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Wabash River at Bluffton

Highest listed crest 21.00 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft180 crests since 1904

The Wabash River at Bluffton crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 180 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2021. The highest, 21.00 ft on March 25, 1913, was major flooding, 11.00 feet above flood stage. 14 other gauges on the Wabash River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 10 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.00 ft
March 25, 1913; 25,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
2
67th of 206 gauges in Indiana
Most recent flood crest
May 12, 2021
11.57 ft, minor flooding
Location
Wells County
Near Bluffton (0.1 mi), Decatur (14.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Wabash River at Bluffton
Action stage7.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.0149May 12, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.029Apr 28, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.02Jul 9, 2003Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

180 crests from 1904 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wabash River at Bluffton, 1904 to 2021 10121416182022ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Mar 1, 1904: 16.70 ft, moderate flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1912: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 6,470 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1913: 21.00 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1914: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1915: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1916: 14.50 ft, moderate flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1917: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1918: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1919: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 8,870 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1920: 12.90 ft, minor flooding; 6,940 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1921: 12.10 ft, minor flooding; 5,760 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1922: 13.60 ft, minor flooding; 8,140 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1923: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1924: 12.00 ft, minor flooding; 5,630 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1924: 10.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1924: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 5,070 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1925: 11.10 ft, minor flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondNov 16, 1925: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1926: 12.60 ft, minor flooding; 6,470 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1926: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1927: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1927: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 8,870 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1927: 13.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,960 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1927: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1928: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,960 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1929: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1929: 10.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1930: 11.10 ft, minor flooding; 4,700 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1930: 15.20 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1932: 10.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1932: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1933: 12.72 ft, minor flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1933: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1935: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1936: 12.83 ft, minor flooding; 6,780 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1937: 15.02 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1938: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1938: 11.71 ft, minor flooding; 5,220 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1938: 12.51 ft, minor flooding; 6,410 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1939: 13.99 ft, minor flooding; 8,810 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1939: 10.01 ft, minor flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1940: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1942: 10.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1942: 11.67 ft, minor flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1943: 11.08 ft, minor flooding; 4,280 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1943: 10.90 ft, minor flooding; 4,140 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1943: 14.74 ft, moderate flooding; 9,780 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1944: 13.82 ft, minor flooding; 7,620 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1945: 10.94 ft, minor flooding; 4,140 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1945: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,350 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1946: 11.09 ft, minor flooding; 4,280 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1947: 10.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,870 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1947: 10.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1948: 10.82 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1948: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,530 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1948: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,770 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1949: 10.48 ft, minor flooding; 3,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1949: 10.66 ft, minor flooding; 4,130 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 1950: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,750 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1950: 11.58 ft, minor flooding; 4,630 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1950: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 4,540 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1950: 12.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,460 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1950: 16.07 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1950: 10.99 ft, minor flooding; 4,370 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1950: 12.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1951: 13.33 ft, minor flooding; 7,200 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1952: 10.68 ft, minor flooding; 4,130 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1952: 11.38 ft, minor flooding; 4,730 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1952: 12.63 ft, minor flooding; 6,180 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1952: 10.24 ft, minor flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1952: 13.93 ft, minor flooding; 8,140 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1952: 10.18 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1953: 10.95 ft, minor flooding; 4,370 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1955: 11.17 ft, minor flooding; 4,170 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1957: 14.00 ft, moderate flooding; 7,620 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1957: 10.07 ft, minor flooding; 3,580 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1957: 10.45 ft, minor flooding; 3,820 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1957: 14.35 ft, moderate flooding; 8,160 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1957: 13.01 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1957: 12.