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Ohio River at Cairo

Highest listed crest 61.72 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft47 crests since 1882

The Ohio River at Cairo crested at major flood stage 19 times among the 47 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1882 to 2025. The highest, 61.72 ft on May 2, 2011, was major flooding, 21.72 feet above flood stage. 16 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
61.72 ft
May 2, 2011; 1,809,676 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
40.0 ft
Major flooding from 53.0 ft
Crests at major
19
12th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 12, 2025
52.68 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Alexander County
Illinois
Identifiers
NWS CIRI2
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ohio River at Cairo
Action stage32.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)40.010Feb 24, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage47.018Apr 12, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage53.019Mar 1, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

47 crests from 1882 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Cairo, 1882 to 2025 404550556065ft Flood stage 40.0 ftMajor 53.0 ft Feb 25, 1882: 51.90 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 1913: 54.70 ft, major floodingApr 20, 1927: 56.40 ft, major floodingFeb 3, 1937: 59.50 ft, major floodingMay 30, 1943: 53.00 ft, major floodingMar 11, 1945: 53.90 ft, major floodingApr 20, 1947: 47.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 15, 1950: 55.90 ft, major floodingJan 17, 1951: 41.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1951: 49.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 28, 1955: 50.10 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1956: 43.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 13, 1957: 45.70 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1964: 48.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1975: 56.50 ft, major floodingMay 16, 1984: 54.00 ft, major floodingApr 17, 1994: 54.20 ft, major floodingMay 28, 1995: 55.70 ft, major floodingMay 18, 1996: 53.50 ft, major floodingMar 11, 1997: 56.20 ft, major floodingApr 22, 1998: 51.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 3, 1999: 49.47 ft, moderate floodingMar 1, 2001: 43.24 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2002: 54.95 ft, major floodingMay 14, 2003: 50.59 ft, moderate flooding; 1,293,024 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2004: 47.02 ft, moderate flooding; 1,119,499 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2005: 53.20 ft, major flooding; 1,448,782 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2007: 42.14 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 2008: 53.89 ft, major flooding; 1,409,915 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2009: 51.06 ft, moderate flooding; 1,286,161 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2010: 49.43 ft, moderate flooding; 1,222,161 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2011: 61.72 ft, major flooding; 1,809,676 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2013: 50.00 ft, moderate flooding; 1,243,992 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2014: 42.80 ft, minor flooding; 963,634 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2015: 48.71 ft, moderate flooding; 1,194,780 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2016: 56.14 ft, major flooding; 1,521,160 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2017: 52.15 ft, moderate flooding; 1,330,725 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2018: 54.80 ft, major flooding; 1,454,215 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2019: 56.51 ft, major flooding; 1,540,195 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2020: 52.64 ft, moderate flooding; 1,352,826 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2021: 47.01 ft, moderate flooding; 1,128,507 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2022: 40.58 ft, minor flooding; 883,696 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2022: 47.11 ft, moderate flooding; 1,132,472 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2023: 43.76 ft, minor flooding; 1,000,941 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2024: 43.35 ft, minor flooding; 984,936 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2025: 44.75 ft, minor flooding; 1,040,027 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2025: 52.68 ft, moderate flooding; 1,410,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 61.72 ft, May 2, 2011 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at Cairo 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 6 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 6 2000s: 8 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 8 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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, Ohio River at Cairo
1May 2, 201161.72+21.72Major1,809,676
2Feb 3, 193759.50+19.50Major—
3Mar 1, 201956.51+16.51Major1,540,195
4Apr 3, 197556.50+16.50Major—
5Apr 20, 192756.40+16.40Major—
6Mar 11, 199756.20+16.20Major—
7Jan 4, 201656.14+16.14Major1,521,160
8Feb 15, 195055.90+15.90Major—
9May 28, 199555.70+15.70Major—
10May 19, 200254.95+14.95Major—
11Mar 3, 201854.80+14.80Major1,454,215
12Apr 4, 191354.70+14.70Major—
13Apr 17, 199454.20+14.20Major—
14May 16, 198454.00+14.00Major—
15Mar 11, 194553.90+13.90Major—
16Mar 25, 200853.89+13.89Major1,409,915
17May 18, 199653.50+13.50Major—
18Jan 17, 200553.20+13.20Major1,448,782
19May 30, 194353.00+13.00Major—
20Apr 12, 202552.68+12.68Moderate1,410,000
21Mar 31, 202052.64+12.64Moderate1,352,826
22May 8, 201752.15+12.15Moderate1,330,725
23Feb 25, 188251.90+11.90Moderate—
24Apr 22, 199851.30+11.30Moderate—
25May 13, 200951.06+11.06Moderate1,286,161
26May 14, 200350.59+10.59Moderate1,293,024
27Mar 28, 195550.10+10.10Moderate—
28May 10, 201350.00+10.00Moderate1,243,992
29Feb 3, 199949.47+9.47Moderate—
30May 7, 201049.43+9.43Moderate1,222,161
31Feb 26, 195149.00+9.00Moderate—
32Jul 8, 201548.71+8.71Moderate1,194,780
33Mar 22, 196448.20+8.20Moderate—
34Mar 3, 202247.11+7.11Moderate1,132,472
35Apr 20, 194747.10+7.10Moderate—
36Dec 11, 200447.02+7.02Moderate1,119,499
37Apr 4, 202147.01+7.01Moderate1,128,507
38Feb 13, 195745.70+5.70Minor—
39Feb 24, 202544.75+4.75Minor1,040,027
40Mar 10, 202343.76+3.76Minor1,000,941
41Feb 27, 195643.60+3.60Minor—
42May 13, 202443.35+3.35Minor984,936
43Mar 1, 200143.24+3.24Minor—
44Apr 9, 201442.80+2.80Minor963,634
45Jan 16, 200742.14+2.14Minor—
46Jan 17, 195141.30+1.30Minor—
47Jan 12, 202240.58+0.58Minor883,696

