Ohio River at Clifty Creek
Highest listed crest 475.90 ftFlood stage 451.0 ft33 crests since 1832
The Ohio River at Clifty Creek crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1832 to 2025. The highest, 475.90 ft on January 27, 1937, was major flooding, 24.90 feet above flood stage. 24 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 17 at their own highest listed crest.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 475.90 ft
- January 27, 1937
- Flood stage
- 451.0 ft
- Major flooding from 470.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 1
- 96th of 206 gauges in Indiana
- Most recent flood crest
- April 9, 2025
- 458.62 ft, moderate flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 449.0 | 1 | Apr 19, 1972 |
| Flood stage (minor) | 451.0 | 18 | Feb 20, 2025 |
| Moderate flood stage | 457.0 | 13 | Apr 9, 2025 |
| Major flood stage | 470.0 | 1 | Jan 27, 1937 |
Every listed crest
33 crests from 1832 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.
Crests at or above flood stage, by decade
- 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.
Highest crests
| 1 | Jan 27, 1937 | 475.90 | +24.90 | Major |
| 2 | Feb 15, 1884 | 464.30 | +13.30 | Moderate |
| 3 | Mar 8, 1945 | 464.00 | +13.00 | Moderate |
| 4 | Mar 12, 1964 | 463.20 | +12.20 | Moderate |
| 5 | Apr 1, 1913 | 463.00 | +12.00 | Moderate |
| 6 | Jan 5, 1943 | 462.40 | +11.40 | Moderate |
| 7 | Feb 1, 1883 | 461.80 | +10.80 | Moderate |
| 8 | Mar 7, 1997 | 460.90 | +9.90 | Moderate |
| 9 | Jan 1, 1907 | 459.90 | +8.90 | Moderate |
| 10 | Jan 1, 1832 | 459.60 | +8.60 | Moderate |
| 11 | Apr 18, 1948 | 458.80 | +7.80 | Moderate |
| 12 | Apr 9, 2025 | 458.62 | +7.62 | Moderate |
| 13 | Jan 1, 1933 | 457.60 | +6.60 | Moderate |
| 14 | Feb 26, 2018 | 457.30 | +6.30 | Moderate |
| 15 | Mar 4, 1962 | 456.40 | +5.40 | Minor |
| 16 | Mar 23, 1943 | 455.20 | +4.20 | Minor |
| 17 | Mar 10, 1955 | 454.90 | +3.90 | Minor |
| 18 | Mar 28, 1936 | 454.50 | +3.50 | Minor |
| 19 | Feb 6, 1950 | 454.40 | +3.40 | Minor |
| 20 | Mar 12, 1967 | 454.20 | +3.20 | Minor |
| 21 | Mar 22, 1963 | 454.00 | +3.00 | Minor |
| 22 | Mar 16, 2015 | 453.10 | +2.10 | Minor |
| 23 | Jan 3, 1991 | 453.00 | +2.00 | Minor |
| 24 | Apr 26, 2011 | 452.50 | +1.50 | Minor |
| 25 | Mar 5, 2021 | 452.20 | +1.20 | Minor |
| 26 | Jan 12, 2005 | 452.00 | +1.00 | Minor |
| 27 | Jan 26, 1996 | 451.80 | +0.80 | Minor |
| 28 | Feb 20, 2025 | 451.61 | +0.61 | Minor |
| 29 | Mar 13, 2011 | 451.60 | +0.60 | Minor |
| 30 | Feb 13, 2019 | 451.20 | +0.20 | Minor |
| 31 | May 30, 1968 | 451.10 | +0.10 | Minor |
| 32 | Dec 14, 1972 | 451.00 | 0.00 | Minor |
| 33 | Apr 19, 1972 | 450.20 | −0.80 | Action |
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.
