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Klamath River at Orleans

Highest listed crest 50.25 ftFlood stage 38.0 ft28 crests since 1955

The Klamath River at Orleans crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1955 to 2025. The highest, 50.25 ft on December 22, 1964, was major flooding, 12.25 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Klamath River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
50.25 ft
December 22, 1964; 307,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
38.0 ft
Major flooding from 48.0 ft
Crests at major
1
33rd of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
January 3, 1997
38.23 ft, minor 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, Klamath River at Orleans
Action stage32.06Dec 30, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)38.03Jan 3, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage43.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage48.01Dec 22, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Listed crests at the Klamath River at Orleans, 1955 to 2025 102030405060ft Flood stage 38.0 ftMajor 48.0 ft Dec 22, 1955: 37.49 ft, action stage; 202,000 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1964: 50.25 ft, major flooding; 307,000 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1971: 33.00 ft, action stage; 190,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1972: 33.00 ft, action stage; 174,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1972: 34.80 ft, action stage; 191,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 39.20 ft, minor flooding; 279,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1981: 32.10 ft, action stage; 201,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1982: 31.90 ft, below flood stage; 198,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1986: 39.20 ft, minor flooding; 278,000 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1997: 38.23 ft, minor flooding; 267,959 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2005: 34.80 ft, action stage; 213,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2010: 16.30 ft, below flood stage; 42,600 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2011: 15.67 ft, below flood stage; 39,200 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2012: 21.58 ft, below flood stage; 74,500 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2012: 21.93 ft, below flood stage; 77,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2014: 17.18 ft, below flood stage; 47,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2015: 23.08 ft, below flood stage; 85,300 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2016: 23.23 ft, below flood stage; 80,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 2017: 29.29 ft, below flood stage; 130,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2018: 16.49 ft, below flood stage; 42,200 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2019: 21.40 ft, below flood stage; 69,500 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2020: 16.64 ft, below flood stage; 42,900 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2021: 17.33 ft, below flood stage; 45,300 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2022: 21.49 ft, below flood stage; 67,800 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2023: 15.14 ft, below flood stage; 34,300 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2024: 18.67 ft, below flood stage; 51,900 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2024: 23.93 ft, below flood stage; 84,600 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 2025: 18.29 ft, below flood stage Highest, 50.25 ft, Dec 22, 1964 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Klamath River at Orleans 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 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, Klamath River at Orleans
1Dec 22, 196450.25+12.25Major307,000
2Jan 16, 197439.20+1.20Minor279,000
3Feb 18, 198639.20+1.20Minor278,000
4Jan 3, 199738.23+0.23Minor267,959
5Dec 22, 195537.49−0.51Action202,000
6Mar 3, 197234.80−3.20Action191,000
7Dec 30, 200534.80−3.20Action213,000
8Jan 17, 197133.00−5.00Action190,000
9Jan 22, 197233.00−5.00Action174,000
10Dec 20, 198132.10−5.90Action201,000
11Dec 17, 198231.90−6.10Below flood stage198,000
12Feb 10, 201729.29−8.71Below flood stage130,000
13Dec 29, 202423.93−14.07Below flood stage84,600
14Jan 18, 201623.23−14.77Below flood stage80,700
15Feb 7, 201523.08−14.92Below flood stage85,300
16Dec 2, 201221.93−16.07Below flood stage77,000
17Mar 30, 201221.58−16.42Below flood stage74,500
18Dec 27, 202221.49−16.51Below flood stage67,800
19Apr 9, 201921.40−16.60Below flood stage69,500
20Jan 13, 202418.67−19.33Below flood stage51,900
21Dec 21, 202518.29−19.71Below flood stage—
22Jan 13, 202117.33−20.67Below flood stage45,300
23Mar 10, 201417.18−20.82Below flood stage47,300
24Jan 26, 202016.64−21.36Below flood stage42,900
25Apr 7, 201816.49−21.51Below flood stage42,200
26Jun 4, 201016.30−21.70Below flood stage42,600
27Mar 16, 201115.67−22.33Below flood stage39,200
28Mar 14, 202315.14−22.86Below flood stage34,300

The worst floods along the Klamath River

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

December 22, 1964: 50.25 ft here, major flooding

  • KlamathCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 61.29 ft · Major · its highest
  • Seiad ValleyCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 33.75 ft · Major · its highest

January 16, 1974: 39.20 ft here, minor flooding

  • Seiad ValleyCA · Jan 16, 1974 · 29.65 ft · Major
  • KlamathCA · Jan 16, 1974 · 38.90 ft · Minor

February 18, 1986: 39.20 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Klamath River

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

Flood gauges on the Klamath River
Seiad ValleyCA15.033.75 ft, Dec 23, 19644
Orleans this gaugeCA38.050.25 ft, Dec 22, 19641
KlamathCA38.061.29 ft, Dec 23, 19642

Other gauges in Humboldt County

Flood gauges in Humboldt County
Fernbridge20.029.50 ft, Dec 23, 19649
Fort Seward70.082.60 ft, Dec 22, 19640
Scotia51.072.00 ft, Dec 23, 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 ONSC1, 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.