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Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage

Highest listed crest 14.62 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft164 crests since 1949

The Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 164 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1949 to 2026. The highest, 14.62 ft on March 4, 1963, was major flooding, 7.62 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Big Blue River (IN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.62 ft
March 4, 1963; 12,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
2
67th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest
August 13, 2026
12.30 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Rush County
Near Greenfield (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, Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage
Action stage5.014Feb 28, 2021The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.0112Mar 25, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.035Aug 13, 2026Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.02Mar 4, 1963Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

164 crests from 1949 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage, 1949 to 2026 46810121416ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jan 5, 1949: 10.60 ft, moderate flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1950: 9.20 ft, minor flooding; 3,650 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1950: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1951: 7.70 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1951: 7.60 ft, minor flooding; 2,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1951: 11.20 ft, moderate flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1951: 7.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1952: 11.02 ft, moderate flooding; 6,350 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1952: 7.63 ft, minor flooding; 2,150 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 8.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1953: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 3,580 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1953: 7.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1954: 10.02 ft, moderate flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1955: 5.97 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1955: 11.52 ft, moderate flooding; 5,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1956: 10.08 ft, moderate flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1956: 10.59 ft, moderate flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1957: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 3,020 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1957: 9.77 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1957: 9.76 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1957: 7.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,220 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1958: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1958: 12.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,020 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1958: 10.98 ft, moderate flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1959: 13.28 ft, major flooding; 8,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1959: 9.90 ft, minor flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1960: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1961: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1961: 12.08 ft, moderate flooding; 5,800 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1961: 9.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1961: 9.55 ft, minor flooding; 3,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1962: 8.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1963: 14.62 ft, major flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1963: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 3,930 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1963: 7.31 ft, minor flooding; 2,110 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 10.33 ft, moderate flooding; 5,140 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1964: 10.65 ft, moderate flooding; 5,540 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1965: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 4,270 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1965: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,570 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1965: 7.36 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1966: 6.18 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1966: 7.98 ft, minor flooding; 2,630 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1966: 8.82 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1968: 8.01 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1968: 9.66 ft, minor flooding; 4,340 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1968: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1969: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 3,690 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1969: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1969: 7.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,070 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1970: 9.13 ft, minor flooding; 3,560 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1971: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 3,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1971: 7.41 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1971: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 3,310 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1972: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,850 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1972: 7.27 ft, minor flooding; 2,010 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 1972: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,780 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1973: 7.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1973: 9.23 ft, minor flooding; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1973: 10.99 ft, moderate flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1974: 7.84 ft, minor flooding; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1974: 8.95 ft, minor flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1975: 7.96 ft, minor flooding; 2,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1975: 10.32 ft, moderate flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1975: 8.42 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1976: 8.30 ft, minor flooding; 2,760 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1977: 5.93 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1977: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 3,150 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1978: 8.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1979: 9.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,360 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 9.24 ft, minor flooding; 3,720 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1979: 9.69 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1979: 10.25 ft, moderate flooding; 4,220 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1979: 7.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,140 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1980: 7.80 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1981: 8.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,910 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1982: 8.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1982: 8.05 ft, minor flooding; 2,520 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1982: 9.29 ft, minor flooding; 3,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1982: 7.38 ft, minor flooding; 2,140 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1982: 7.29 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1983: 7.33 ft, minor flooding; 2,110 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 1983: 8.