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,880 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1958: 14.20 ft, moderate flooding; 7,890 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1959: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 6,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1959: 14.95 ft, moderate flooding; 9,820 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1959: 13.85 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1961: 10.23 ft, minor flooding; 3,920 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1961: 10.11 ft, minor flooding; 3,860 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1961: 13.38 ft, minor flooding; 7,350 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1963: 13.62 ft, minor flooding; 7,500 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1964: 10.87 ft, minor flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1964: 12.40 ft, minor flooding; 5,900 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1964: 14.32 ft, moderate flooding; 8,620 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1966: 13.78 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1967: 10.92 ft, minor flooding; 4,340 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1968: 12.53 ft, minor flooding; 5,020 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1968: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 3,420 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1969: 10.05 ft, minor flooding; 3,640 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1969: 12.75 ft, minor flooding; 5,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1970: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,620 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1971: 10.90 ft, minor flooding; 4,230 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1972: 13.50 ft, minor floodingNov 5, 1972: 10.76 ft, minor floodingNov 17, 1972: 11.45 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1973: 10.60 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1973: 10.20 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 1973: 11.40 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1974: 10.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1975: 13.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 13, 1976: 13.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 1976: 13.10 ft, minor floodingDec 18, 1977: 13.50 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 1978: 14.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1978: 14.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 8, 1978: 11.60 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1979: 10.40 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 1979: 14.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 1980: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 1980: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJun 14, 1981: 13.00 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1981: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1982: 10.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 1982: 12.40 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1982: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 1984: 10.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1985: 16.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 14, 1985: 10.30 ft, minor floodingNov 15, 1992: 11.70 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1993: 10.00 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1993: 10.10 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 1993: 14.40 ft, moderate floodingNov 18, 1993: 11.10 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 1994: 12.00 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 1994: 10.60 ft, minor floodingAug 12, 1995: 12.60 ft, minor floodingJan 20, 1996: 14.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1996: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1997: 13.20 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 1997: 13.00 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1998: 10.40 ft, minor floodingJul 25, 1998: 13.80 ft, minor floodingAug 8, 1998: 13.60 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1999: 15.50 ft, moderate floodingDec 20, 2001: 11.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 1, 2002: 10.80 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 2002: 12.88 ft, minor flooding; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2003: 10.40 ft, minor floodingJul 9, 2003: 18.43 ft, major flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2003: 11.90 ft, minor floodingSep 4, 2003: 10.40 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 2003: 11.50 ft, minor floodingJan 6, 2004: 13.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,110 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2004: 10.00 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2005: 13.80 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 2005: 17.17 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 2005: 10.45 ft, minor floodingDec 4, 2006: 12.00 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 2007: 11.40 ft, minor floodingJan 17, 2007: 13.10 ft, minor floodingMar 4, 2007: 14.40 ft, moderate flooding; 6,530 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2007: 11.20 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 2007: 12.13 ft, minor floodingJan 12, 2008: 10.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 2008: 16.43 ft, moderate flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2008: 11.70 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2008: 11.52 ft, minor floodingFeb 12, 2009: 13.82 ft, minor flooding; 5,890 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2009: 11.60 ft, minor flooding; 4,780 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2009: 11.02 ft, minor flooding; 4,310 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 4,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2011: 12.08 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2011: 16.12 ft, moderate flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2011: 12.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,400 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2013: 15.36 ft, moderate flooding; 8,170 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2014: 15.49 ft, moderate flooding; 8,410 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2015: 16.74 ft, moderate flooding; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2016: 10.83 ft, minor flooding; 4,540 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2017: 13.64 ft, minor flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2018: 11.86 ft, minor flooding; 5,060 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2019: 14.73 ft, moderate flooding; 7,610 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2020: 11.64 ft, minor flooding; 4,850 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2021: 11.57 ft, minor flooding; 4,789 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.00 ft, Mar 25, 1913 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wabash River at Bluffton 1900s: 1 1910s: 8 1920s: 18 1930s: 14 1940s: 17 1950s: 26 26 1960s: 13 1970s: 18 1980s: 10 1990s: 16 2000s: 26 2010s: 11 2020s: 2 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 180 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Wabash River at Bluffton
1Mar 25, 191321.00+11.00Major25,000
2Jul 9, 200318.43+8.43Major15,300
3Jan 14, 200517.17+7.17Moderate12,100
4Jun 19, 201516.74+6.74Moderate11,600
5Mar 1, 190416.70+6.70Moderate17,000
6Feb 7, 200816.43+6.43Moderate10,500
7Feb 25, 198516.20+6.20Moderate—
8Mar 2, 201116.12+6.12Moderate9,840
9Feb 15, 195016.07+6.07Moderate11,800
10Mar 13, 198216.00+6.00Moderate—
11Jan 24, 199915.50+5.50Moderate—
12Feb 23, 201415.49+5.49Moderate8,410
13Jan 14, 201315.36+5.36Moderate8,170
14Jan 14, 193015.20+5.20Moderate11,200
15Jan 16, 193715.02+5.02Moderate10,800
16Feb 10, 195914.95+4.95Moderate9,820
17May 19, 194314.74+4.74Moderate9,780
18Apr 28, 201914.73+4.73Moderate7,610
19Mar 18, 197814.70+4.70Moderate—
20Mar 22, 197814.60+4.60Moderate—
21Jan 4, 191614.50+4.50Moderate9,820
22Mar 5, 197914.50+4.50Moderate—
23Jul 4, 199314.40+4.40Moderate—
24Mar 4, 200714.40+4.40Moderate6,530
25Jun 30, 195714.35+4.35Moderate8,160
26Apr 22, 196414.32+4.32Moderate8,620
27Jun 13, 195814.20+4.20Moderate7,890
28Mar 17, 191914.00+4.00Moderate8,870
29Mar 22, 192714.00+4.00Moderate8,870
30Apr 6, 195714.00+4.00Moderate7,620
31Jan 20, 199614.00+4.00Moderate—
32Mar 14, 193913.99+3.99Minor8,810
33Mar 13, 195213.93+3.93Minor8,140
34Apr 29, 195913.85+3.85Minor7,980
35Apr 13, 194413.82+3.82Minor7,620
36Feb 12, 200913.82+3.82Minor5,890
37Jul 25, 199813.80+3.80Minor—
38Jan 7, 200513.80+3.80Minor—
39Dec 11, 196613.78+3.78Minor7,980
40May 7, 201713.64+3.64Minor6,620
41Mar 7, 196313.62+3.62Minor7,500
42Apr 19, 192213.60+3.60Minor8,140
43Aug 8, 199813.60+3.60Minor—
44May 21, 192713.50+3.50Minor7,960
45Apr 23, 197213.50+3.50Minor—
46Dec 18, 197713.50+3.50Minor—
47Apr 26, 196113.38+3.38Minor7,350
48Feb 23, 195113.33+3.33Minor7,200
49Jan 6, 195013.30+3.30Minor6,750
50Jan 24, 195913.30+3.30Minor6,780

