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Little Osage River at Fulton

Highest listed crest 28.96 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft35 crests since 2009

The Little Osage River at Fulton crested above flood stage 31 times among the 35 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2009 to 2022. The highest, 28.96 ft on May 22, 2019, was moderate flooding, 6.96 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Little Osage River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.96 ft
May 22, 2019; 16,098 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
0
31 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 2, 2022
24.50 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bourbon County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Osage River at Fulton
Action stage20.04Nov 1, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.014Jun 2, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.017May 6, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

35 crests from 2009 to 2022. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Osage River at Fulton, 2009 to 2022 202224262830ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 29, 2009: 23.59 ft, minor flooding; 6,670 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2009: 21.18 ft, action stage; 5,250 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 27.92 ft, moderate flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2009: 25.82 ft, moderate flooding; 8,620 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2009: 20.38 ft, action stage; 4,880 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2009: 25.53 ft, moderate flooding; 8,320 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2009: 24.20 ft, minor flooding; 7,120 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2010: 22.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,780 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2010: 22.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2010: 27.54 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2011: 20.25 ft, action stage; 4,830 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2012: 26.73 ft, moderate flooding; 9,780 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 24.77 ft, minor flooding; 7,643 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2013: 26.68 ft, moderate flooding; 9,700 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 2013: 20.68 ft, action stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2015: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,840 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 25.36 ft, moderate flooding; 8,150 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2015: 23.90 ft, minor flooding; 6,899 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2015: 22.74 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2016: 27.18 ft, moderate flooding; 10,651 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2016: 23.18 ft, minor flooding; 6,389 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2017: 28.02 ft, moderate flooding; 12,851 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 2018: 25.14 ft, moderate flooding; 7,943 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 22.96 ft, minor flooding; 6,210 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2019: 25.42 ft, moderate flooding; 8,196 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 22.64 ft, minor flooding; 6,022 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 28.96 ft, moderate flooding; 16,098 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 24.59 ft, minor flooding; 7,419 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2021: 25.06 ft, moderate flooding; 7,830 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2021: 27.18 ft, moderate flooding; 11,015 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2021: 24.04 ft, minor flooding; 7,196 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2021: 25.87 ft, moderate flooding; 8,630 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 2021: 26.94 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2022: 27.20 ft, moderate flooding; 11,151 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2022: 24.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,591 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.96 ft, May 22, 2019 201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Osage River at Fulton 2000s: 5 2010s: 19 19 2020s: 7 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.
  3. 54 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 25.23 ft on Jul 8, 1949; 28.50 ft on Jul 19, 1950; 28.75 ft on Jul 12, 1951; 26.20 ft on Feb 2, 1952; 7.88 ft on May 23, 1953; 28.93 ft on May 2, 1954; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Little Osage River at Fulton
1May 22, 201928.96+6.96Moderate16,098
2Apr 30, 201728.02+6.02Moderate12,851
3Apr 28, 200927.92+5.92Moderate12,900
4Sep 17, 201027.54+5.54Moderate11,400
5May 6, 202227.20+5.20Moderate11,151
6Apr 28, 201627.18+5.18Moderate10,651
7Mar 18, 202127.18+5.18Moderate11,015
8Sep 6, 202126.94+4.94Moderate10,100
9Mar 21, 201226.73+4.73Moderate9,780
10Jul 30, 201326.68+4.68Moderate9,700
11Jul 16, 202125.87+3.87Moderate8,630
12May 8, 200925.82+3.82Moderate8,620
13Jun 17, 200925.53+3.53Moderate8,320
14Mar 31, 201925.42+3.42Moderate8,196
15May 24, 201525.36+3.36Moderate8,150
16Oct 11, 201825.14+3.14Moderate7,943
17Mar 13, 202125.06+3.06Moderate7,830
18Apr 18, 201324.77+2.77Minor7,643
19May 26, 201924.59+2.59Minor7,419
20Jun 2, 202224.50+2.50Minor7,591
21Oct 10, 200924.20+2.20Minor7,120
22Jun 27, 202124.04+2.04Minor7,196
23Jul 8, 201523.90+1.90Minor6,899
24Mar 29, 200923.59+1.59Minor6,670
25Sep 10, 201623.18+1.18Minor6,389
26Mar 13, 201922.96+0.96Minor6,210
27Dec 14, 201522.74+0.74Minor6,080
28May 8, 201922.64+0.64Minor6,022
29Jul 7, 201022.48+0.48Minor5,930
30May 18, 201522.33+0.33Minor5,840
31Feb 22, 201022.21+0.21Minor5,780
32Apr 20, 200921.18−0.82Action5,250
33Nov 1, 201320.68−1.32Action5,000
34May 14, 200920.38−1.62Action4,880
35Feb 25, 201120.25−1.75Action4,830

The worst floods along the Little Osage River

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

May 22, 2019: 28.96 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HortonMO · May 23, 2019 · 49.03 ft · Moderate

April 30, 2017: 28.02 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HortonMO · May 2, 2017 · 47.90 ft · Moderate

April 28, 2009: 27.92 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HortonMO · Apr 29, 2009 · 46.14 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Little Osage River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Osage River
Fulton this gaugeKS22.028.96 ft, May 22, 20190
HortonMO41.053.37 ft, Jul 2, 20072

Other gauges in Bourbon County

Flood gauges in Bourbon County
Fort Scott38.052.50 ft, Oct 3, 198615
Uniontown12.017.32 ft, Jun 30, 20070

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FTNK1, 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.