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St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW)

Highest listed crest 3.36 ftFlood stage 1.5 ft98 crests since 1996

The St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW) crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 98 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1996 to 2026. The highest, 3.36 ft on September 29, 2022, was major flooding, 1.86 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the St. Johns River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
3.36 ft
September 29, 2022
Flood stage
1.5 ft
Major flooding from 3.0 ft
Crests at major
3
63rd of 237 gauges in Florida
Most recent flood crest
October 10, 2026
1.98 ft, minor flooding
Location
Putnam County
Near Palatka (3.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW)
Action stage1.010Nov 15, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)1.565Oct 10, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage2.020Oct 11, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage3.03Oct 10, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

98 crests from 1996 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW), 1996 to 2026 11.522.533.5ft Flood stage 1.5 ftMajor 3.0 ft Oct 7, 1996: 2.96 ft, moderate floodingNov 24, 1996: 1.98 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1997: 1.54 ft, minor floodingSep 15, 1999: 1.75 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 1999: 1.79 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 2001: 2.63 ft, moderate floodingSep 20, 2001: 1.72 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2001: 1.60 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 2001: 1.53 ft, minor floodingNov 10, 2003: 1.41 ft, action stageSep 6, 2004: 1.98 ft, minor floodingSep 15, 2004: 1.45 ft, action stageSep 22, 2004: 1.81 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 2004: 2.82 ft, moderate floodingSep 30, 2004: 1.43 ft, action stageOct 9, 2004: 1.51 ft, minor floodingOct 23, 2004: 1.38 ft, action stageOct 27, 2004: 1.50 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2005: 1.84 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 2005: 1.44 ft, action stageOct 5, 2005: 1.81 ft, minor floodingOct 14, 2005: 1.43 ft, action stageSep 19, 2007: 1.42 ft, action stageOct 2, 2007: 1.67 ft, minor floodingAug 22, 2008: 2.51 ft, moderate floodingAug 26, 2008: 1.66 ft, minor floodingSep 1, 2008: 1.52 ft, minor floodingSep 5, 2008: 1.70 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 2008: 1.87 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 2008: 2.23 ft, moderate floodingMay 21, 2009: 1.96 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2011: 1.47 ft, action stageJun 28, 2012: 1.50 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 2013: 1.72 ft, minor floodingOct 16, 2013: 1.48 ft, action stageSep 29, 2014: 1.51 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 2015: 1.66 ft, minor floodingSep 28, 2015: 1.78 ft, minor floodingOct 2, 2015: 1.79 ft, minor floodingOct 8, 2015: 1.98 ft, minor floodingOct 12, 2015: 1.50 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 2016: 3.18 ft, major floodingOct 13, 2016: 2.12 ft, moderate floodingOct 17, 2016: 1.66 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 2017: 2.69 ft, moderate floodingSep 18, 2017: 2.14 ft, moderate floodingSep 25, 2017: 1.98 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2017: 2.32 ft, moderate floodingOct 5, 2017: 2.66 ft, moderate floodingOct 9, 2017: 1.77 ft, minor floodingOct 15, 2017: 1.66 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 2017: 2.36 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 2017: 1.46 ft, action stageSep 4, 2019: 1.92 ft, minor floodingOct 12, 2019: 1.66 ft, minor floodingNov 9, 2019: 1.56 ft, minor floodingNov 14, 2019: 1.55 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 2019: 1.72 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 2020: 2.34 ft, moderate floodingOct 6, 2020: 1.73 ft, minor floodingOct 19, 2020: 1.61 ft, minor floodingNov 9, 2020: 1.64 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 2021: 1.96 ft, minor floodingNov 10, 2021: 1.63 ft, minor floodingSep 29, 2022: 3.36 ft, major floodingOct 4, 2022: 2.26 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 2022: 2.08 ft, moderate floodingOct 15, 2022: 1.74 ft, minor floodingOct 24, 2022: 1.65 ft, minor floodingOct 29, 2022: 1.89 ft, minor floodingNov 4, 2022: 1.67 ft, minor floodingNov 10, 2022: 2.94 ft, moderate floodingNov 14, 2022: 1.63 ft, minor floodingNov 24, 2022: 1.61 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2023: 1.86 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 2023: 1.68 ft, minor floodingOct 13, 2023: 1.87 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 2023: 1.68 ft, minor floodingNov 3, 2023: 1.65 ft, minor floodingDec 17, 2023: 1.81 ft, minor floodingSep 12, 2024: 1.86 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 2024: 2.11 ft, moderate floodingSep 21, 2024: 1.84 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2024: 3.14 ft, major floodingOct 14, 2024: 2.30 ft, moderate floodingOct 20, 2024: 2.26 ft, moderate floodingOct 29, 2024: 1.64 ft, minor floodingNov 4, 2024: 1.54 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 2024: 1.76 ft, minor floodingSep 10, 2025: 1.76 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 2025: 1.76 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2025: 1.53 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 2025: 2.03 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 2025: 2.37 ft, moderate floodingOct 17, 2025: 1.81 ft, minor floodingOct 29, 2025: 1.54 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 2026: 1.58 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 2026: 1.98 ft, minor flooding Highest, 3.36 ft, Sep 29, 2022 200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW) 1990s: 5 2000s: 19 2010s: 24 2020s: 40 40 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 98 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, St. Johns River at Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW)
1Sep 29, 20223.36+1.86Major—
2Oct 7, 20163.18+1.68Major—
3Oct 10, 20243.14+1.64Major—
4Oct 7, 19962.96+1.46Moderate—
5Nov 10, 20222.94+1.44Moderate—
6Sep 26, 20042.82+1.32Moderate—
7Sep 13, 20172.69+1.19Moderate—
8Oct 5, 20172.66+1.16Moderate—
9Sep 16, 20012.63+1.13Moderate—
10Aug 22, 20082.51+1.01Moderate—
11Oct 11, 20252.37+0.87Moderate—
12Oct 19, 20172.36+0.86Moderate—
13Sep 21, 20202.34+0.84Moderate—
14Oct 1, 20172.32+0.82Moderate—
15Oct 14, 20242.30+0.80Moderate—
16Oct 4, 20222.26+0.76Moderate—
17Oct 20, 20242.26+0.76Moderate—
18Sep 26, 20082.23+0.73Moderate—
19Sep 18, 20172.14+0.64Moderate—
20Oct 13, 20162.12+0.62Moderate—
21Sep 16, 20242.11+0.61Moderate—
22Oct 11, 20222.08+0.58Moderate—
23Oct 5, 20252.03+0.53Moderate—
24Nov 24, 19961.98+0.48Minor—
25Sep 6, 20041.98+0.48Minor—
26Oct 8, 20151.98+0.48Minor—
27Sep 25, 20171.98+0.48Minor—
28Oct 10, 20261.98+0.48Minor—
29May 21, 20091.96+0.46Minor—
30Nov 6, 20211.96+0.46Minor—
31Sep 4, 20191.92+0.42Minor—
32Oct 29, 20221.89+0.39Minor—
33Sep 21, 20081.87+0.37Minor—
34Oct 13, 20231.87+0.37Minor—
35Oct 1, 20231.86+0.36Minor—
36Sep 12, 20241.86+0.36Minor—
37Sep 9, 20051.84+0.34Minor—
38Sep 21, 20241.84+0.34Minor—
39Sep 22, 20041.81+0.31Minor—
40Oct 5, 20051.81+0.31Minor—
41Dec 17, 20231.81+0.31Minor—
42Oct 17, 20251.81+0.31Minor—
43Oct 17, 19991.79+0.29Minor—
44Oct 2, 20151.79+0.29Minor—
45Sep 28, 20151.78+0.28Minor—
46Oct 9, 20171.77+0.27Minor—
47Nov 16, 20241.76+0.26Minor—
48Sep 10, 20251.76+0.26Minor—
49Sep 14, 20251.76+0.26Minor—
50Sep 15, 19991.75+0.25Minor—

