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Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater

Highest listed crest 48.20 ftFlood stage 36.0 ft7 crests since 2020

The Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2020 to 2025. The highest, 48.20 ft on February 21, 2020, was major flooding, 12.20 feet above flood stage. 18 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
48.20 ft
February 21, 2020
Flood stage
36.0 ft
Major flooding from 47.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest
February 20, 2025
42.94 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Ballard 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 Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater
Action stage34.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)36.03May 13, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage42.03Feb 20, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage47.01Feb 21, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

7 crests from 2020 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater, 2020 to 2025 35404550ft Flood stage 36.0 ftMajor 47.0 ft Feb 21, 2020: 48.20 ft, major floodingMar 8, 2021: 43.33 ft, moderate floodingJan 11, 2022: 38.10 ft, minor floodingMar 3, 2022: 44.79 ft, moderate floodingMar 9, 2023: 39.47 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 2024: 37.36 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 2025: 42.94 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 48.20 ft, Feb 21, 2020 202020252030
  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 Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater
1Feb 21, 202048.20+12.20Major—
2Mar 3, 202244.79+8.79Moderate—
3Mar 8, 202143.33+7.33Moderate—
4Feb 20, 202542.94+6.94Moderate—
5Mar 9, 202339.47+3.47Minor—
6Jan 11, 202238.10+2.10Minor—
7May 13, 202437.36+1.36Minor—

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.

February 21, 2020: 48.20 ft here, major flooding

March 3, 2022: 44.79 ft here, moderate flooding

March 8, 2021: 43.33 ft here, moderate 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 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 Headwater this gaugeKY36.048.20 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OLMI2, 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.