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,580 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1984: 7.21 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1984: 9.21 ft, minor flooding; 3,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1985: 9.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,100 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1985: 9.33 ft, minor flooding; 3,510 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1985: 7.78 ft, minor flooding; 2,360 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1985: 9.28 ft, minor flooding; 3,630 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1986: 10.76 ft, moderate flooding; 5,290 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1987: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 2,610 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 6.08 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1989: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 3,270 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1989: 10.09 ft, moderate flooding; 4,490 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1989: 9.44 ft, minor flooding; 3,790 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1990: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1990: 7.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1990: 9.22 ft, minor flooding; 3,640 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1990: 7.71 ft, minor flooding; 2,510 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1990: 12.31 ft, moderate flooding; 7,510 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1991: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1991: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1991: 10.25 ft, moderate flooding; 4,760 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1992: 8.36 ft, minor flooding; 2,920 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1992: 9.41 ft, minor flooding; 3,830 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1992: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1993: 6.12 ft, action stageNov 15, 1993: 12.91 ft, moderate flooding; 8,410 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1993: 6.19 ft, action stageJan 29, 1994: 8.88 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1994: 7.83 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1995: 4.86 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1995: 5.77 ft, action stageMay 19, 1995: 9.35 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1996: 7.85 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 1996: 10.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 4, 1996: 8.56 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 1996: 8.40 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 1996: 6.38 ft, action stageMay 29, 1996: 10.10 ft, moderate floodingDec 24, 1996: 7.82 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1997: 7.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 4, 1997: 6.22 ft, action stageMar 1, 1997: 6.20 ft, action stageJun 1, 1997: 9.36 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 1998: 7.95 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 1998: 5.10 ft, action stageJun 12, 2004: 10.75 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 2004: 7.73 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 2005: 11.22 ft, moderate flooding; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2006: 10.36 ft, moderate floodingDec 1, 2006: 9.32 ft, minor floodingJan 15, 2007: 9.33 ft, minor floodingJan 9, 2008: 10.60 ft, moderate floodingFeb 6, 2008: 9.23 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 2008: 10.91 ft, moderate floodingFeb 12, 2009: 8.00 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2010: 10.43 ft, moderate floodingFeb 28, 2011: 10.45 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 2011: 10.38 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 2011: 10.34 ft, moderate floodingJan 13, 2013: 9.64 ft, minor floodingDec 22, 2013: 11.96 ft, moderate floodingJun 27, 2015: 9.81 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 2015: 8.49 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 2017: 7.38 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 2017: 7.22 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2017: 6.50 ft, action stageJun 24, 2017: 8.90 ft, minor floodingJul 8, 2017: 8.02 ft, minor floodingNov 6, 2017: 6.20 ft, action stageFeb 25, 2018: 8.15 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 2018: 9.69 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 2018: 8.25 ft, minor floodingNov 2, 2018: 8.50 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 2019: 7.64 ft, minor flooding; 2,479 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2019: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 3,953 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2019: 7.01 ft, minor flooding; 2,165 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2019: 7.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,370 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2019: 10.30 ft, moderate flooding; 4,811 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2020: 8.36 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 2021: 5.82 ft, action stageMar 25, 2023: 8.62 ft, minor flooding; 3,117 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2025: 11.21 ft, moderate flooding; 5,955 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 2026: 12.30 ft, moderate flooding; 7,484 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.62 ft, Mar 4, 1963 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage 1940s: 1 1950s: 24 24 1960s: 22 1970s: 23 1980s: 20 1990s: 24 2000s: 10 2010s: 21 2020s: 4 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 164 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Blue River (IN) at Carthage
1Mar 4, 196314.62+7.62Major12,900
2Jan 21, 195913.28+6.28Major8,340
3Nov 15, 199312.91+5.91Moderate8,410
4Jun 14, 195812.42+5.42Moderate7,020
5Dec 30, 199012.31+5.31Moderate7,510
6Aug 13, 202612.30+5.30Moderate7,484
7Apr 25, 196112.08+5.08Moderate5,800
8Dec 22, 201311.96+4.96Moderate—
9Nov 16, 195511.52+4.52Moderate5,800
10Jan 6, 200511.22+4.22Moderate5,960
11Apr 5, 202511.21+4.21Moderate5,955
12Feb 21, 195111.20+4.20Moderate6,650
13Jan 27, 195211.02+4.02Moderate6,350
14Jun 27, 197310.99+3.99Moderate6,090
15Aug 1, 195810.98+3.98Moderate5,200
16Jun 4, 200810.91+3.91Moderate—
17Oct 4, 198610.76+3.76Moderate5,290
18Jun 12, 200410.75+3.75Moderate—
19Apr 22, 196410.65+3.65Moderate5,540
20Jan 5, 194910.60+3.60Moderate5,750
21Jan 9, 200810.60+3.60Moderate—
22May 28, 195610.59+3.59Moderate4,720
23Feb 28, 201110.45+3.45Moderate—
24Jun 22, 201010.43+3.43Moderate—
25Mar 6, 201110.38+3.38Moderate—
26Mar 12, 200610.36+3.36Moderate—
27Apr 20, 201110.34+3.34Moderate—
28Mar 10, 196410.33+3.33Moderate5,140
29Feb 23, 197510.32+3.32Moderate5,110
30Jun 16, 201910.30+3.30Moderate4,811
31Aug 2, 197910.25+3.25Moderate4,220
32May 30, 199110.25+3.25Moderate4,760
33Apr 29, 199610.10+3.10Moderate—
34May 29, 199610.10+3.10Moderate—
35May 26, 198910.09+3.09Moderate4,490
36Feb 25, 195610.08+3.08Moderate4,200
37Apr 5, 195410.02+3.02Moderate4,850
38Feb 23, 19859.94+2.94Minor4,100
39Feb 10, 19599.90+2.90Minor4,000
40Jun 27, 20159.81+2.81Minor—
41Jun 18, 19579.77+2.77Minor3,900
42Jun 28, 19579.76+2.76Minor3,900
43Feb 24, 19799.75+2.75Minor4,360
44Jul 29, 19799.69+2.69Minor4,040
45Apr 3, 20189.69+2.69Minor—
46May 24, 19689.66+2.66Minor4,340
47Jan 13, 20139.64+2.64Minor—
48Feb 10, 19659.56+2.56Minor4,270
49Jul 21, 19619.55+2.55Minor3,700
50Feb 8, 20199.53+2.53Minor3,953

The worst floods along the Big Blue River (IN)

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Big Blue River (IN) that crested above flood stage within a week.

March 4, 1963: 14.62 ft here, major flooding

January 21, 1959: 13.28 ft here, major flooding

November 15, 1993: 12.91 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Big Blue River (IN)

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

Flood gauges on the Big Blue River (IN)
Carthage this gaugeIN7.014.62 ft, Mar 4, 19632
ShelbyvilleIN13.020.20 ft, Mar 28, 19139

Other gauges in Rush County

Flood gauges in Rush County
Rushville11.018.22 ft, Aug 13, 20261
Raleigh7.011.40 ft, Aug 13, 20263

Rush County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CARI3, 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.