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Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward

Highest listed crest 82.60 ftFlood stage 70.0 ft34 crests since 1955

The Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward crested above flood stage 1 time among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2025. The highest, 82.60 ft on December 22, 1964, was moderate flooding, 12.60 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Eel River (CA) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
82.60 ft
December 22, 1964; 561,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
70.0 ft
Major flooding from 90.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
December 22, 1964
82.60 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Humboldt County
California

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward
Action stage55.04Jan 9, 1995The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)70.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage80.01Dec 22, 1964Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage90.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1955 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward, 1955 to 2025 20406080100ft Flood stage 70.0 ftMajor 90.0 ft Dec 22, 1955: 66.30 ft, action stage; 376,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1960: 50.10 ft, below flood stage; 220,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1963: 47.20 ft, below flood stage; 195,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1964: 82.60 ft, moderate flooding; 561,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1966: 43.33 ft, below flood stage; 163,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 51.20 ft, below flood stage; 230,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1971: 42.54 ft, below flood stage; 160,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 56.75 ft, action stage; 281,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1974: 50.08 ft, below flood stage; 221,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1980: 42.79 ft, below flood stage; 160,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1981: 43.25 ft, below flood stage; 163,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 47.88 ft, below flood stage; 201,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 59.27 ft, action stage; 306,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1993: 46.49 ft, below flood stage; 195,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 57.34 ft, action stage; 287,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 43.60 ft, below flood stage; 166,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 52.86 ft, below flood stage; 240,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 26.76 ft, below flood stage; 67,000 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2010: 29.91 ft, below flood stage; 76,200 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2012: 27.02 ft, below flood stage; 60,700 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 42.63 ft, below flood stage; 160,000 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2014: 27.06 ft, below flood stage; 60,900 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2014: 35.60 ft, below flood stage; 113,000 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2016: 35.93 ft, below flood stage; 115,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2017: 45.84 ft, below flood stage; 171,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 32.41 ft, below flood stage; 78,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 47.75 ft, below flood stage; 187,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2020: 22.62 ft, below flood stage; 32,000 cubic feet per secondOct 24, 2021: 26.93 ft, below flood stage; 501,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2022: 38.81 ft, below flood stage; 119,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2023: 37.33 ft, below flood stage; 114,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2024: 36.21 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2025: 36.40 ft, below flood stage; 109,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2025: 41.03 ft, below flood stage; 138,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 82.60 ft, Dec 22, 1964 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Eel River (CA) near Fort Seward
1Dec 22, 196482.60+12.60Moderate561,000
2Dec 22, 195566.30−3.70Action376,000
3Feb 17, 198659.27−10.73Action306,000
4Jan 9, 199557.34−12.66Action287,000
5Jan 16, 197456.75−13.25Action281,000
6Jan 1, 199752.86−17.14Below flood stage240,000
7Jan 24, 197051.20−18.80Below flood stage230,000
8Feb 8, 196050.10−19.90Below flood stage220,000
9Mar 30, 197450.08−19.92Below flood stage221,000
10Jan 26, 198347.88−22.12Below flood stage201,000
11Feb 27, 201947.75−22.25Below flood stage187,000
12Jan 31, 196347.20−22.80Below flood stage195,000
13Jan 20, 199346.49−23.51Below flood stage195,000
14Jan 11, 201745.84−24.16Below flood stage171,000
15Mar 9, 199543.60−26.40Below flood stage166,000
16Jan 4, 196643.33−26.67Below flood stage163,000
17Dec 20, 198143.25−26.75Below flood stage163,000
18Jan 13, 198042.79−27.21Below flood stage160,000
19Dec 2, 201242.63−27.37Below flood stage160,000
20Jan 16, 197142.54−27.46Below flood stage160,000
21Dec 21, 202541.03−28.97Below flood stage138,000
22Dec 31, 202238.81−31.19Below flood stage119,000
23Mar 15, 202337.33−32.67Below flood stage114,000
24Feb 5, 202536.40−33.60Below flood stage109,000
25Dec 22, 202436.21−33.79Below flood stage10,700
26Jan 18, 201635.93−34.07Below flood stage115,000
27Dec 12, 201435.60−34.40Below flood stage113,000
28Feb 14, 201932.41−37.59Below flood stage78,400
29Dec 29, 201029.91−40.09Below flood stage76,200
30Mar 29, 201427.06−42.94Below flood stage60,900
31Mar 28, 201227.02−42.98Below flood stage60,700
32Oct 24, 202126.93−43.07Below flood stage501,000
33Jan 26, 201026.76−43.24Below flood stage67,000
34Jan 26, 202022.62−47.38Below flood stage32,000

The worst floods along the Eel River (CA)

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

December 22, 1964: 82.60 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ScotiaCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 72.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • FernbridgeCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 29.50 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Eel River (CA)

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Eel River (CA)
Fort Seward this gaugeCA70.082.60 ft, Dec 22, 19640
ScotiaCA51.072.00 ft, Dec 23, 19641
FernbridgeCA20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649

Other gauges in Humboldt County

Flood gauges in Humboldt County
Fernbridge20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649
Scotia51.072.00 ft, Dec 23, 19641
Orleans38.050.25 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Arcata22.032.70 ft, Dec 22, 19642
Miranda33.046.00 ft, Dec 22, 19642
Hoopa48.057.00 ft, Dec 22, 19641
Bridgeville17.024.00 ft, Dec 22, 19642

Humboldt County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FTSC1, 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.