Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Blackwater River (AL) near Baker

Highest listed crest 25.68 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft52 crests since 1953

The Blackwater River (AL) near Baker crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 52 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1953 to 2026. The highest, 25.68 ft on September 29, 1998, was major flooding, 14.68 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.68 ft
September 29, 1998; 26,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
5
39th of 237 gauges in Florida
Most recent flood crest
June 20, 2026
16.29 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Okaloosa County
Near Crestview (11.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Blackwater River (AL) near Baker
Action stage6.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.032Apr 18, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.015Jun 20, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.05Sep 17, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

52 crests from 1953 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Blackwater River (AL) near Baker, 1953 to 2026 1015202530ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Dec 4, 1953: 20.80 ft, moderate flooding; 17,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1962: 17.54 ft, moderate flooding; 8,790 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1975: 22.97 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1975: 19.45 ft, moderate floodingJan 26, 1978: 19.44 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1980: 16.10 ft, moderate flooding; 6,400 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1980: 14.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1983: 13.46 ft, minor flooding; 4,080 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1984: 15.92 ft, minor flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1985: 12.77 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1986: 13.02 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondAug 15, 1987: 15.38 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1988: 11.56 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 1988: 22.97 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1989: 19.38 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1989: 20.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 17, 1990: 24.99 ft, major flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1990: 25.61 ft, major flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1992: 14.09 ft, minor flooding; 4,480 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1994: 18.30 ft, moderate floodingOct 6, 1995: 25.00 ft, major floodingMar 9, 1998: 23.05 ft, moderate floodingSep 29, 1998: 25.68 ft, major flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2003: 11.73 ft, minor flooding; 3,250 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 16.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,640 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2006: 12.21 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2009: 21.66 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2009: 12.95 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2009: 13.77 ft, minor flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2009: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 3,170 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 2010: 15.83 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2010: 11.65 ft, minor floodingSep 5, 2012: 17.02 ft, moderate flooding; 7,610 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2013: 11.87 ft, minor flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2013: 12.49 ft, minor flooding; 3,570 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2014: 14.77 ft, minor flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2014: 14.75 ft, minor flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2014: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 2,900 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2015: 11.05 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 14.88 ft, minor flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2016: 11.88 ft, minor flooding; 3,270 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2016: 12.01 ft, minor flooding; 3,330 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2017: 14.61 ft, minor flooding; 5,000 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2017: 14.83 ft, minor flooding; 5,210 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2017: 12.34 ft, minor floodingFeb 12, 2018: 12.51 ft, minor floodingDec 30, 2018: 11.39 ft, minor flooding; 3,039 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2020: 24.55 ft, major flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2021: 12.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,624 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 2021: 13.72 ft, minor flooding; 4,326 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2022: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 3,295 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2026: 16.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,447 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.68 ft, Sep 29, 1998 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Blackwater River (AL) near Baker 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 11 1990s: 7 2000s: 7 2010s: 17 17 2020s: 5 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

The 50 highest of 52 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Blackwater River (AL) near Baker
1Sep 29, 199825.68+14.68Major26,500
2Jun 4, 199025.61+14.61Major26,200
3Oct 6, 199525.00+14.00Major—
4Mar 17, 199024.99+13.99Major24,400
5Sep 17, 202024.55+13.55Major23,100
6Mar 9, 199823.05+12.05Moderate—
7Jul 31, 197522.97+11.97Moderate18,600
8Sep 17, 198822.97+11.97Moderate18,800
9Mar 29, 200921.66+10.66Moderate15,800
10Dec 4, 195320.80+9.80Moderate17,200
11Nov 9, 198920.00+9.00Moderate—
12Sep 24, 197519.45+8.45Moderate—
13Jan 26, 197819.44+8.44Moderate11,500
14Jun 9, 198919.38+8.38Moderate11,400
15Jul 8, 199418.30+7.30Moderate—
16Feb 19, 196217.54+6.54Moderate8,790
17Sep 5, 201217.02+6.02Moderate7,610
18Apr 2, 200516.29+5.29Moderate6,640
19Jun 20, 202616.29+5.29Moderate6,447
20Mar 8, 198016.10+5.10Moderate6,400
21Mar 6, 198415.92+4.92Minor6,190
22Jan 22, 201015.83+4.83Minor6,080
23Aug 15, 198715.38+4.38Minor5,580
24Dec 25, 201514.88+3.88Minor5,200
25Jun 23, 201714.83+3.83Minor5,210
26Apr 19, 201414.77+3.77Minor5,110
27Apr 30, 201414.75+3.75Minor5,090
28Jan 3, 201714.61+3.61Minor5,000
29Mar 31, 198014.17+3.17Minor—
30Jan 13, 199214.09+3.09Minor4,480
31Dec 3, 200913.77+2.77Minor4,270
32Oct 7, 202113.72+2.72Minor4,326
33Feb 2, 198313.46+2.46Minor4,080
34Mar 15, 198613.02+2.02Minor3,860
35Apr 14, 200912.95+1.95Minor3,820
36Jun 16, 198512.77+1.77Minor—
37Apr 25, 202112.64+1.64Minor3,624
38Feb 12, 201812.51+1.51Minor—
39Jul 5, 201312.49+1.49Minor3,570
40Jul 2, 201712.34+1.34Minor—
41Jan 3, 200612.21+1.21Minor3,470
42Apr 3, 201612.01+1.01Minor3,330
43Apr 18, 202211.95+0.95Minor3,295
44Jan 1, 201611.88+0.88Minor3,270
45Feb 26, 201311.87+0.87Minor3,310
46Jul 2, 200311.73+0.73Minor3,250
47Feb 7, 201011.65+0.65Minor—
48Sep 11, 198811.56+0.56Minor—
49Dec 15, 200911.55+0.55Minor3,170
50Dec 30, 201811.39+0.39Minor3,039

Other gauges in Okaloosa County

Flood gauges in Okaloosa County
Crestview8.021.40 ft, Sep 30, 19984
Milligan12.026.20 ft, Jan 1, 19294

Okaloosa County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Florida

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BAKF1, 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.