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Ohio River at Ashland

Highest listed crest 74.21 ftFlood stage 52.0 ft78 crests since 1888

The Ohio River at Ashland crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 78 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1888 to 2025. The highest, 74.21 ft on January 27, 1937, was major flooding, 22.21 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
74.21 ft
January 27, 1937; 690,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
52.0 ft
Major flooding from 65.5 ft
Crests at major
4
26th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 7, 2025
52.31 ft, minor flooding
Location
Boyd County
Near Ashland (1.6 mi), Ironton (4.2 mi), Huntington (12.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ohio River at Ashland
Action stage50.011Apr 7, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)52.040Apr 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage56.623Mar 3, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage65.54Apr 17, 1948Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

78 crests from 1888 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Ashland, 1888 to 2025 505560657075ft Flood stage 52.0 ftMajor 65.5 ft Feb 12, 1888: 69.30 ft, major flooding; 620,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1913: 70.60 ft, major flooding; 669,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1917: 56.60 ft, moderate flooding; 450,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1918: 54.60 ft, minor flooding; 430,000 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1919: 55.10 ft, minor flooding; 430,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1920: 51.10 ft, action stageMar 21, 1920: 55.80 ft, minor flooding; 460,000 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1921: 54.80 ft, minor flooding; 425,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1922: 51.50 ft, action stageJan 5, 1924: 57.10 ft, moderate flooding; 472,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1924: 52.80 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1924: 53.50 ft, minor floodingJan 25, 1927: 59.30 ft, moderate flooding; 493,000 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1927: 53.60 ft, minor flooding; 421,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1929: 53.60 ft, minor flooding; 408,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1932: 51.20 ft, action stage; 402,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1933: 62.10 ft, moderate flooding; 524,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1935: 54.50 ft, minor flooding; 441,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1936: 63.30 ft, moderate flooding; 582,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1936: 54.20 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1937: 74.21 ft, major flooding; 690,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1939: 61.20 ft, moderate flooding; 544,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1939: 55.20 ft, minor floodingApr 24, 1940: 61.00 ft, moderate flooding; 510,000 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 1943: 64.00 ft, moderate flooding; 587,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1943: 57.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 1945: 59.64 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 1945: 64.45 ft, moderate flooding; 531,000 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1946: 51.20 ft, action stage; 413,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1948: 55.30 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1948: 65.90 ft, major flooding; 589,000 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1949: 51.60 ft, action stage; 382,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1950: 61.00 ft, moderate flooding; 528,000 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1950: 57.35 ft, moderate flooding; 465,000 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1952: 58.60 ft, moderate flooding; 483,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1952: 51.00 ft, action stageMar 8, 1955: 63.83 ft, moderate flooding; 576,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1956: 51.10 ft, action stageMar 16, 1956: 53.05 ft, minor floodingFeb 12, 1957: 50.90 ft, action stage; 387,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1958: 59.90 ft, moderate flooding; 500,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1959: 54.00 ft, minor flooding; 392,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1961: 52.50 