $225,000 | Widespread damaging winds occurred in much of Ballard County. Wind damage occurred in La Center, where the Ballard County High School and a law office sustained roof damage. The roof of the law office was partially blown off. Elsewhere, widespread damage to trees and power lines was reported across the county. Several homes sustained damage, mainly to roofs. South of La Center, a pole barn about 1,100 square feet was destroyed. Most walls and the roof collapsed, damaging numerous possessions in the barn. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $100,000 | A microburst containing winds estimated near 85 mph struck portions of Wickliffe. At a boat facility along the Mississippi River, a portion of a warehouse roof collapsed. Another portion of the metal roof was blown away. Trees were uprooted and power lines were down, and other debris was scattered throughout the city. Other than some minor shingle damage, most of the damage in the city of Wickliffe was near the riverfront. There was other damage off Highway 286 on the outskirts of Wickliffe, including a barn roof that was blown off, shingle damage at a house, and soffit damage at a grocery store. On Highway 121 at the edge of town, a tree fell on a house, causing minor damage to the house. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Wickliffe | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $75,000 | Widespread wind damage was reported, especially across the western and southern parts of the county. In Barlow, the roof was blown off a building, and a side of the building was damaged. Trees and power lines were blown down at Barlow, Wickliffe, and many other places. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $65,000 | The storm survey found that, 4 miles northeast of Wickliffe, a camper trailer was turned over, and a car port flipped and blown over. Metal roof paneling on an outbuilding blew over as well. On Crews Rd, a barn lost much of its roof. Emergency management reported that tree damage occurred as the line of storms moved through Ballard County. Roughly a third of the county remained without power late morning. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $50,000 | Numerous trees were blown down across parts of the county, including the city of La Center. Power lines were blown down in Wickliffe and La Center. Roads were blocked in a number of locations around the county. A mobile home was overturned in Barlow. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Lightning | Wickliffe | $30,000 | A home burned after its radio antenna tower was struck by lightning, which ignited a blaze in the attic. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $15,000 | A few miles northeast of Wickliffe, multiple trees were down, and windows were blown out of a house. Trees were down at several other locations in the county, including Bandana. |
| October 2013 | Tornado (EF1) | Wickliffe | $15,000 | This tornado crossed the Mississippi River from Mississippi County, Missouri into Ballard County, Kentucky south of Wickliffe. Peak winds were estimated near 100 mph. A power pole was down, and a few trees were uprooted or snapped at a paper mill. |
| March 2018 | Flood | Wickliffe | $10,000 | Moderate flooding continued on the Mississippi River from late February. Low-lying bottomland parks, boat ramps, and some roads were flooded and closed. Water spilled across U.S. Highway 51 south of Wickliffe near the Carlisle County line, but the road was still open. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $10,000 | Multiple trees were blown down across southern Ballard County, mainly south of Highway 286. An uprooted tree blocked Highway 121 near the Carlisle County line. A trained spotter in Wickliffe estimated winds gusted to 60 mph there. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $10,000 | Trees were blown down, blocking roads. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $10,000 | Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down on Beech Grove Road on the southeast side of Wickliffe. One of the trees landed on a house. In Barlow, several trees and power lines were down. |
| April 2000 | Hail | Wickliffe | $10,000 | Ping pong ball size hail fell along Highway 286. Vehicles were damaged. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $8,000 | Minor damage occurred to several homes. |
| March 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $5,000 | There were several reports of trees and limbs down around Wickliffe. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $5,000 | Trees were down in the community. |
| November 1996 | Flash Flood | Wickliffe | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $4,000 | Trees and limbs were on roads between Wickliffe and Barlow. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $3,000 | Numerous tree limbs were blown down on Kentucky Highway 286 from one to five miles outside of Wickliffe. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $3,000 | A wind gust to 66 MPH was measured in Wickliffe and reported by emergency management personnel. Trees were blown down around Blandville, including a couple across Highway 802. A couple of other trees, along with power lines and tree limbs, were down across Highway 358 near LaCenter. Tree limbs were down along Highway 286 a few miles east of Wickliffe. |
| February 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $3,000 | A few trees were blown down in the Wickliffe area. |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree down across power lines on Highway 121. Some smaller trees were down. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | $1,000 | A tree was blown across Highway 51 near the paper mill south of Wickliffe. |
| February 2025 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Minor flooding of bottomland and surrounding low-lying areas occurred near Cairo. Minor flooding continued into early March. |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Wickliffe | - | Torrential rainfall during the day with radar estimated totals of 4 to 7 inches resulted in water flowing over roads in Wickliffe. |
