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Peace River at Fort Meade

Highest listed crest 81.00 ftFlood stage 78.0 ft43 crests since 1974

The Peace River at Fort Meade crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1974 to 2022. The highest, 81.00 ft on September 29, 2022, was major flooding, 3.00 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Peace River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
81.00 ft
September 29, 2022; 3,310 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
78.0 ft
Major flooding from 79.5 ft
Crests at major
3
63rd of 237 gauges in Florida
Most recent flood crest
September 29, 2022
81.00 ft, major flooding
Location
Polk County
Near Bartow (9.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Peace River at Fort Meade
Action stage77.010Nov 22, 1994The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)78.04Aug 11, 1995Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage79.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage79.53Sep 29, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1974 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Peace River at Fort Meade, 1974 to 2022 7476788082ft Flood stage 78.0 ftMajor 79.5 ft Jul 8, 1974: 75.58 ft, below flood stage; 522 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1974: 75.44 ft, below flood stage; 497 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1975: 75.21 ft, below flood stage; 450 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1976: 75.09 ft, below flood stage; 513 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1978: 75.41 ft, below flood stage; 508 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1978: 77.10 ft, action stage; 883 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1979: 77.42 ft, action stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1979: 78.12 ft, minor flooding; 1,360 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1982: 77.06 ft, action stage; 925 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1982: 77.15 ft, action stage; 962 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1982: 76.81 ft, below flood stage; 931 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1982: 76.41 ft, below flood stage; 825 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1982: 76.61 ft, below flood stage; 877 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1982: 77.73 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1983: 77.44 ft, action stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1983: 77.33 ft, action stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1983: 75.89 ft, below flood stage; 698 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1983: 75.31 ft, below flood stage; 579 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1983: 76.48 ft, below flood stage; 843 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1983: 75.82 ft, below flood stage; 682 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1984: 76.62 ft, below flood stage; 873 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1987: 77.24 ft, action stage; 908 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1988: 78.01 ft, minor flooding; 1,290 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1988: 75.30 ft, below flood stage; 541 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1991: 75.84 ft, below flood stage; 458 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1991: 77.30 ft, action stage; 980 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1991: 76.98 ft, below flood stage; 832 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1991: 76.59 ft, below flood stage; 703 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1992: 76.94 ft, below flood stage; 875 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1992: 75.34 ft, below flood stage; 489 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1993: 76.05 ft, below flood stage; 617 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1993: 75.42 ft, below flood stage; 535 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1993: 76.64 ft, below flood stage; 813 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1993: 75.11 ft, below flood stage; 476 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 1994: 76.52 ft, below flood stage; 665 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1994: 78.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,890 cubic feet per secondNov 22, 1994: 77.17 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1994: 75.40 ft, below flood stage; 535 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1995: 75.09 ft, below flood stage; 444 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1995: 78.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,020 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2004: 80.84 ft, major flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2017: 79.84 ft, major flooding; 1,890 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 2022: 81.00 ft, major flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per second Highest, 81.00 ft, Sep 29, 2022 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Peace River at Fort Meade 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Peace River at Fort Meade
1Sep 29, 202281.00+3.00Major3,310
2Sep 12, 200480.84+2.84Major2,450
3Sep 11, 201779.84+1.84Major1,890
4Aug 11, 199578.43+0.43Minor2,020
5Sep 30, 199478.32+0.32Minor1,890
6Sep 27, 197978.12+0.12Minor1,360
7Sep 8, 198878.01+0.01Minor1,290
8Sep 27, 198277.73−0.27Action1,220
9Feb 17, 198377.44−0.56Action1,120
10May 17, 197977.42−0.58Action1,120
11Apr 1, 198377.33−0.67Action1,090
12Jul 20, 199177.30−0.70Action980
13Apr 4, 198777.24−0.76Action908
14Nov 22, 199477.17−0.83Action1,020
15Jul 6, 198277.15−0.85Action962
16Aug 4, 197877.10−0.90Action883
17Jun 25, 198277.06−0.94Action925
18Aug 3, 199176.98−1.02Below flood stage832
19Aug 20, 199276.94−1.06Below flood stage875
20Aug 1, 198276.81−1.19Below flood stage931
21Apr 6, 199376.64−1.36Below flood stage813
22Jan 3, 198476.62−1.38Below flood stage873
23Sep 12, 198276.61−1.39Below flood stage877
24Aug 23, 199176.59−1.41Below flood stage703
25Aug 30, 199476.52−1.48Below flood stage665
26Aug 14, 198376.48−1.52Below flood stage843
27Aug 25, 198276.41−1.59Below flood stage825
28Jan 31, 199376.05−1.95Below flood stage617
29Jul 12, 198375.89−2.11Below flood stage698
30Jul 2, 199175.84−2.16Below flood stage458
31Dec 24, 198375.82−2.18Below flood stage682
32Jul 8, 197475.58−2.42Below flood stage522
33Aug 5, 197475.44−2.56Below flood stage497
34Mar 21, 199375.42−2.58Below flood stage535
35Mar 4, 197875.41−2.59Below flood stage508
36Dec 23, 199475.40−2.60Below flood stage535
37Oct 12, 199275.34−2.66Below flood stage489
38Jul 24, 198375.31−2.69Below flood stage579
39Nov 26, 198875.30−2.70Below flood stage541
40Sep 29, 197575.21−2.79Below flood stage450
41Sep 22, 199375.11−2.89Below flood stage476
42Aug 22, 197675.09−2.91Below flood stage513
43Jul 3, 199575.09−2.91Below flood stage444

The worst floods along the Peace River

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

September 29, 2022: 81.00 ft here, major flooding

September 12, 2004: 80.84 ft here, major flooding

September 11, 2017: 79.84 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Peace River

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

Flood gauges on the Peace River
SR 60 BartowFL8.011.13 ft, Sep 12, 20043
Fort Meade this gaugeFL78.081.00 ft, Sep 29, 20223
Zolfo SpringsFL16.027.24 ft, Sep 29, 20228
SR 70 ArcadiaFL11.023.70 ft, Oct 1, 202215

Other gauges in Polk County

Flood gauges in Polk County
SR 60 Bartow8.011.13 ft, Sep 12, 20043

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FTMF1, 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.