Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Arkansas River at Pendleton

Highest listed crest 37.63 ftFlood stage 31.0 ft18 crests since 1959

The Arkansas River at Pendleton crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2019. The highest, 37.63 ft on June 6, 2019, was major flooding, 6.63 feet above flood stage. 9 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
37.63 ft
June 6, 2019
Flood stage
31.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.0 ft
Crests at major
4
39th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
June 6, 2019
37.63 ft, major flooding
Location
Desha County
Arkansas

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Arkansas River at Pendleton
Action stage30.02May 13, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)31.03May 31, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage32.03Apr 14, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.04Jun 6, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1959 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River at Pendleton, 1959 to 2019 283032343638ft Flood stage 31.0 ftMajor 33.0 ft Oct 11, 1959: 31.85 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 1961: 31.85 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1973: 34.11 ft, major floodingDec 6, 1982: 32.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1985: 32.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1990: 33.70 ft, major floodingApr 16, 1991: 29.30 ft, below flood stageDec 18, 1992: 29.75 ft, below flood stage; 210,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1993: 30.90 ft, action stageMay 15, 1994: 29.52 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 1995: 29.91 ft, below flood stage; 280,000 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2000: 29.18 ft, below flood stageDec 19, 2001: 29.89 ft, below flood stageApr 14, 2008: 32.48 ft, moderate flooding; 310,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2015: 30.39 ft, action stageMay 31, 2015: 31.90 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 2016: 33.02 ft, major floodingJun 6, 2019: 37.63 ft, major flooding Highest, 37.63 ft, Jun 6, 2019 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Pendleton 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Pendleton
1Jun 6, 201937.63+6.63Major—
2Apr 27, 197334.11+3.11Major—
3May 10, 199033.70+2.70Major—
4Jan 4, 201633.02+2.02Major—
5Dec 6, 198232.50+1.50Moderate—
6Apr 14, 200832.48+1.48Moderate310,000
7Mar 31, 198532.00+1.00Moderate—
8May 31, 201531.90+0.90Minor—
9Oct 11, 195931.85+0.85Minor—
10May 22, 196131.85+0.85Minor—
11Apr 18, 199330.90−0.10Action—
12May 13, 201530.39−0.61Action—
13Jun 19, 199529.91−1.09Below flood stage280,000
14Dec 19, 200129.89−1.11Below flood stage—
15Dec 18, 199229.75−1.25Below flood stage210,000
16May 15, 199429.52−1.48Below flood stage—
17Apr 16, 199129.30−1.70Below flood stage—
18Jun 25, 200029.18−1.82Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Arkansas River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Arkansas River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 6, 2019: 37.63 ft here, major flooding

April 27, 1973: 34.11 ft here, major flooding

May 10, 1990: 33.70 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Arkansas River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Arkansas River
Arkansas CityKS11.020.91 ft, May 9, 20190
DardanelleAR32.045.91 ft, May 30, 20195
DerbyKS12.016.60 ft, Nov 2, 19981
Great BendKS12.017.70 ft, Jun 15, 19810
HutchinsonKS8.013.85 ft, Apr 2, 19730
Little RockAR23.034.60 ft, Jun 17, 183329
MorriltonAR30.043.03 ft, Jun 4, 201910
OxfordKS17.026.85 ft, Nov 2, 19982
Ozark L/D TailwaterAR357.0374.99 ft, May 30, 20197
Pendleton this gaugeAR31.037.63 ft, Jun 6, 20194
Pine BluffAR42.052.10 ft, May 28, 19436
RalstonOK16.023.00 ft, Jun 11, 192310
Toad Suck Lock and DamAR275.0285.40 ft, Jun 4, 20195
TulsaOK18.025.21 ft, Oct 5, 19864
Van BurenAR22.040.79 ft, Jun 1, 201918
HaskellOK19.026.02 ft, Jan 1, 19802
HavenKS10.013.08 ft, May 8, 20079
Kinsley 2EKS12.017.60 ft, Jun 21, 19651
MulvaneKS16.520.90 ft, Nov 2, 19980
MuskogeeOK28.048.20 ft, May 21, 194311
Ponca CityOK17.022.26 ft, May 24, 20191

Desha County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arkansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PFAA4, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.