| May 2024 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Minor flooding occurred on the Ohio River across from Cairo mid-month affecting low-lying areas. |
| July 2023 | Flash Flood | Wickliffe | - | Water was over some roads in Wickliffe. A personal weather station in Blandville reported 1.95 inches in just over one hour, with the majority occurring within 30 minutes. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Moderate flooding on the Mississippi River caused flooding in the Wickliffe area. U.S. Highway 51 was closed near the Carlisle County line due to backwater flooding of Mayfield Creek. The prolonged flooding started in February and ended in late March. |
| February 2019 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Moderate flooding on the Mississippi River caused flooding in the Wickliffe area. U.S. Highway 51 was closed near the Carlisle County line due to backwater flooding of Mayfield Creek. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | Wickliffe | - | U.S. Highway 60 was flooded along a small creek between Wickliffe and La Center. |
| April 2011 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Historic flooding of the Mississippi River inundated low-lying sections of Wickliffe. A few evacuations were required, and homes were sandbagged. A section of U.S. Highway 51 was closed south of Wickliffe near a large paper mill. The bridge over the Ohio River on U.S. Highway 51/60/62 was closed when sections of the road leading to the bridge flooded out. |
| May 2010 | Heavy Rain | Wickliffe | - | Farm fields were flooded outside Wickliffe along Highway 121. Outside Lovelaceville, a house was surrounded by water. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | A small pocket of intense hail damaged corn crops off Highway 286. The leaves of the stalks were shredded. Agricultural experts determined that the reduction in yields would be only about 10 percent because of the early stage of the crop's growth. |
| April 2009 | Flash Flood | Wickliffe | - | Water was over the road at the intersection of Highways 121 and 286 in Wickliffe. Water was over another less travelled road near Bandana. |
| March 2008 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At the New Madrid, MO gage, the river crested at 41.44 feet on March 27. Flood stage there is 34 feet, and moderate flooding begins at 40 feet. Floodwaters rose onto U.S. Highway 51 just south of Wickliffe. The road remained open with a flagman directing traffic. |
| March 2008 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | Numerous rural roads were closed. A water rescue was conducted on U.S. Highway 62. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | A spotter on U.S. Highway 60 in La Center estimated wind gusts to 65 MPH. Trees were blown down in Wickliffe. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | Trees and limbs were down on Highway 121 just outside of Wickliffe. |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F2) | Wickliffe | - | The tornado crossed into Ballard County between Wickliffe and the U.S. Route 60/62 bridge over the Ohio River. The tornado was rated F-2 in a forested area along the Mississippi River just north of Wickliffe, where intense tree damage was observed. Along the rest of its path through Ballard County, it was rated F-1 or F-0 (winds below 113 MPH). Where the tornado passed through the northeast outskirts of Wickliffe, there were a few homes with mainly minor damage. Roads were blocked by large fallen trees, including a 300-year-old white oak tree. The tornado moved east-southeast across rural Ballard County, where there was considerable roof damage to a home, and a garage door was blown out. Large trees were uprooted. At least one house was struck by falling trees. There was slight structural damage to the roof and attic portion of a home. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | A tree and large limbs were blown down on Highway 121 near Wickliffe. |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | A few trees were blown down, including two in La Center and one in Wickliffe. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | A severe thunderstorm moved east across the Mississippi River from Scott County, Missouri. A few trees were down across southern Ballard County. Trees fell across a road near Wickliffe. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | Trees were down at Barlow, Wickliffe, and Bandana. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | The tornado entered Kentucky from Lake County, Tennessee near State Route 94. It tracked northeast through Fulton County parallel to and one mile south of the Illinois Central Gulf railroad tracks. It finally lifted after passing about two miles south of Hickman, the second largest town in the county. The track was through open country, so damage was confined mainly to trees. A few roofs were damaged. The tornado was photographed by Fulton County officials and National Weather Service staff. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| February 2018 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| March 2018 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Flood | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| January 2000 | Hail | Wickliffe | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wickliffe | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cairo (historical) | 4.2 miles | 27 | |
| Slater | 6.4 miles | 16 | |
| Barlow | 6.4 miles | 24 | |
| Blandville | 6.8 miles | 10 | |
| New York | 7.4 miles | 10 | |
| La Center | 9.9 miles | 16 | |
| Hinkleville | 9.9 miles | 16 | |
| Ross Crossing | 10.6 miles | 10 |
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 Wickliffe | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1979575 | 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 506708. 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.
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.