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Ohio River at McAlpine Lower

Highest listed crest 85.44 ftFlood stage 55.0 ft92 crests since 1832

The Ohio River at McAlpine Lower crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 92 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1832 to 2025. The highest, 85.44 ft on January 27, 1937, was major flooding, 30.44 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
85.44 ft
January 27, 1937; 1,110,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
55.0 ft
Major flooding from 73.0 ft
Crests at major
4
26th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 9, 2025
67.98 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Jefferson County
Near New Albany (2.6 mi), Clarksville (3.4 mi), Shively (5.7 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 McAlpine Lower
Action stage53.01Mar 24, 2002The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)55.074Feb 20, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage65.013Apr 9, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage73.04Mar 13, 1964Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

92 crests from 1832 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at McAlpine Lower, 1832 to 2025 5060708090ft Flood stage 55.0 ftMajor 73.0 ft Feb 21, 1832: 69.60 ft, moderate flooding; 701,000 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1847: 68.80 ft, moderate flooding; 686,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1859: 59.60 ft, minor flooding; 543,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1867: 64.30 ft, minor flooding; 612,000 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1875: 57.10 ft, minor flooding; 510,000 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1876: 60.10 ft, minor flooding; 550,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1877: 57.30 ft, minor flooding; 513,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1880: 57.60 ft, minor flooding; 517,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1882: 65.10 ft, moderate flooding; 624,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1883: 72.20 ft, moderate flooding; 750,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1884: 74.40 ft, major flooding; 825,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1886: 60.50 ft, minor flooding; 556,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1887: 60.50 ft, minor flooding; 556,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1890: 63.30 ft, minor flooding; 596,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1891: 60.10 ft, minor flooding; 550,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1893: 56.50 ft, minor flooding; 502,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1897: 63.10 ft, minor flooding; 594,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1898: 64.10 ft, minor flooding; 608,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1899: 60.40 ft, minor flooding; 555,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1901: 61.00 ft, minor flooding; 563,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1903: 56.40 ft, minor flooding; 501,000 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1907: 69.10 ft, moderate flooding; 713,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1908: 58.90 ft, minor flooding; 534,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1909: 60.60 ft, minor flooding; 557,000 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1910: 56.10 ft, minor flooding; 497,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1912: 56.40 ft, minor flooding; 501,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1913: 72.70 ft, moderate flooding; 769,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1915: 57.50 ft, minor flooding; 516,000 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1916: 58.90 ft, minor flooding; 534,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1917: 58.20 ft, minor flooding; 525,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1919: 55.00 ft, minor flooding; 483,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1920: 59.20 ft, minor flooding; 538,000 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1921: 59.90 ft, minor flooding; 548,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1924: 60.60 ft, minor flooding; 557,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1927: 62.80 ft, minor flooding; 589,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1929: 55.10 ft, minor flooding; 515,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 1932: 56.80 ft, minor flooding; 535,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1933: 66.10 ft, moderate flooding; 704,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1935: 57.00 ft, minor flooding; 558,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1936: 63.70 ft, minor flooding; 622,000 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1937: 85.44 ft, major flooding; 1,110,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1939: 61.96 ft, minor flooding; 635,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1940: 61.90 ft, minor flooding; 598,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1943: 65.10 ft, moderate flooding; 617,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1945: 74.40 ft, major flooding; 843,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1948: 68.00 ft, moderate flooding; 687,000 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1949: 56.40 ft, minor flooding; 510,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 1950: 63.40 ft, minor flooding; 609,000 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1950: 58.00 ft, minor flooding; 526,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1952: 60.00 ft, minor flooding; 560,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1955: 63.82 ft, minor flooding; 608,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1956: 57.22 ft, minor flooding; 524,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1957: 55.50 ft, minor flooding; 493,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1958: 60.13 ft, minor flooding; 557,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1959: 57.44 ft, minor flooding; 519,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1961: 62.00 ft, minor flooding; 593,000 