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Ohio River at Cannelton Lock and Dam

Highest listed crest 60.80 ftFlood stage 42.0 ft45 crests since 1913

The Ohio River at Cannelton Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 8 times among the 45 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1913 to 2025. The highest, 60.80 ft on January 27, 1937, was major flooding, 18.80 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
60.80 ft
January 27, 1937
Flood stage
42.0 ft
Major flooding from 50.0 ft
Crests at major
8
11th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 10, 2025
51.05 ft, major flooding
Location
Hancock County
Kentucky

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 Cannelton Lock and Dam
Action stage40.04May 7, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)42.020Feb 17, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage46.013Feb 21, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage50.08Apr 10, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

45 crests from 1913 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Cannelton Lock and Dam, 1913 to 2025 404550556065ft Flood stage 42.0 ftMajor 50.0 ft Apr 1, 1913: 53.80 ft, major floodingJan 27, 1937: 60.80 ft, major floodingMar 24, 1943: 48.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1945: 54.40 ft, major floodingApr 20, 1948: 51.30 ft, major floodingMar 6, 1962: 48.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1964: 53.90 ft, major floodingFeb 25, 1971: 41.20 ft, action stageApr 21, 1972: 46.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 23, 1976: 43.50 ft, minor floodingApr 11, 1977: 41.94 ft, action stage; 468,000 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1978: 49.08 ft, moderate flooding; 617,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1984: 45.85 ft, minor flooding; 461,000 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1985: 42.51 ft, minor flooding; 483,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1989: 46.08 ft, moderate flooding; 553,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1990: 43.63 ft, minor flooding; 504,000 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1990: 45.00 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1991: 46.85 ft, moderate flooding; 572,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1993: 42.04 ft, minor flooding; 473,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1994: 44.52 ft, minor flooding; 522,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1994: 44.10 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1994: 42.50 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1995: 44.32 ft, minor flooding; 519,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 46.03 ft, moderate flooding; 555,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1996: 44.30 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1997: 52.42 ft, major flooding; 735,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2000: 44.69 ft, minor flooding; 566,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2002: 43.25 ft, minor flooding; 542,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2003: 41.56 ft, action stage; 475,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2004: 43.55 ft, minor flooding; 548,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 46.05 ft, moderate flooding; 588,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2008: 45.04 ft, minor flooding; 574,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2010: 41.50 ft, action stage; 514,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2011: 45.32 ft, minor flooding; 570,630 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 49.30 ft, moderate flooding; 647,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2015: 47.33 ft, moderate flooding; 626,472 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2015: 42.30 ft, minor floodingDec 30, 2015: 42.97 ft, minor flooding; 499,354 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2018: 50.68 ft, major flooding; 768,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2019: 46.45 ft, moderate flooding; 615,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2019: 44.91 ft, minor flooding; 581,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2020: 44.53 ft, minor flooding; 572,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2021: 46.12 ft, moderate flooding; 608,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 2025: 46.20 ft, moderate flooding; 610,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 2025: 51.05 ft, major flooding; 789,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 60.80 ft, Jan 27, 1937 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at Cannelton Lock and Dam 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 11 11 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 2020s: 4 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Ohio River at Cannelton Lock and Dam
1Jan 27, 193760.80+18.80Major—
2Mar 8, 194554.40+12.40Major—
3Mar 8, 196453.90+11.90Major—
4Apr 1, 191353.80+11.80Major—
5Mar 8, 199752.42+10.42Major735,000
6Apr 20, 194851.30+9.30Major—
7Apr 10, 202551.05+9.05Major789,000
8Feb 27, 201850.68+8.68Major768,000
9Apr 28, 201149.30+7.30Moderate647,000
10Dec 15, 197849.08+7.08Moderate617,000
11Mar 24, 194348.90+6.90Moderate—
12Mar 6, 196248.80+6.80Moderate—
13Mar 17, 201547.33+5.33Moderate626,472
14Apr 21, 197246.90+4.90Moderate—
15Jan 5, 199146.85+4.85Moderate572,000
16Feb 15, 201946.45+4.45Moderate615,000
17Feb 21, 202546.20+4.20Moderate610,000
18Mar 7, 202146.12+4.12Moderate608,000
19Feb 21, 198946.08+4.08Moderate553,000
20Jan 14, 200546.05+4.05Moderate588,000
21Jan 27, 199646.03+4.03Moderate555,000
22May 12, 198445.85+3.85Minor461,000
23Mar 15, 201145.32+3.32Minor570,630
24Mar 22, 200845.04+3.04Minor574,000
25Dec 25, 199045.00+3.00Minor—
26Feb 28, 201944.91+2.91Minor581,000
27Feb 22, 200044.69+2.69Minor566,000
28Feb 17, 202044.53+2.53Minor572,000
29Feb 1, 199444.52+2.52Minor522,000
30May 23, 199544.32+2.32Minor519,000
31May 13, 199644.30+2.30Minor—
32Mar 16, 199444.10+2.10Minor—
33Feb 17, 199043.63+1.63Minor504,000
34Jan 9, 200443.55+1.55Minor548,000
35Feb 23, 197643.50+1.50Minor—
36Mar 25, 200243.25+1.25Minor542,000
37Dec 30, 201542.97+0.97Minor499,354
38Dec 4, 198542.51+0.51Minor483,000
39Apr 20, 199442.50+0.50Minor—
40Apr 18, 201542.30+0.30Minor—
41Mar 10, 199342.04+0.04Minor473,000
42Apr 11, 197741.94−0.06Action468,000
43Feb 28, 200341.56−0.44Action475,000
44May 7, 201041.50−0.50Action514,000
45Feb 25, 197141.20−0.80Action—

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: 60.80 ft here, major flooding

  • Clifty CreekIN · Jan 27, 1937 · 475.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • 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

March 8, 1945: 54.40 ft here, major flooding

March 8, 1964: 53.90 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
AshlandKY52.074.21 ft, Jan 27, 19374
Belleville LockWV35.061.80 ft, Mar 29, 191315
CairoIL40.061.72 ft, May 2, 201119
Cannelton Lock and Dam this gaugeKY42.060.80 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CNNI3, 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.