Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Buffalo River near St Joe

Highest listed crest 53.75 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft40 crests since 1915

The Buffalo River near St Joe crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 40 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1915 to 2025. The highest, 53.75 ft on December 3, 1982, was major flooding, 26.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
53.75 ft
December 3, 1982; 158,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 50.0 ft
Crests at major
2
43rd of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
33.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Searcy County
Arkansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo River near St Joe
Action stage20.03Nov 15, 1993The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.017Apr 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.018Nov 5, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage50.02Dec 3, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

40 crests from 1915 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo River near St Joe, 1915 to 2025 2030405060ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 50.0 ft Aug 1, 1915: 50.50 ft, major flooding; 142,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1943: 39.70 ft, moderate flooding; 96,900 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1945: 41.00 ft, moderate flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1949: 38.80 ft, moderate flooding; 91,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1966: 37.46 ft, moderate flooding; 85,900 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1969: 35.45 ft, moderate flooding; 74,900 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1971: 43.40 ft, moderate flooding; 102,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1973: 38.26 ft, moderate flooding; 79,300 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1973: 45.41 ft, moderate flooding; 111,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1977: 29.15 ft, minor flooding; 47,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1982: 32.70 ft, minor flooding; 58,100 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 53.75 ft, major flooding; 158,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 27.41 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1985: 38.41 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1985: 30.65 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 1987: 26.70 ft, action stageMay 3, 1990: 42.02 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 1991: 28.03 ft, minor flooding; 43,100 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1992: 24.50 ft, action stage; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1993: 28.60 ft, minor flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1993: 20.91 ft, action stageNov 5, 1994: 35.49 ft, moderate floodingJan 14, 1995: 27.50 ft, minor floodingNov 7, 1996: 35.03 ft, moderate floodingJun 18, 2000: 30.04 ft, minor flooding; 49,700 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2001: 27.77 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2002: 31.40 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2002: 28.74 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 2004: 46.51 ft, moderate flooding; 118,771 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 2008: 49.41 ft, moderate flooding; 134,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2008: 37.36 ft, moderate flooding; 77,227 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2008: 27.65 ft, minor flooding; 41,900 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2009: 28.28 ft, minor flooding; 48,035 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 35.53 ft, moderate flooding; 69,827 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2015: 31.02 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 2015: 45.58 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 2017: 34.47 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 2023: 27.67 ft, minor floodingNov 5, 2024: 35.44 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 2025: 33.26 ft, minor flooding Highest, 53.75 ft, Dec 3, 1982 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo River near St Joe 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Buffalo River near St Joe
1Dec 3, 198253.75+26.75Major158,000
2Aug 1, 191550.50+23.50Major142,000
3Mar 19, 200849.41+22.41Moderate134,000
4Apr 25, 200446.51+19.51Moderate118,771
5Dec 28, 201545.58+18.58Moderate—
6Nov 25, 197345.41+18.41Moderate111,000
7Dec 10, 197143.40+16.40Moderate102,000
8May 3, 199042.02+15.02Moderate—
9Apr 15, 194541.00+14.00Moderate100,000
10May 10, 194339.70+12.70Moderate96,900
11Jan 24, 194938.80+11.80Moderate91,100
12Feb 23, 198538.41+11.41Moderate—
13Apr 22, 197338.26+11.26Moderate79,300
14Feb 9, 196637.46+10.46Moderate85,900
15Apr 10, 200837.36+10.36Moderate77,227
16Apr 26, 201135.53+8.53Moderate69,827
17Nov 5, 199435.49+8.49Moderate—
18Jan 30, 196935.45+8.45Moderate74,900
19Nov 5, 202435.44+8.44Moderate—
20Nov 7, 199635.03+8.03Moderate—
21Apr 30, 201734.47+7.47Minor—
22Apr 6, 202533.26+6.26Minor—
23Jan 31, 198232.70+5.70Minor58,100
24Mar 20, 200231.40+4.40Minor—
25May 11, 201531.02+4.02Minor—
26Mar 30, 198530.65+3.65Minor—
27Jun 18, 200030.04+3.04Minor49,700
28Mar 28, 197729.15+2.15Minor47,000
29Apr 8, 200228.74+1.74Minor—
30Jan 5, 199328.60+1.60Minor46,000
31Oct 30, 200928.28+1.28Minor48,035
32Oct 29, 199128.03+1.03Minor43,100
33Dec 17, 200127.77+0.77Minor—
34Mar 25, 202327.67+0.67Minor—
35Sep 4, 200827.65+0.65Minor41,900
36Jan 14, 199527.50+0.50Minor—
37May 7, 198427.41+0.41Minor—
38Dec 27, 198726.70−0.30Action—
39Dec 15, 199224.50−2.50Action34,000
40Nov 15, 199320.91−6.09Action—

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SJOA4, 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.