January 27, 1937: 475.90 ft here, major flooding
- McAlpine LowerKY · Jan 27, 1937 · 85.44 ft · Major · its highest
- Markland LowerKY · Jan 26, 1937 · 76.10 ft · Major · its highest
- Meldahl DamOH · Jan 26, 1937 · 76.00 ft · Major · its highest
- MaysvilleKY · Jan 27, 1937 · 75.60 ft · Major · its highest
- AshlandKY · Jan 27, 1937 · 74.21 ft · Major · its highest
- R C Byrd LockWV · Jan 27, 1937 · 69.60 ft · Major · its highest
- PomeroyOH · Jan 26, 1937 · 67.80 ft · Major
- ShawneetownKY · Jan 30, 1937 · 65.64 ft · Major · its highest
- J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY · Feb 1, 1937 · 64.40 ft · Major · its highest
- Point PleasantWV · Jan 27, 1937 · 62.70 ft · Major
February 15, 1884: 464.30 ft here, moderate flooding
- McAlpine LowerKY · Feb 16, 1884 · 74.40 ft · Major
- R C Byrd LockWV · Feb 11, 1884 · 65.50 ft · Major
- PomeroyOH · Feb 11, 1884 · 64.60 ft · Major
- Lloyd Greenup LockKY · Feb 12, 1884 · 64.00 ft · Major
- Point PleasantWV · Feb 11, 1884 · 60.70 ft · Major
- Belleville LockWV · Feb 9, 1884 · 56.50 ft · Major
- Tell CityIN · Feb 15, 1884 · 50.80 ft · Major
- McAlpine UpperKY · Feb 16, 1884 · 41.70 ft · Major
- Mount VernonIN · Feb 20, 1884 · 51.70 ft · Moderate
- EvansvilleIN · Feb 19, 1884 · 48.82 ft · Moderate
March 8, 1945: 464.00 ft here, moderate flooding
- McAlpine LowerKY · Mar 7, 1945 · 74.40 ft · Major
- Meldahl DamOH · Mar 6, 1945 · 65.50 ft · Major
- R C Byrd LockWV · Mar 10, 1945 · 59.25 ft · Major
- PomeroyOH · Mar 9, 1945 · 56.40 ft · Major
- ShawneetownKY · Mar 14, 1945 · 55.60 ft · Major
- Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Mar 8, 1945 · 54.40 ft · Major
- CairoIL · Mar 11, 1945 · 53.90 ft · Major
- Point PleasantWV · Mar 9, 1945 · 52.78 ft · Major
- Tell CityIN · Mar 10, 1945 · 52.00 ft · Major
- Belleville LockWV · Mar 9, 1945 · 51.40 ft · Major
Gauges on the Ohio River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Ashland | KY | 74.21 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| Belleville Lock | WV | 61.80 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 15 |
| Cairo | IL | 61.72 ft, May 2, 2011 | 19 |
| Cannelton Lock and Dam | KY | 60.80 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 8 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 66.20 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 1 |
| Clifty Creek this gauge | IN | 475.90 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 1 |
| Dashields Lock and Dam | PA | 42.80 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 5 |
| East Liverpool | WV | 29.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 11 |
| Evansville | IN | 53.75 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Golconda | IL | 62.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 3 |
| Hannibal Lock and Dam | OH | 41.90 ft, Jun 25, 1972 | 2 |
| Henderson | KY | 43.08 ft, Apr 12, 2025 | 0 |
| Ironton | OH | 54.67 ft, Feb 19, 2018 | 0 |
| J.T. Myers Lock and Dam | KY | 64.40 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 1 |
| Lloyd Greenup Lock | KY | 64.50 ft, Mar 31, 1913 | 3 |
| Marietta Pumphouse | OH | 58.30 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 3 |
| Markland Lower | KY | 76.10 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 1 |
| Maysville | KY | 75.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 2 |
| McAlpine Lower | KY | 85.44 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| McAlpine Upper | KY | 52.15 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 7 |
| Meldahl Dam | OH | 76.00 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 3 |
| Montgomery Lock and Dam | PA | 55.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 10 |
| Moundsville | WV | 57.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 3 |
| Mount Vernon | IN | 59.21 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 2 |
| New Cumberland Lock and Dam | OH | 50.20 ft, Dec 31, 1942 | 15 |
| Newburgh Lock and Dam | KY | 56.60 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater | KY | 48.20 ft, Feb 21, 2020 | 1 |
| Owensboro | KY | 54.80 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 5 |
| Paducah | KY | 60.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 7 |
| Parkersburg | WV | 45.20 ft, Mar 12, 1964 | 5 |
| Pike Island Lock and Dam | WV | 47.70 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 46.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 22 |
| Point Pleasant | WV | 62.80 ft, Mar 30, 1913 | 25 |
| Pomeroy | OH | 68.80 ft, Apr 1, 1913 | 34 |
| Portsmouth | OH | 53.78 ft, Apr 7, 2025 | 0 |
| Powhatan Point | OH | 53.30 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 5 |
| R C Byrd Lock | WV | 69.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 9 |
| Racine Lock | WV | 50.23 ft, Sep 20, 2004 | 3 |
| Shawneetown | KY | 65.64 ft, Jan 30, 1937 | 7 |
| Smithland Lock and Dam | KY | 54.83 ft, May 6, 2011 | 4 |
| Steubenville | OH | 44.00 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 1 |
| Tell City | IN | 56.95 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 6 |
| Wellsburg | WV | 54.60 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 9 |
| Wellsville | OH | 20.90 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Wheeling | WV | 45.40 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Willow Island Lock | WV | 44.78 ft, Sep 19, 2004 | 2 |
| Huntington | OH | 57.52 ft, Mar 5, 1997 | 0 |
Other gauges in Jefferson County
| Deputy | 34.30 ft, Jan 21, 1959 | 2 |
Jefferson County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Indiana
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLFI3, 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.