Highest listed crest 20.20 ft March 28, 1913
Flood stage 13.0 ft Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major 9 12th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest August 14, 2026 16.69 ft, moderate flooding Listed crests at the Big Blue River (IN) at Shelbyville, 1913 to 2026 5 10 15 20 25 ft Flood stage 13.0 ft Major 18.0 ft Mar 28, 1913: 20.20 ft, major flooding Jan 12, 1937: 18.30 ft, major flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per second Jan 25, 1937: 18.30 ft, major flooding; 17,400 cubic feet per second Mar 7, 1944: 9.40 ft, action stage; 4,090 cubic feet per second Apr 12, 1944: 15.90 ft, moderate flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per second Mar 7, 1945: 10.71 ft, action stage; 5,440 cubic feet per second Apr 3, 1945: 9.60 ft, action stage; 4,270 cubic feet per second Jun 19, 1945: 9.00 ft, action stage; 3,750 cubic feet per second Oct 2, 1945: 8.88 ft, below flood stage; 3,670 cubic feet per second Jan 31, 1947: 10.20 ft, action stage; 4,850 cubic feet per second Apr 27, 1947: 10.10 ft, action stage; 4,750 cubic feet per second Jun 3, 1947: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per second Jul 15, 1947: 12.20 ft, action stage; 7,460 cubic feet per second Jan 2, 1948: 9.00 ft, action stage; 3,750 cubic feet per second Feb 14, 1948: 8.80 ft, below flood stage; 3,590 cubic feet per second Mar 27, 1948: 10.50 ft, action stage; 5,180 cubic feet per second Apr 7, 1948: 12.58 ft, action stage; 7,600 cubic feet per second Jan 5, 1949: 17.00 ft, moderate flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per second Jan 19, 1949: 10.90 ft, action stage; 5,620 cubic feet per second Jan 28, 1949: 9.60 ft, action stage; 4,270 cubic feet per second Feb 16, 1949: 11.60 ft, action stage; 6,400 cubic feet per second Mar 28, 1949: 13.40 ft, minor flooding; 8,560 cubic feet per second Jan 6, 1950: 15.60 ft, moderate flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per second Jan 11, 1950: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per second Jan 16, 1950: 12.20 ft, action stage; 7,300 cubic feet per second Jan 27, 1950: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per second Feb 14, 1950: 16.00 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per second Mar 28, 1950: 10.80 ft, action stage; 5,900 cubic feet per second Apr 5, 1950: 9.40 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per second Oct 21, 1950: 11.00 ft, action stage; 6,100 cubic feet per second Nov 21, 1950: 11.00 ft, action stage; 6,100 cubic feet per second Dec 4, 1950: 9.70 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per second Jan 15, 1951: 9.60 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per second Feb 13, 1951: 9.20 ft, action stage; 4,460 cubic feet per second Feb 22, 1951: 13.10 ft, minor flooding; 8,200 cubic feet per second Oct 21, 1951: 11.00 ft, action stage; 6,100 cubic feet per second Dec 4, 1951: 9.70 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per second Jan 27, 1952: 12.95 ft, action stage; 12,400 cubic feet per second Feb 4, 1952: 6.90 ft, below flood stage; 3,480 cubic feet per second Mar 12, 1952: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per second Dec 7, 1952: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 4,700 cubic feet per second Mar 5, 1953: 8.30 ft, below flood stage; 4,800 cubic feet per second Apr 6, 1954: 10.63 ft, action stage; 4,290 cubic feet per second Jan 7, 1955: 7.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,010 cubic feet per second Nov 17, 1955: 15.21 ft, moderate flooding; 8,640 cubic feet per second Feb 26, 1956: 11.89 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per second May 29, 1956: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 7,560 cubic feet per second Apr 5, 1957: 12.16 ft, action stage; 5,510 cubic feet per second May 23, 1957: 11.39 ft, action stage; 4,870 cubic feet per second Jun 30, 1957: 12.15 ft, action stage; 5,510 cubic feet per second Dec 20, 1957: 12.27 ft, action stage; 5,590 cubic feet per second Dec 26, 1957: 9.84 ft, action stage; 3,590 cubic feet per second May 7, 1958: 11.00 ft, action stage; 4,550 cubic feet per second Jun 15, 1958: 14.40 ft, minor flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per second Jul 21, 1958: 10.25 ft, action stage; 3,910 cubic feet per second Aug 2, 1958: 13.52 ft, minor flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per second Jan 22, 1959: 16.50 