The worst floods along the St. Johns River

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

September 29, 2022: 3.36 ft here, major flooding

October 7, 2016: 3.18 ft here, major flooding

October 10, 2024: 3.14 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the St. Johns River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the St. Johns River
Lake HarneyFL8.012.67 ft, Oct 3, 20227
AstorFL2.34.81 ft, Oct 12, 20247
Buckman Bridge (I-295) (in MHHW)FL1.55.20 ft, Sep 11, 20177
Buckman Bridge (I-295) (in MHHW)FL1.55.20 ft, Sep 11, 20175
Buffalo Bluff (in MHHW) this gaugeFL1.53.36 ft, Sep 29, 20223
Dames Point Bridge (I-295) (in MHHW)FL1.63.67 ft, Sep 11, 20172
Dames Point Bridge (I-295) (in MHHW)FL1.63.67 ft, Sep 11, 20172
Jacksonville (in MHHW)FL1.56.00 ft, Oct 12, 18467
Main Street Bridge (in MHHW)FL1.56.00 ft, Oct 12, 18467
Mayport (in MHHW)FL1.83.41 ft, Nov 10, 20221
Racy Point (in MHHW)FL1.54.41 ft, Oct 7, 20162
Racy Point (in MHHW)FL1.54.41 ft, Oct 7, 20164
Shands BridgeFL2.03.66 ft, Oct 7, 20161
Shands Bridge (in MHHW)FL1.53.66 ft, Oct 7, 20164
CocoaFL16.017.43 ft, Oct 6, 20172
DelandFL4.06.33 ft, Oct 11, 20225
SanfordFL5.58.96 ft, Oct 9, 20221

Other gauges in Putnam County

Flood gauges in Putnam County
Crescent Lake at Crescent City (in NAVD88)1.82.15 ft, Oct 10, 20260
Dunns Creek State Park Boat Ramp (in MHHW)1.52.29 ft, Oct 12, 20250
Satsuma (in MHHW)1.53.73 ft, Sep 29, 20226
Georgetown (in NAVD88)2.03.01 ft, Oct 16, 20240
Kirkpatrick Dam (in NAVD88)5.09.70 ft, Sep 13, 201716
Welaka (in MHHW)1.52.00 ft, Oct 10, 20260

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PALF1, 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.