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Ohio River at McAlpine Upper

Highest listed crest 52.15 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft87 crests since 1875

The Ohio River at McAlpine Upper crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 87 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1875 to 2025. The highest, 52.15 ft on January 27, 1937, was major flooding, 29.15 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
52.15 ft
January 27, 1937
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 38.0 ft
Crests at major
7
14th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
April 9, 2025
36.63 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Jefferson County
Near Clarksville (3.9 mi), New Albany (4.4 mi), Shively (5.2 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 Upper
Action stage21.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.058Feb 20, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.022Apr 9, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage38.07Mar 7, 1997Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

87 crests from 1875 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at McAlpine Upper, 1875 to 2025 2030405060ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 38.0 ft Sep 7, 1875: 25.30 ft, minor floodingJan 30, 1876: 27.50 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1877: 24.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1880: 25.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 1882: 32.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 16, 1883: 39.50 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1884: 41.70 ft, major floodingApr 10, 1886: 28.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 6, 1887: 27.60 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1890: 30.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1891: 27.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 22, 1893: 23.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1897: 30.30 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 1898: 31.30 ft, moderate floodingMar 10, 1899: 27.80 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1901: 28.30 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 1903: 23.50 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1907: 36.40 ft, moderate floodingApr 6, 1908: 26.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1909: 28.00 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 1912: 23.70 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1913: 39.40 ft, major floodingFeb 8, 1915: 24.90 ft, minor floodingJan 15, 1916: 26.20 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1917: 25.50 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1920: 26.50 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 1921: 27.30 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 1922: 25.20 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 1924: 27.90 ft, minor floodingJan 27, 1927: 30.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 5, 1929: 23.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 1932: 24.70 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1933: 34.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1935: 25.00 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1936: 31.60 ft, moderate floodingJan 27, 1937: 52.15 ft, major floodingFeb 9, 1939: 30.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 26, 1940: 30.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 1943: 33.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 1945: 42.10 ft, major floodingApr 19, 1948: 36.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 1949: 24.60 ft, minor floodingFeb 7, 1950: 31.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 4, 1952: 28.00 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 1952: 25.00 ft, minor floodingMar 10, 1955: 31.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1956: 25.40 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 1957: 23.80 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 1958: 28.30 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1959: 25.60 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1961: 33.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 4, 1962: 33.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1963: 31.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 12, 1964: 41.20 ft, major floodingFeb 18, 1966: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1967: 31.50 ft, moderate floodingMay 31, 1968: 28.50 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 1970: 23.40 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1972: 27.30 ft, minor floodingJan 16, 1974: 26.20 ft, minor floodingApr 1, 1975: 24.40 ft, minor floodingDec 14, 1978: 31.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1979: 29.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 1989: 26.90 ft, minor floodingDec 24, 1990: 25.40 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 1991: 28.97 ft, minor floodingDec 24, 1991: 25.37 ft, minor floodingFeb 1, 1994: 25.20 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1994: 24.60 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 1995: 24.80 ft, minor floodingJan 26, 1996: 28.10 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 1996: 24.10 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 1997: 38.76 ft, major floodingFeb 22, 2000: 25.31 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 2002: 23.82 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 2004: 24.57 ft, minor flooding; 534,177 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2005: 28.34 ft, minor flooding; 600,387 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2008: 26.09 ft, minor flooding; 551,542 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 26.63 ft, minor flooding; 561,874 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2011: 31.13 ft, moderate flooding; 655,065 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2015: 29.77 ft, minor flooding; 625,909 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2018: 35.72 ft, moderate flooding; 739,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2019: 28.68 ft, minor flooding; 600,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 26.06 ft, minor flooding; 556,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2021: 28.83 ft, minor flooding; 603,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2025: 28.31 ft, minor flooding; 593,000 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2025: 36.63 ft, moderate flooding; 758,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 52.15 ft, Jan 27, 1937 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at McAlpine Upper 1870s: 3 1880s: 6 1890s: 6 1900s: 5 1910s: 5 1920s: 6 1930s: 6 1940s: 5 1950s: 8 1960s: 7 1970s: 6 1980s: 1 1990s: 9 9 2000s: 5 2010s: 6 2020s: 3 1870s1890s1910s1930s1950s1970s1990s2010s
  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 87 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ohio River at McAlpine Upper
1Jan 27, 193752.15+29.15Major—
2Mar 8, 194542.10+19.10Major—
3Feb 16, 188441.70+18.70Major—
4Mar 12, 196441.20+18.20Major—
5Feb 16, 188339.50+16.50Major—
6Apr 2, 191339.40+16.40Major—
7Mar 7, 199738.76+15.76Major—
8Apr 9, 202536.63+13.63Moderate758,000
9Jan 22, 190736.40+13.40Moderate—
10Apr 19, 194836.00+13.00Moderate—
11Feb 26, 201835.72+12.72Moderate739,900
12Mar 23, 193334.10+11.10Moderate—
13Mar 4, 196233.40+10.40Moderate—
14Mar 23, 194333.00+10.00Moderate—
15May 10, 196133.00+10.00Moderate—
16Feb 22, 188232.40+9.40Moderate—
17Dec 14, 197831.90+8.90Moderate—
18Mar 10, 195531.80+8.80Moderate—
19Mar 29, 193631.60+8.60Moderate—
20Mar 22, 196331.50+8.50Moderate—
21Mar 13, 196731.50+8.50Moderate—
22Feb 7, 195031.40+8.40Moderate—
23Mar 30, 189831.30+8.30Moderate—
24Apr 27, 201131.13+8.13Moderate655,065
25Jan 27, 192730.60+7.60Moderate—
26Mar 28, 189030.40+7.40Moderate—
27Feb 28, 189730.30+7.30Moderate—
28Feb 9, 193930.10+7.10Moderate—
29Apr 26, 194030.00+7.00Moderate—
30Mar 2, 197929.90+6.90Minor—
31Mar 16, 201529.77+6.77Minor625,909
32Jan 4, 199128.97+5.97Minor—
33Mar 6, 202128.83+5.83Minor603,000
34Apr 10, 188628.70+5.70Minor—
35Feb 14, 201928.68+5.68Minor600,500
36May 31, 196828.50+5.50Minor—
37Jan 12, 200528.34+5.34Minor600,387
38Feb 20, 202528.31+5.31Minor593,000
39Apr 28, 190128.30+5.30Minor—
40May 12, 195828.30+5.30Minor—
41Jan 26, 199628.10+5.10Minor—
42Feb 27, 190928.00+5.00Minor—
43Feb 4, 195228.00+5.00Minor—
44Jan 7, 192427.90+4.90Minor—
45Mar 10, 189927.80+4.80Minor—
46Feb 6, 188727.60+4.60Minor—
47Jan 30, 187627.50+4.50Minor—
48Feb 27, 189127.40+4.40Minor—
49Dec 28, 192127.30+4.30Minor—
50Apr 20, 197227.30+4.30Minor—

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: 52.15 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: 42.10 ft here, major flooding

February 16, 1884: 41.70 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 LowerKY55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374
McAlpine Upper this gaugeKY23.052.15 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 Lower55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MLUK2, 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.