Letcher County Emergency Management

08/23/2026

08/23/2026

UPDATE! The tree has been removed use caution traveling through the area due to debris!

805 past Martha Jane Potter a tree is across the road. Some citizens are trying to cut it now and Mayking Fire is on their way!

Take an alternate route!

I’m here directing traffic

08/23/2026

KY Power is reporting power outages in Letcher County as of 8:30pm Saturday, August 22, after the storms.

Total out-295 customers

Kona Area- 186 customers

Craft’s Colley-109 customers

Estimated restoration time of 4:00am Sunday morning.

08/23/2026

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service JACKSON KY
825 PM EDT Sat Aug 22 2026

The National Weather Service in JACKSON KY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Eastern Harlan County in southeastern Kentucky...
Southeastern Leslie County in southeastern Kentucky...
Southwestern Letcher County in southeastern Kentucky...
Southeastern Perry County in southeastern Kentucky...

* Until 900 PM EDT.

* At 825 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Day to Napier, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Severe thunderstorms will be near...
Cumberland around 830 PM EDT.
Evarts around 835 PM EDT.
Dizney around 840 PM EDT.
Holmes Mill around 845 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

08/23/2026

Perry KY-Knott KY-Harlan KY-Letcher KY-
815 PM EDT Sat Aug 22 2026
..A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN HARLAN...LETCHER...
SOUTHEASTERN PERRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL KNOTT COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM
EDT...

At 815 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Roxana, or 8 miles west of Whitesburg, moving southeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.

Locations impacted include...
Whitesburg, Letcher, Cumberland, Lynch, Benham, Blackey, Oscaloosa, Van, Colly, Isom, Premium, Trailer, Lewis Creek, Kingdom Come S.P., Redfox, Ermine, Clutts, Maggard, Arminta, and Jeremiah.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for southeastern Kentucky.

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

08/23/2026

Perry KY-Harlan KY-Letcher KY-Leslie KY-
801 PM EDT Sat Aug 22 2026
..A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTH CENTRAL HARLAN...CENTRAL LESLIE...SOUTHWESTERN LETCHER AND SOUTHEASTERN PERRY COUNTIES THROUGH
845 PM EDT...

At 801 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Wendover, or near Hyden, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.

Locations impacted include...
Hyden, Big Fork, Hoskinston, Leatherwood, Essie, Cinda, Bluefield, Red Star, Arthur, Smilax, Daley, Hallie, Gilley, Banks, Cornettsville, Delphia, Cutshin, Stinnett, Yeaddiss, and Gordon.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for southeastern Kentucky.

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

08/23/2026

Floyd, KY; Knott, KY; Letcher, KY; Perry, KY; Pike, KY
Description:

At 758 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Ashcamp to Farraday to Lilley Cornett Woods, moving
southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
Hazard, Whitesburg, Letcher, Bath, Jenkins, Elkhorn City, Wheelwright, Fleming-Neon, Vicco, Blackey, Elic, and Cody.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

08/22/2026

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service JACKSON KY
728 PM EDT Sat Aug 22 2026

The National Weather Service in JACKSON KY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Letcher County in southeastern Kentucky...
East central Perry County in southeastern Kentucky...
Southern Knott County in southeastern Kentucky...
Southeastern Floyd County in southeastern Kentucky...
Pike County in southeastern Kentucky...

* Until 815 PM EDT.

* At 728 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Meta to Hi Hat to Diablock, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Severe thunderstorms will be near...
Pikeville around 735 PM EDT.
Blackey around 740 PM EDT.
Letcher around 745 PM EDT.

Other locations in the path of these severe thunderstorms include Fleming-Neon, Whitesburg and Ice.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...

08/22/2026

The National Weather Service in Jackson has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10:00pm for most of eastern and southeastern Kentucky. However at this time, Letcher, Pike, Harlan and Bell Counties are not included in the watch area but you still should remain weather aware.

Details below.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 616 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10:00PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 28 COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY

BATH ELLIOTT ESTILL MENIFEE MONTGOMERY POWELL ROWAN

IN NORTHEAST KENTUCKY

JOHNSON MARTIN

IN SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY

LAUREL MCCREARY PULASKI ROCKCASTLE WAYNE WHITLEY

IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY

BREATHITT CLAY FLOYD JACKSON KNOTT KNOX
LEE LESLIE MAGOFFIN MORGAN OWSLEY PERRY
WOLFE

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANNVILLE, BARBOURVILLE, BEATTYVILLE, BOONEVILLE, BRODHEAD, BURNSIDE, CAMARGO, CAMPTON, CLAY CITY, CORBIN, FRENCHBURG, HAZARD, HINDMAN, HYDEN, INEZ, IRVINE, JACKSON, JEFFERSONVILLE, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MCKEE, MONTICELLO, MOREHEAD, MOUNT STERLING, MOUNT VERNON, OWINGSVILLE, PAINTSVILLE, PIPPA PASSES, PRESTONSBURG, RAVENNA, SALYERSVILLE, SANDY HOOK, SOMERSET, STANTON, STEARNS, WEST LIBERTY, WHEELWRIGHT, WHITLEY CITY, AND WILLIAMSBURG.

08/22/2026

⚠️ SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TODAY-SATURDAY— STAY WEATHER AWARE ⚠️

Letcher County Emergency Management is monitoring the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms across Eastern Kentucky today, with the greatest threat expected late this afternoon and into the evening hours.

A cold front and upper-level disturbance will move through the region, bringing an increased risk for severe weather.

⛈️ WHAT TO EXPECT:
• Most of Eastern Kentucky is under a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe thunderstorms.
• The strongest storms could produce strong to damaging wind gusts.
• Large hail around the size of quarters will also be possible.
• The severe weather threat is expected to peak late this afternoon and evening.

With the potential for damaging winds, be prepared for downed trees, power outages and blocked roadways in any stronger storms that develop.

Please stay weather aware throughout the day, especially if you have outdoor plans. Make sure you have more than one way to receive weather warnings, and be ready to move to a safe location if a warning is issued for your area.

We’ll continue to monitor conditions and share important updates as needed.

Stay safe!