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per second Feb 11, 1959: 12.71 ft, action stage; 5,930 cubic feet per second Feb 11, 1960: 10.79 ft, action stage; 4,390 cubic feet per second Jun 24, 1960: 13.53 ft, minor flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per second Jul 3, 1960: 10.40 ft, action stage; 4,070 cubic feet per second Mar 6, 1961: 10.63 ft, action stage; 4,230 cubic feet per second Mar 14, 1961: 11.86 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per second Apr 26, 1961: 15.87 ft, moderate flooding; 9,480 cubic feet per second May 9, 1961: 14.94 ft, minor flooding; 8,280 cubic feet per second Feb 28, 1962: 11.27 ft, action stage; 4,790 cubic feet per second Mar 22, 1962: 10.52 ft, action stage; 4,150 cubic feet per second Mar 5, 1963: 17.70 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per second Mar 21, 1963: 11.10 ft, action stage; 4,420 cubic feet per second Mar 11, 1964: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 7,940 cubic feet per second Apr 21, 1964: 15.40 ft, moderate flooding; 9,800 cubic feet per second Feb 11, 1965: 13.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,740 cubic feet per second Apr 10, 1965: 9.87 ft, action stage; 3,500 cubic feet per second Apr 26, 1965: 10.79 ft, action stage; 4,140 cubic feet per second Feb 11, 1966: 9.60 ft, action stage; 3,290 cubic feet per second Nov 28, 1966: 11.82 ft, action stage; 4,960 cubic feet per second Dec 11, 1966: 14.64 ft, minor flooding; 8,350 cubic feet per second Mar 6, 1967: 10.36 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per second May 8, 1967: 10.20 ft, action stage; 3,560 cubic feet per second Feb 3, 1968: 12.48 ft, action stage; 5,480 cubic feet per second May 24, 1968: 16.10 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per second Aug 10, 1968: 10.92 ft, action stage; 4,240 cubic feet per second Dec 29, 1968: 10.23 ft, action stage; 3,580 cubic feet per second Jan 19, 1969: 13.22 ft, minor flooding; 6,260 cubic feet per second Jan 31, 1969: 14.45 ft, minor flooding; 8,020 cubic feet per second Apr 19, 1969: 10.99 ft, action stage; 4,190 cubic feet per second Jul 20, 1969: 12.89 ft, action stage; 5,890 cubic feet per second Nov 20, 1969: 10.00 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per second Jan 30, 1970: 12.44 ft, action stage; 5,450 cubic feet per second Apr 25, 1970: 10.94 ft, action stage; 4,150 cubic feet per second Feb 6, 1971: 12.95 ft, action stage; 5,950 cubic feet per second Feb 23, 1971: 13.18 ft, minor flooding; 6,220 cubic feet per second Mar 3, 1972: 10.51 ft, action stage; 3,480 cubic feet per second Apr 22, 1972: 10.77 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per second Nov 3, 1972: 10.52 ft, action stage; 3,490 cubic feet per second Nov 15, 1972: 12.44 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per second Mar 12, 1973: 11.86 ft, action stage; 4,670 cubic feet per second Apr 23, 1973: 11.15 ft, action stage; 4,040 cubic feet per second Jun 7, 1973: 12.05 ft, action stage; 4,850 cubic feet per second Jun 28, 1973: 13.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per second Jan 20, 1974: 11.34 ft, action stage; 3,660 cubic feet per second Jun 24, 1974: 14.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per second Jan 30, 1975: 11.00 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per second Feb 24, 1975: 16.33 ft, moderate flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per second Apr 26, 1975: 11.79 ft, action stage; 3,990 cubic feet per second Jan 26, 1976: 11.78 ft, action stage; 3,990 cubic feet per second Apr 3, 1977: 10.13 ft, action stage; 2,860 cubic feet per second Dec 16, 1977: 13.70 ft, minor flooding; 5,530 cubic feet per second Mar 16, 1978: 14.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per second Jan 2, 1979: 11.95 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per second Feb 24, 1979: 15.12 ft, moderate flooding; 7,430 cubic feet per second Mar 5, 1979: 15.03 ft, moderate flooding; 7,320 cubic feet per second Jul 30, 1979: 14.15 ft, minor flooding; 6,250 cubic feet per second Aug 3, 1979: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per second Nov 29, 1979: 11.74 ft, action stage; 3,960 cubic feet per second Dec 25, 1979: 11.44 ft, action stage; 3,730 cubic feet per second Aug 19, 1980: 12.99 ft, action stage; 5,050 cubic feet per second May 28, 1981: 13.88 ft, minor flooding; 5,960 cubic feet per second Jan 23, 1982: 11.11 ft, action stage; 3,480 cubic