The worst floods along the Ohio River

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

May 2, 2011: 61.72 ft here, major flooding

February 3, 1937: 59.50 ft here, major flooding

March 1, 2019: 56.51 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Ohio River

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

Flood gauges on the Ohio River
AshlandKY52.074.21 ft, Jan 27, 19374
Belleville LockWV35.061.80 ft, Mar 29, 191315
Cairo this gaugeIL40.061.72 ft, May 2, 201119
Cannelton Lock and DamKY42.060.80 ft, Jan 27, 19378
CincinnatiOH52.066.20 ft, Mar 11, 19641
Clifty CreekIN451.0475.90 ft, Jan 27, 19371
Dashields Lock and DamPA25.042.80 ft, Mar 18, 19365
East LiverpoolWV14.029.90 ft, Mar 19, 193611
EvansvilleIN42.053.75 ft, Jan 31, 19371
GolcondaIL40.062.60 ft, Feb 2, 19373
Hannibal Lock and DamOH35.041.90 ft, Jun 25, 19722
HendersonKY36.043.08 ft, Apr 12, 20250
IrontonOH52.054.67 ft, Feb 19, 20180
J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY37.064.40 ft, Feb 1, 19371
Lloyd Greenup LockKY54.064.50 ft, Mar 31, 19133
Marietta PumphouseOH35.058.30 ft, Mar 29, 19133
Markland LowerKY51.076.10 ft, Jan 26, 19371
MaysvilleKY50.075.60 ft, Jan 27, 19372
McAlpine LowerKY55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374
McAlpine UpperKY23.052.15 ft, Jan 27, 19377
Meldahl DamOH51.076.00 ft, Jan 26, 19373
Montgomery Lock and DamPA33.055.00 ft, Mar 18, 193610
MoundsvilleWV37.057.90 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Mount VernonIN35.059.21 ft, Feb 1, 19372
New Cumberland Lock and DamOH36.050.20 ft, Dec 31, 194215
Newburgh Lock and DamKY38.056.60 ft, Jan 31, 19371
Olmsted Lock and Dam HeadwaterKY36.048.20 ft, Feb 21, 20201
OwensboroKY40.054.80 ft, Jan 29, 19375
PaducahKY39.060.60 ft, Feb 2, 19377
ParkersburgWV36.045.20 ft, Mar 12, 19645
Pike Island Lock and DamWV37.047.70 ft, Mar 11, 19645
PittsburghPA22.046.00 ft, Mar 18, 193622
Point PleasantWV40.062.80 ft, Mar 30, 191325
PomeroyOH46.068.80 ft, Apr 1, 191334
PortsmouthOH50.053.78 ft, Apr 7, 20250
Powhatan PointOH37.053.30 ft, Mar 19, 19365
R C Byrd LockWV50.069.60 ft, Jan 27, 19379
Racine LockWV41.050.23 ft, Sep 20, 20043
ShawneetownKY33.065.64 ft, Jan 30, 19377
Smithland Lock and DamKY40.054.83 ft, May 6, 20114
SteubenvilleOH36.044.00 ft, Jan 20, 19961
Tell CityIN38.056.95 ft, Jan 29, 19376
WellsburgWV36.054.60 ft, Mar 19, 19369
WellsvilleOH11.020.90 ft, Jan 20, 19963
WheelingWV36.045.40 ft, Jan 20, 19963
Willow Island LockWV37.044.78 ft, Sep 19, 20042
HuntingtonOH50.057.52 ft, Mar 5, 19970

Other gauges in Alexander County

Flood gauges in Alexander County
Thebes33.047.74 ft, Jan 2, 201612

Alexander County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CIRI2, 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.