The worst floods along the Wabash River

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

March 25, 1913: 21.00 ft here, major flooding

  • CovingtonIN · Mar 27, 1913 · 35.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • MontezumaIN · Mar 27, 1913 · 34.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Terre Haute...US Hwy 150 EastboundIN · Mar 27, 1913 · 33.25 ft · Major · its highest
  • Mount CarmelIL · Mar 30, 1913 · 33.00 ft · Major
  • LafayetteIN · Mar 26, 1913 · 32.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • ClintonIN · Mar 27, 1913 · 32.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • Terre Haute Legacy SiteIN · Mar 27, 1913 · 31.10 ft · Major
  • HutsonvilleIL · Mar 30, 1913 · 29.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • WabashIN · Mar 26, 1913 · 28.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • PeruIN · Mar 26, 1913 · 28.10 ft · Major · its highest

July 9, 2003: 18.43 ft here, major flooding

  • MontezumaIN · Jul 12, 2003 · 30.43 ft · Moderate
  • ClintonIN · Jul 13, 2003 · 29.50 ft · Moderate
  • CovingtonIN · Jul 11, 2003 · 28.90 ft · Moderate
  • LafayetteIN · Jul 10, 2003 · 25.05 ft · Moderate
  • Terre Haute Legacy SiteIN · Jul 13, 2003 · 25.03 ft · Moderate
  • Linn GroveIN · Jul 8, 2003 · 14.76 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • WabashIN · Jul 7, 2003 · 16.59 ft · Minor

January 14, 2005: 17.17 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Wabash River

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

Flood gauges on the Wabash River
AmericusIN11.023.79 ft, Apr 20, 20130
Bluffton this gaugeIN10.021.00 ft, Mar 25, 19132
ClintonIN18.032.10 ft, Mar 27, 19136
CovingtonIN16.035.10 ft, Mar 27, 19133
HuntingtonIN20.023.20 ft, Feb 10, 19591
LafayetteIN11.032.90 ft, Mar 26, 19136
Linn GroveIN11.014.76 ft, Jul 8, 20030
LogansportIN15.025.30 ft, Mar 26, 19132
MontezumaIN14.034.00 ft, Mar 27, 19135
Mount CarmelIL19.034.02 ft, May 3, 20115
New HarmonyIN15.027.70 ft, Mar 31, 19136
PeruIN20.028.10 ft, Mar 26, 19132
RivertonIN15.029.36 ft, May 21, 19435
Terre Haute Legacy SiteIN14.038.00 ft, Jan 1, 17504
Terre Haute...US Hwy 150 EastboundIN16.533.25 ft, Mar 27, 19131
VincennesIN16.029.33 ft, May 23, 19432
WabashIN14.028.70 ft, Mar 26, 19134
BattlegroundIN11.026.14 ft, Apr 20, 20131
HutsonvilleIL16.029.80 ft, Mar 30, 19139

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLFI3, 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.