feet per second Jan 31, 1982: 14.39 ft, minor flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per second Feb 18, 1982: 15.34 ft, moderate flooding; 7,700 cubic feet per second May 3, 1983: 11.29 ft, action stage; 3,620 cubic feet per second Dec 13, 1983: 11.44 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per second Apr 23, 1984: 13.17 ft, minor flooding; 5,360 cubic feet per second Dec 31, 1984: 11.30 ft, action stage; 3,730 cubic feet per second Feb 24, 1985: 15.51 ft, moderate flooding; 8,040 cubic feet per second Apr 1, 1985: 14.37 ft, minor flooding; 6,630 cubic feet per second Nov 28, 1985: 13.78 ft, minor flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per second Dec 13, 1985: 13.68 ft, minor flooding; 5,870 cubic feet per second Feb 5, 1986: 12.17 ft, action stage; 4,410 cubic feet per second Oct 5, 1986: 14.86 ft, minor flooding; 7,220 cubic feet per second Jul 3, 1987: 12.15 ft, action stage; 4,390 cubic feet per second Feb 2, 1988: 11.78 ft, action stage; 4,060 cubic feet per second Apr 7, 1988: 11.41 ft, action stage; 3,740 cubic feet per second Mar 31, 1989: 11.55 ft, action stage; 3,860 cubic feet per second Apr 5, 1989: 13.11 ft, minor flooding; 5,310 cubic feet per second May 27, 1989: 13.89 ft, minor flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per second Sep 16, 1989: 12.67 ft, action stage; 4,880 cubic feet per second Feb 16, 1990: 13.23 ft, minor flooding; 5,420 cubic feet per second Mar 12, 1990: 12.03 ft, action stage; 4,280 cubic feet per second May 17, 1990: 14.71 ft, minor flooding; 7,040 cubic feet per second Dec 19, 1990: 11.00 ft, action stage; 3,400 cubic feet per second Dec 31, 1990: 18.03 ft, major flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per second Mar 14, 1991: 11.90 ft, action stage; 4,170 cubic feet per second Mar 24, 1991: 12.70 ft, action stage; 4,910 cubic feet per second May 31, 1991: 11.69 ft, action stage; 3,980 cubic feet per second Apr 19, 1992: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,400 cubic feet per second Jun 19, 1992: 10.60 ft, action stage Nov 13, 1992: 8.30 ft, below flood stage Mar 5, 1993: 11.34 ft, action stage; 3,840 cubic feet per second Oct 21, 1993: 7.95 ft, below flood stage Nov 15, 1993: 18.41 ft, major flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per second Dec 5, 1993: 10.87 ft, action stage Jan 28, 1994: 13.91 ft, minor flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per second Apr 12, 1994: 13.63 ft, minor flooding Mar 8, 1995: 9.92 ft, action stage Apr 22, 1995: 9.59 ft, action stage May 14, 1995: 9.12 ft, action stage May 20, 1995: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 6,440 cubic feet per second Jan 19, 1996: 11.35 ft, action stage; 4,150 cubic feet per second Apr 24, 1996: 12.19 ft, action stage; 4,800 cubic feet per second Apr 30, 1996: 16.13 ft, moderate flooding; 8,980 cubic feet per second May 5, 1996: 15.92 ft, moderate flooding; 8,660 cubic feet per second May 9, 1996: 12.78 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per second May 16, 1996: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,660 cubic feet per second May 28, 1996: 11.18 ft, action stage; 4,020 cubic feet per second Nov 8, 1996: 8.77 ft, below flood stage Nov 26, 1996: 8.99 ft, below flood stage Dec 25, 1996: 12.10 ft, action stage; 4,730 cubic feet per second Jan 4, 1997: 8.20 ft, below flood stage Jan 23, 1997: 12.55 ft, action stage; 5,080 cubic feet per second Feb 5, 1997: 10.50 ft, action stage; 3,530 cubic feet per second Mar 2, 1997: 11.43 ft, action stage; 4,210 cubic feet per second Mar 14, 1997: 8.60 ft, below flood stage Apr 13, 1997: 10.37 ft, action stage; 3,440 cubic feet per second Jun 1, 1997: 16.84 ft, moderate flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per second Mar 9, 1998: 9.24 ft, action stage Mar 19, 1998: 9.70 ft, action stage Apr 10, 1998: 12.73 ft, action stage; 5,230 cubic feet per second Apr 16, 1998: 10.61 ft, action stage; 3,610 cubic feet per second May 8, 1998: 9.05 ft, action stage Jun 15, 1998: 14.46 ft, minor flooding; 6,820 cubic feet per second Jan 23, 1999: 14.68 ft, minor flooding; 7,060 cubic feet per second Feb 8, 1999: 10.90 ft, action stage; 3,820 cubic feet per second Apr 8, 2000: 12.06 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per second Jul 19, 2001: 11.07 ft, action stage; 3,940 cubic feet per second Oct 15, 2001: 10.86 ft, action stage; 3,790 cubic feet per second Dec 18, 2001: 13.