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1962: 60.95 ft, moderate flooding; 502,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1963: 59.72 ft, moderate flooding; 516,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1964: 59.69 ft, moderate flooding; 472,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1966: 52.91 ft, minor flooding; 459,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1967: 60.44 ft, moderate flooding; 571,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1968: 52.77 ft, minor flooding; 453,000 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1972: 53.00 ft, minor flooding; 479,000 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 1974: 54.14 ft, minor flooding; 552,000 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1985: 54.00 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1991: 55.30 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1993: 52.00 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 1994: 53.30 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1994: 52.50 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1996: 54.60 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1996: 52.00 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 1997: 60.79 ft, moderate floodingFeb 25, 2003: 51.67 ft, action stageNov 22, 2003: 52.63 ft, minor floodingApr 16, 2004: 52.58 ft, minor floodingSep 20, 2004: 54.23 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 2005: 55.48 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 2011: 56.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 2013: 50.21 ft, action stageMar 7, 2015: 55.14 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 2015: 53.65 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 2018: 56.76 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 2018: 51.16 ft, action stageDec 24, 2018: 52.07 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 2019: 53.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 15, 2020: 54.61 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 2021: 58.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 2024: 52.26 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 2024: 52.17 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 2025: 54.90 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 2025: 52.31 ft, minor flooding Highest, 74.21 ft, Jan 27, 1937 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at Ashland 1880s: 1 1890s: 0 1900s: 0 1910s: 4 1920s: 8 8 1930s: 7 1940s: 7 1950s: 7 1960s: 7 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 6 2020s: 6 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 78 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ohio River at Ashland
1Jan 27, 193774.21+22.21Major690,000
2Mar 31, 191370.60+18.60Major669,000
3Feb 12, 188869.30+17.30Major620,000
4Apr 17, 194865.90+13.90Major589,000
5Mar 9, 194564.45+12.45Moderate531,000
6Jan 2, 194364.00+12.00Moderate587,000
7Mar 8, 195563.83+11.83Moderate576,000
8Mar 23, 193663.30+11.30Moderate582,000
9Mar 21, 193362.10+10.10Moderate524,000
10Feb 5, 193961.20+9.20Moderate544,000
11Apr 24, 194061.00+9.00Moderate510,000
12Feb 4, 195061.00+9.00Moderate528,000
13Mar 1, 196260.95+8.95Moderate502,000
14Mar 5, 199760.79+8.79Moderate—
15Mar 9, 196760.44+8.44Moderate571,000
16May 9, 195859.90+7.90Moderate500,000
17Mar 9, 196359.72+7.72Moderate516,000
18Mar 13, 196459.69+7.69Moderate472,000
19Mar 4, 194559.64+7.64Moderate—
20Jan 25, 192759.30+7.30Moderate493,000
21Jan 31, 195258.60+6.60Moderate483,000
22Mar 3, 202158.00+6.00Moderate—
23Dec 10, 195057.35+5.35Moderate465,000
24Jan 5, 192457.10+5.10Moderate472,000
25Apr 23, 194357.00+5.00Moderate—
26Feb 19, 201856.76+4.76Moderate—
27Mar 16, 191756.60+4.60Moderate450,000
28Mar 13, 201156.17+4.17Minor—
29Mar 21, 192055.80+3.80Minor460,000
30Jan 10, 200555.48+3.48Minor—
31Feb 16, 194855.30+3.30Minor—
32Jan 2, 199155.30+3.30Minor—
33Apr 19, 193955.20+3.20Minor—
34Mar 7, 201555.14+3.14Minor—
35Jan 4, 191955.10+3.10Minor430,000
36Feb 18, 202554.90+2.90Minor—
37Dec 26, 192154.80+2.80Minor425,000
38Feb 15, 202054.61+2.61Minor—
39Mar 16, 191854.60+2.60Minor430,000
40Jan 21, 199654.60+2.60Minor—
41Mar 15, 193554.50+2.50Minor441,000
42Sep 20, 200454.23+2.23Minor—
43Apr 8, 193654.20+2.20Minor—
44Jan 13, 197454.14+2.14Minor552,000
45Jan 25, 195954.00+2.00Minor392,000
46Nov 30, 198554.00+2.00Minor—
47Mar 14, 201553.65+1.65Minor—
48Dec 19, 192753.60+1.60Minor421,000
49Mar 3, 192953.60+1.60Minor408,000
50May 16, 192453.50+1.50Minor—

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: 74.21 ft here, major flooding

