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Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown

Highest listed crest 19.82 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft71 crests since 1948

The Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown crested above flood stage 45 times among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2021. The highest, 19.82 ft on July 28, 2020, was moderate flooding, 3.82 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.82 ft
July 28, 2020
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
0
45 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 25, 2021
16.24 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cloud County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown
Action stage11.025Oct 31, 1979The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.042Mar 25, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.03Jul 28, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1948 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown, 1948 to 2021 101520253035ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Jan 1, 1948: 18.50 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1961: 17.89 ft, minor flooding; 3,360 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1961: 12.93 ft, action stage; 891 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1961: 17.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,040 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1961: 17.79 ft, minor flooding; 3,760 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1961: 19.31 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1962: 15.52 ft, action stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1962: 12.57 ft, action stage; 908 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1962: 17.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,790 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1962: 13.60 ft, action stage; 949 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1962: 12.95 ft, action stage; 923 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1963: 15.05 ft, action stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1963: 15.46 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1964: 16.79 ft, minor flooding; 1,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1965: 13.06 ft, action stage; 914 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1965: 15.21 ft, action stage; 984 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1966: 13.10 ft, action stage; 666 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 17.41 ft, minor flooding; 1,760 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 14.99 ft, action stage; 934 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1967: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 1,110 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 1967: 14.51 ft, action stage; 862 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1968: 17.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,660 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1968: 17.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1968: 15.50 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1969: 17.63 ft, minor flooding; 2,190 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1970: 13.52 ft, action stage; 837 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1971: 17.43 ft, minor flooding; 1,970 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1971: 13.33 ft, action stage; 815 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1972: 11.98 ft, action stage; 638 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1973: 17.16 ft, minor flooding; 2,310 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1973: 17.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1973: 14.62 ft, action stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1973: 17.77 ft, minor flooding; 3,090 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1973: 14.99 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1973: 18.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,160 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1973: 19.65 ft, moderate flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondNov 21, 1973: 15.09 ft, action stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1974: 13.93 ft, action stage; 830 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1975: 16.09 ft, minor flooding; 1,540 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1976: 10.61 ft, below flood stage; 449 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1977: 15.42 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1977: 17.48 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1977: 15.48 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1978: 14.27 ft, action stage; 850 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1979: 14.39 ft, action stage; 928 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 17.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,320 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1979: 15.07 ft, action stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1985: 16.86 ft, minor flooding; 1,770 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1986: 18.66 ft, minor flooding; 9,340 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1987: 16.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1987: 18.13 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1987: 18.12 ft, minor flooding; 4,600 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1990: 16.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,560 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1993: 18.55 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 1995: 16.41 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 1995: 16.50 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1995: 18.00 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1996: 17.40 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 2003: 18.45 ft, minor floodingSep 11, 2003: 17.75 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 2004: 16.60 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2010: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 1,542 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2011: 17.55 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2011: 17.25 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2016: 17.54 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2017: 17.52 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2018: 17.62 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2019: 16.80 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2019: 17.68 ft, minor floodingJul 28, 2020: 19.82 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 2021: 16.24 ft, minor flooding Highest, 19.82 ft, Jul 28, 2020 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 11 11 1970s: 9 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 8 2020s: 2 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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Buffalo Creek (KS River Basin) at Jamestown
1Jul 28, 202019.82+3.82Moderate—
2Oct 12, 197319.65+3.65Moderate27,800
3Sep 12, 196119.31+3.31Moderate18,800
4Oct 12, 198618.66+2.66Minor9,340
5Jul 18, 199318.55+2.55Minor—
6Jan 1, 194818.50+2.50Minor—
7Jun 24, 200318.45+2.45Minor—
8Sep 29, 197318.32+2.32Minor6,160
9Mar 24, 198718.13+2.13Minor4,600
10Apr 14, 198718.12+2.12Minor4,600
11May 27, 199518.00+2.00Minor—
12Aug 20, 196817.91+1.91Minor2,660
13May 23, 196117.89+1.89Minor3,360
14Aug 19, 196117.79+1.79Minor3,760
15May 8, 197317.77+1.77Minor3,090
16Sep 11, 200317.75+1.75Minor—
17May 25, 201917.68+1.68Minor—
18Feb 28, 196917.63+1.63Minor2,190
19Sep 7, 196817.62+1.62Minor2,180
20Jun 21, 201817.62+1.62Minor—
21Jun 7, 196117.61+1.61Minor3,040
22Mar 23, 197917.61+1.61Minor2,320
23May 26, 201117.55+1.55Minor—
24May 29, 201617.54+1.54Minor—
25May 20, 201717.52+1.52Minor—
26Aug 16, 197717.48+1.48Minor2,200
27Jul 5, 197117.43+1.43Minor1,970
28Jun 12, 196717.41+1.41Minor1,760
29Nov 18, 199617.40+1.40Minor—
30Apr 1, 197317.28+1.28Minor2,410
31Jun 3, 201117.25+1.25Minor—
32Mar 26, 197317.16+1.16Minor2,310
33Jun 4, 196217.04+1.04Minor1,790
34May 16, 198516.86+0.86Minor1,770
35Mar 14, 201916.80+0.80Minor—
36Sep 6, 196416.79+0.79Minor1,740
37May 15, 199016.67+0.67Minor1,560
38Jul 11, 200416.60+0.60Minor—
39Jun 20, 201016.60+0.60Minor1,542
40May 19, 199516.50+0.50Minor—
41May 14, 199516.41+0.41Minor—
42Mar 25, 202116.24+0.24Minor—
43Mar 19, 198716.19+0.19Minor1,480
44Jun 24, 197516.09+0.09Minor1,540
45Jul 28, 196716.01+0.01Minor1,110
46Jan 28, 196215.52−0.48Action1,070
47Oct 17, 196815.50−0.50Action1,160
48Sep 2, 197715.48−0.52Action1,190
49Sep 24, 196315.46−0.54Action1,150
50Jun 22, 197715.42−0.58Action1,180

Other gauges in Cloud County

Flood gauges in Cloud County
Clyde14.023.00 ft, Jun 2, 20110
Concordia15.023.00 ft, Jun 2, 19350
Glasco22.040.20 ft, Jul 1, 19517

Cloud County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JMSK1, 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.