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per second Apr 15, 2002: 10.63 ft, action stage; 3,620 cubic feet per second Apr 29, 2002: 11.01 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per second May 8, 2002: 12.11 ft, action stage; 4,740 cubic feet per second May 14, 2002: 16.21 ft, moderate flooding; 9,120 cubic feet per second May 12, 2003: 11.93 ft, action stage; 4,590 cubic feet per second Jul 6, 2003: 12.17 ft, action stage; 4,780 cubic feet per second Jul 11, 2003: 11.38 ft, action stage; 4,170 cubic feet per second Sep 3, 2003: 13.77 ft, minor flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per second Jan 6, 2004: 15.82 ft, moderate flooding; 8,770 cubic feet per second Jun 13, 2004: 11.95 ft, action stage; 4,870 cubic feet per second Jun 17, 2004: 11.82 ft, action stage; 4,760 cubic feet per second Jan 6, 2005: 18.43 ft, major flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per second Jan 14, 2005: 14.21 ft, minor flooding May 15, 2005: 10.88 ft, action stage Jul 17, 2005: 10.00 ft, action stage Jul 22, 2005: 10.50 ft, action stage Nov 17, 2005: 10.76 ft, action stage Mar 13, 2006: 15.55 ft, moderate flooding; 8,470 cubic feet per second Dec 2, 2006: 13.82 ft, minor flooding Jan 16, 2007: 14.62 ft, minor flooding Mar 3, 2007: 14.68 ft, minor flooding; 7,520 cubic feet per second Jan 10, 2008: 15.21 ft, moderate flooding; 8,090 cubic feet per second Feb 7, 2008: 14.42 ft, minor flooding Mar 5, 2008: 14.32 ft, minor flooding Mar 20, 2008: 14.89 ft, minor flooding Jun 5, 2008: 15.12 ft, moderate flooding Feb 13, 2009: 12.14 ft, action stage May 15, 2009: 12.63 ft, action stage; 5,480 cubic feet per second Aug 5, 2009: 11.01 ft, action stage Jun 24, 2010: 14.12 ft, minor flooding; 7,390 cubic feet per second Mar 6, 2011: 16.41 ft, moderate flooding Apr 21, 2011: 17.10 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per second Dec 6, 2011: 12.40 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per second Jan 14, 2013: 15.19 ft, moderate flooding; 8,060 cubic feet per second Dec 23, 2013: 18.30 ft, major flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per second Jun 28, 2015: 14.41 ft, minor flooding; 7,140 cubic feet per second Dec 29, 2015: 15.40 ft, moderate flooding Jan 21, 2017: 13.33 ft, minor flooding May 6, 2017: 13.58 ft, minor flooding May 26, 2017: 10.80 ft, action stage Jun 25, 2017: 11.95 ft, action stage Jul 12, 2017: 13.11 ft, minor flooding Nov 6, 2017: 13.58 ft, minor flooding Feb 26, 2018: 15.02 ft, moderate flooding Apr 4, 2018: 18.06 ft, major flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per second Sep 10, 2018: 15.81 ft, moderate flooding Nov 3, 2018: 14.67 ft, minor flooding Feb 8, 2019: 16.72 ft, moderate flooding; 10,094 cubic feet per second Jun 17, 2019: 16.19 ft, moderate flooding; 9,225 cubic feet per second Jan 12, 2020: 15.67 ft, moderate flooding; 8,582 cubic feet per second Mar 20, 2020: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 6,882 cubic feet per second Jul 18, 2021: 14.22 ft, minor flooding; 6,935 cubic feet per second Mar 8, 2022: 14.92 ft, minor flooding; 7,714 cubic feet per second Mar 26, 2023: 14.34 ft, minor flooding; 7,065 cubic feet per second Apr 3, 2024: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 6,150 cubic feet per second Apr 6, 2025: 19.98 ft, major flooding; 21,570 cubic feet per second Mar 5, 2026: 15.02 ft, moderate flooding; 7,828 cubic feet per second Aug 14, 2026: 16.69 ft, moderate flooding; 10,037 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.20 ft, Mar 28, 1913 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 Crests at or above flood stage, by decade Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River (IN) at Shelbyville 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 4 1950s: 10 1960s: 11 1970s: 10 1980s: 11 1990s: 14 2000s: 15 2010s: 17 17 2020s: 9 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 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. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable. April 6, 2025: 19.98 ft here, major flooding Carthage IN · Apr 5, 2025 · 11.21 ft · Moderate January 6, 2005: 18.43 ft here, major flooding Carthage IN · Jan 6, 2005 · 11.22 ft · Moderate November 15, 1993: 18.41 ft here, major flooding Carthage IN · Nov 15, 1993 · 12.91 ft · Moderate 07 Other gauges in Shelby County Shelby County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SBVI3, 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.