March 31, 1913: 70.60 ft here, major flooding

  • MaysvilleKY · Mar 31, 1913 · 68.80 ft · Major
  • PomeroyOH · Apr 1, 1913 · 68.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Meldahl DamOH · Mar 31, 1913 · 67.00 ft · Major
  • Lloyd Greenup LockKY · Mar 31, 1913 · 64.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • Point PleasantWV · Mar 30, 1913 · 62.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Belleville LockWV · Mar 29, 1913 · 61.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Marietta PumphouseOH · Mar 29, 1913 · 58.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • GolcondaIL · Apr 6, 1913 · 56.80 ft · Major
  • CairoIL · Apr 4, 1913 · 54.70 ft · Major
  • PaducahKY · Apr 7, 1913 · 54.30 ft · Major

April 17, 1948: 65.90 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Ohio River

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

Flood gauges on the Ohio River
Ashland this gaugeKY52.074.21 ft, Jan 27, 19374
Belleville LockWV35.061.80 ft, Mar 29, 191315
CairoIL40.061.72 ft, May 2, 201119
Cannelton Lock and DamKY42.060.80 ft, Jan 27, 19378
CincinnatiOH52.066.20 ft, Mar 11, 19641
Clifty CreekIN451.0475.90 ft, Jan 27, 19371
Dashields Lock and DamPA25.042.80 ft, Mar 18, 19365
East LiverpoolWV14.029.90 ft, Mar 19, 193611
EvansvilleIN42.053.75 ft, Jan 31, 19371
GolcondaIL40.062.60 ft, Feb 2, 19373
Hannibal Lock and DamOH35.041.90 ft, Jun 25, 19722
HendersonKY36.043.08 ft, Apr 12, 20250
IrontonOH52.054.67 ft, Feb 19, 20180
J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY37.064.40 ft, Feb 1, 19371
Lloyd Greenup LockKY54.064.50 ft, Mar 31, 19133
Marietta PumphouseOH35.058.30 ft, Mar 29, 19133
Markland LowerKY51.076.10 ft, Jan 26, 19371
MaysvilleKY50.075.60 ft, Jan 27, 19372
McAlpine LowerKY55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374
McAlpine UpperKY23.052.15 ft, Jan 27, 19377
Meldahl DamOH51.076.00 ft, Jan 26, 19373
Montgomery Lock and DamPA33.055.00 ft, Mar 18, 193610
MoundsvilleWV37.057.90 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Mount VernonIN35.059.21 ft, Feb 1, 19372
New Cumberland Lock and DamOH36.050.20 ft, Dec 31, 194215
Newburgh Lock and DamKY38.056.60 ft, Jan 31, 19371
Olmsted Lock and Dam HeadwaterKY36.048.20 ft, Feb 21, 20201
OwensboroKY40.054.80 ft, Jan 29, 19375
PaducahKY39.060.60 ft, Feb 2, 19377
ParkersburgWV36.045.20 ft, Mar 12, 19645
Pike Island Lock and DamWV37.047.70 ft, Mar 11, 19645
PittsburghPA22.046.00 ft, Mar 18, 193622
Point PleasantWV40.062.80 ft, Mar 30, 191325
PomeroyOH46.068.80 ft, Apr 1, 191334
PortsmouthOH50.053.78 ft, Apr 7, 20250
Powhatan PointOH37.053.30 ft, Mar 19, 19365
R C Byrd LockWV50.069.60 ft, Jan 27, 19379
Racine LockWV41.050.23 ft, Sep 20, 20043
ShawneetownKY33.065.64 ft, Jan 30, 19377
Smithland Lock and DamKY40.054.83 ft, May 6, 20114
SteubenvilleOH36.044.00 ft, Jan 20, 19961
Tell CityIN38.056.95 ft, Jan 29, 19376
WellsburgWV36.054.60 ft, Mar 19, 19369
WellsvilleOH11.020.90 ft, Jan 20, 19963
WheelingWV36.045.40 ft, Jan 20, 19963
Willow Island LockWV37.044.78 ft, Sep 19, 20042
HuntingtonOH50.057.52 ft, Mar 5, 19970

Boyd County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kentucky

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ASHK2, 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.