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1962: 65.20 ft, moderate flooding; 631,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1963: 62.71 ft, minor flooding; 588,000 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1964: 73.46 ft, major flooding; 785,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1967: 63.30 ft, minor flooding; 642,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1968: 59.86 ft, minor flooding; 586,000 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1970: 55.72 ft, minor flooding; 506,000 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1972: 59.13 ft, minor flooding; 521,000 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1972: 58.53 ft, minor flooding; 532,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 57.73 ft, minor flooding; 529,000 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1975: 56.13 ft, minor flooding; 516,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1978: 58.66 ft, minor flooding; 612,000 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1978: 63.60 ft, minor flooding; 635,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1983: 56.97 ft, minor flooding; 525,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1989: 58.37 ft, minor flooding; 473,000 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1990: 56.70 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 1991: 60.30 ft, minor flooding; 535,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1994: 56.30 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1994: 55.92 ft, minor flooding; 479,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1995: 55.94 ft, minor flooding; 465,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1996: 59.36 ft, minor flooding; 573,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1996: 55.30 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1997: 70.47 ft, moderate flooding; 716,000 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2002: 54.69 ft, action stage; 516,000 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2004: 55.07 ft, minor flooding; 524,000 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2005: 59.09 ft, minor flooding; 590,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2008: 57.56 ft, minor flooding; 542,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 57.83 ft, minor flooding; 568,045 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2011: 62.88 ft, minor flooding; 644,000 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2015: 61.29 ft, minor flooding; 706,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2018: 67.09 ft, moderate flooding; 712,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 59.76 ft, minor flooding; 600,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 57.00 ft, minor flooding; 554,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2020: 56.69 ft, minor flooding; 549,000 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2021: 59.81 ft, minor flooding; 601,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2025: 59.59 ft, minor flooding; 597,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2025: 67.98 ft, moderate flooding; 765,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 85.44 ft, Jan 27, 1937 18401880192019602000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at McAlpine Lower 1830s: 1 1840s: 1 1850s: 1 1860s: 1 1870s: 3 1880s: 6 1890s: 6 1900s: 5 1910s: 7 1920s: 5 1930s: 6 1940s: 5 1950s: 8 8 1960s: 6 1970s: 7 1980s: 2 1990s: 8 2000s: 3 2010s: 6 2020s: 4 1830s1850s1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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 92 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ohio River at McAlpine Lower
1Jan 27, 193785.44+30.44Major1,110,000
2Feb 16, 188474.40+19.40Major825,000
3Mar 7, 194574.40+19.40Major843,000
4Mar 13, 196473.46+18.46Major785,000
5Apr 2, 191372.70+17.70Moderate769,000
6Feb 16, 188372.20+17.20Moderate750,000
7Mar 7, 199770.47+15.47Moderate716,000
8Feb 21, 183269.60+14.60Moderate701,000
9Jan 22, 190769.10+14.10Moderate713,000
10Dec 17, 184768.80+13.80Moderate686,000
11Apr 18, 194868.00+13.00Moderate687,000
12Apr 9, 202567.98+12.98Moderate765,000
13Feb 26, 201867.09+12.09Moderate712,000
14Mar 23, 193366.10+11.10Moderate704,000
15Mar 5, 196265.20+10.20Moderate631,000
16Feb 22, 188265.10+10.10Moderate624,000
17Mar 23, 194365.10+10.10Moderate617,000
18Mar 15, 186764.30+9.30Minor612,000
19Mar 30, 189864.10+9.10Minor608,000
20Mar 10, 195563.82+8.82Minor608,000
21Mar 28, 193663.70+8.70Minor622,000
22Dec 14, 197863.60+8.60Minor635,000
23Feb 6, 195063.40+8.40Minor609,000
24Mar 28, 189063.30+8.30Minor596,000
25Mar 12, 196763.30+8.30Minor642,000
26Feb 28, 189763.10+8.10Minor594,000
27Apr 27, 201162.88+7.88Minor644,000
28Jan 27, 192762.80+7.80Minor589,000
29Mar 22, 196362.71+7.71Minor588,000
30May 10, 196162.00+7.00Minor593,000
31Feb 9, 193961.96+6.96Minor635,000
32Apr 25, 194061.90+6.90Minor598,000
33Mar 16, 201561.29+6.29Minor706,000
34Apr 28, 190161.00+6.00Minor563,000
35Feb 27, 190960.60+5.60Minor557,000
36Jan 7, 192460.60+5.60Minor557,000
37Apr 10, 188660.50+5.50Minor556,000
38Feb 6, 188760.50+5.50Minor556,000
39Mar 10, 189960.40+5.40Minor555,000
40Jan 4, 199160.30+5.30Minor535,000
41May 12, 195860.13+5.13Minor557,000
42Jan 30, 187660.10+5.10Minor550,000
43Feb 26, 189160.10+5.10Minor550,000
44Feb 3, 195260.00+5.00Minor560,000
45Dec 28, 192159.90+4.90Minor548,000
46May 31, 196859.86+4.86Minor586,000
47Mar 6, 202159.81+4.81Minor601,000
48Feb 14, 201959.76+4.76Minor600,000
49Feb 24, 185959.60+4.60Minor543,000
50Feb 20, 202559.59+4.59Minor597,000

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: 85.44 ft here, major flooding

  • Clifty CreekIN · Jan 27, 1937 · 475.90 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
  • Point PleasantWV · Jan 27, 1937 · 62.70 ft · Major

February 16, 1884: 74.40 ft here, major flooding

March 7, 1945: 74.40 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 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 Lower this gaugeKY55.085.44 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

Other gauges in Jefferson County

Flood gauges in Jefferson County
McAlpine Upper23.052.15 ft, Jan 27, 19377

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MLPK2, 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.