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Clifty Creek near Columbus

Highest listed crest 22.17 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft32 crests since 2007

The Clifty Creek near Columbus crested above flood stage 16 times among the 32 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2007 to 2026. The highest, 22.17 ft on June 7, 2008, was moderate flooding, 5.17 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Clifty Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.17 ft
June 7, 2008; 18,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
0
16 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
August 13, 2026
19.27 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bartholomew County
Near Columbus (2.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Clifty Creek near Columbus
Action stage14.014Jun 22, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.013Aug 13, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.03Jun 20, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

32 crests from 2007 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Clifty Creek near Columbus, 2007 to 2026 10152025ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Jan 15, 2007: 16.68 ft, action stageJan 9, 2008: 16.70 ft, action stageFeb 6, 2008: 15.94 ft, action stageMar 19, 2008: 18.61 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 2008: 22.17 ft, moderate flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 11.78 ft, below flood stageAug 5, 2009: 20.54 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2010: 14.61 ft, action stageFeb 22, 2011: 15.33 ft, action stageApr 20, 2011: 17.18 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 2013: 15.85 ft, action stageDec 22, 2013: 18.34 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2014: 16.54 ft, action stageJul 14, 2015: 19.16 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 2015: 15.32 ft, action stageJul 26, 2016: 11.94 ft, below flood stageSep 9, 2016: 16.18 ft, action stageJan 20, 2017: 15.47 ft, action stageMay 6, 2017: 16.56 ft, action stageJun 15, 2017: 16.01 ft, action stageJun 24, 2017: 14.01 ft, action stageNov 6, 2017: 17.62 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2018: 17.51 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 2018: 18.94 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2018: 16.97 ft, action stageNov 2, 2018: 17.27 ft, minor floodingFeb 8, 2019: 19.50 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 2019: 17.77 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2020: 17.38 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2021: 21.37 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 19.56 ft, minor floodingAug 13, 2026: 19.27 ft, minor flooding Highest, 22.17 ft, Jun 7, 2008 2010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Clifty Creek near Columbus 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 9 2020s: 4 2000s2010s2020s
  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, Clifty Creek near Columbus
1Jun 7, 200822.17+5.17Moderate18,200
2Jun 20, 202121.37+4.37Moderate21,600
3Aug 5, 200920.54+3.54Moderate14,300
4Apr 6, 202519.56+2.56Minor—
5Feb 8, 201919.50+2.50Minor—
6Aug 13, 202619.27+2.27Minor—
7Jul 14, 201519.16+2.16Minor—
8Apr 4, 201818.94+1.94Minor—
9Mar 19, 200818.61+1.61Minor—
10Dec 22, 201318.34+1.34Minor—
11Jun 17, 201917.77+0.77Minor—
12Nov 6, 201717.62+0.62Minor—
13Feb 25, 201817.51+0.51Minor—
14Mar 21, 202017.38+0.38Minor—
15Nov 2, 201817.27+0.27Minor—
16Apr 20, 201117.18+0.18Minor—
17Jun 22, 201816.97−0.03Action—
18Jan 9, 200816.70−0.30Action—
19Jan 15, 200716.68−0.32Action—
20May 6, 201716.56−0.44Action—
21Apr 4, 201416.54−0.46Action—
22Sep 9, 201616.18−0.82Action—
23Jun 15, 201716.01−0.99Action—
24Feb 6, 200815.94−1.06Action—
25Jan 14, 201315.85−1.15Action—
26Jan 20, 201715.47−1.53Action—
27Feb 22, 201115.33−1.67Action—
28Dec 28, 201515.32−1.68Action—
29Jun 15, 201014.61−2.39Action—
30Jun 24, 201714.01−2.99Action—
31Jul 26, 201611.94−5.06Below flood stage—
32Feb 11, 200911.78−5.22Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Clifty Creek

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

June 7, 2008: 22.17 ft here, moderate flooding

June 20, 2021: 21.37 ft here, moderate flooding

August 5, 2009: 20.54 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Clifty Creek

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

Flood gauges on the Clifty Creek
HartsvilleIN9.025.10 ft, Mar 25, 19132
Columbus this gaugeIN17.022.17 ft, Jun 7, 20080

Other gauges in Bartholomew County

Flood gauges in Bartholomew County
Hartsville9.025.10 ft, Mar 25, 19132
Edinburgh11.020.30 ft, Mar 28, 19132
Columbus9.018.61 ft, Jun 8, 20087
Columbus11.019.94 ft, Jun 7, 20081
East Columbus12.517.00 ft, Jun 7, 20081
Hope9.015.00 ft, Jun 7, 20081
Clifford12.017.00 ft, Jun 7, 20081

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CCCI3, 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.