Ohio River at Owensboro

Highest listed crest 54.80 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft44 crests since 1913

The Ohio River at Owensboro crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 44 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1913 to 2025. The highest, 54.80 ft on January 29, 1937, was major flooding, 14.80 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: 54.80 ft; January 29, 1937
Flood stage: 40.0 ft; Major flooding from 49.0 ft
Crests at major: 5; 24th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
Most recent flood crest: April 11, 2025; 47.72 ft, moderate flooding
Location: Daviess County; Near Owensboro (2.8 mi)
Identifiers: NWS OWBK2; No USGS station

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 Owensboro

Action stage	24.0	3	Apr 1, 1965	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	40.0	18	Mar 2, 2022	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage	44.0	18	Apr 11, 2025	Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage	49.0	5	Mar 9, 1997	Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

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

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

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.
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 Owensboro

1	Jan 29, 1937	54.80	+14.80	Major	—
2	Mar 11, 1945	49.70	+9.70	Major	—
3	Mar 15, 1964	49.50	+9.50	Major	—
4	Apr 1, 1913	49.30	+9.30	Major	—
5	Mar 9, 1997	49.00	+9.00	Major	—
6	Apr 11, 2025	47.72	+7.72	Moderate	—
7	Feb 28, 2018	47.30	+7.30	Moderate	—
8	Apr 20, 1948	47.00	+7.00	Moderate	—
9	Apr 28, 2011	46.30	+6.30	Moderate	—
10	Mar 25, 1943	46.10	+6.10	Moderate	—
11	Mar 5, 1962	46.00	+6.00	Moderate	—
12	Feb 9, 1950	45.70	+5.70	Moderate	—
13	Mar 20, 1963	45.40	+5.40	Moderate	—
14	Mar 11, 1955	45.30	+5.30	Moderate	—
15	Mar 14, 1967	45.20	+5.20	Moderate	—
16	May 11, 1961	45.10	+5.10	Moderate	—
17	Mar 17, 2015	44.90	+4.90	Moderate	—
18	Jan 7, 1991	44.70	+4.70	Moderate	—
19	Feb 17, 2019	44.50	+4.50	Moderate	—
20	Apr 27, 1940	44.30	+4.30	Moderate	—
21	Feb 21, 2025	44.29	+4.29	Moderate	—
22	Feb 5, 1952	44.10	+4.10	Moderate	—
23	Feb 21, 1989	44.00	+4.00	Moderate	—
24	Jun 2, 1968	43.70	+3.70	Minor	—
25	Mar 7, 2021	43.70	+3.70	Minor	—
26	May 14, 1958	43.60	+3.60	Minor	—
27	Mar 23, 2008	43.30	+3.30	Minor	—
28	Jan 27, 1959	42.90	+2.90	Minor	—
29	Mar 20, 1956	42.70	+2.70	Minor	—
30	Feb 3, 1994	42.70	+2.70	Minor	—
31	Feb 1, 1949	42.60	+2.60	Minor	—
32	Feb 18, 1990	42.50	+2.50	Minor	—
33	Mar 16, 1994	42.40	+2.40	Minor	—
34	Apr 14, 1957	42.00	+2.00	Minor	—
35	Feb 19, 1966	41.50	+1.50	Minor	—
36	Apr 20, 1994	41.20	+1.20	Minor	—
37	Jan 21, 1951	40.80	+0.80	Minor	—
38	Mar 2, 2022	40.70	+0.70	Minor	—
39	Mar 11, 1993	40.30	+0.30	Minor	—
40	May 8, 2010	40.30	+0.30	Minor	—
41	Feb 25, 1971	40.20	+0.20	Minor	—
42	Apr 1, 1965	39.50	−0.50	Action	—
43	Apr 18, 1944	39.40	−0.60	Action	—
44	Jan 15, 1946	38.20	−1.80	Action	—

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 29, 1937: 54.80 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 11, 1945: 49.70 ft here, major flooding

McAlpine LowerKY · Mar 7, 1945 · 74.40 ft · Major
Meldahl DamOH · Mar 6, 1945 · 65.50 ft · Major
R C Byrd LockWV · Mar 10, 1945 · 59.25 ft · Major
PomeroyOH · Mar 9, 1945 · 56.40 ft · Major
ShawneetownKY · Mar 14, 1945 · 55.60 ft · Major
Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Mar 8, 1945 · 54.40 ft · Major
CairoIL · Mar 11, 1945 · 53.90 ft · Major
Point PleasantWV · Mar 9, 1945 · 52.78 ft · Major
Tell CityIN · Mar 10, 1945 · 52.00 ft · Major
Belleville LockWV · Mar 9, 1945 · 51.40 ft · Major

March 15, 1964: 49.50 ft here, major flooding

McAlpine LowerKY · Mar 13, 1964 · 73.46 ft · Major
CincinnatiOH · Mar 11, 1964 · 66.20 ft · Major · its highest
ShawneetownKY · Mar 20, 1964 · 54.60 ft · Major
Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Mar 8, 1964 · 53.90 ft · Major
Tell CityIN · Mar 8, 1964 · 53.00 ft · Major
PomeroyOH · Mar 13, 1964 · 52.80 ft · Major
Point PleasantWV · Mar 13, 1964 · 48.87 ft · Major
Belleville LockWV · Mar 12, 1964 · 48.80 ft · Major
Pike Island Lock and DamWV · Mar 11, 1964 · 47.70 ft · Major · its highest
WellsburgWV · Mar 11, 1964 · 46.20 ft · Major

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	KY	52.0	74.21 ft, Jan 27, 1937	4
Belleville Lock	WV	35.0	61.80 ft, Mar 29, 1913	15
Cairo	IL	40.0	61.72 ft, May 2, 2011	19
Cannelton Lock and Dam	KY	42.0	60.80 ft, Jan 27, 1937	8
Cincinnati	OH	52.0	66.20 ft, Mar 11, 1964	1
Clifty Creek	IN	451.0	475.90 ft, Jan 27, 1937	1
Dashields Lock and Dam	PA	25.0	42.80 ft, Mar 18, 1936	5
East Liverpool	WV	14.0	29.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936	11
Evansville	IN	42.0	53.75 ft, Jan 31, 1937	1
Golconda	IL	40.0	62.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937	3
Hannibal Lock and Dam	OH	35.0	41.90 ft, Jun 25, 1972	2
Henderson	KY	36.0	43.08 ft, Apr 12, 2025	0
Ironton	OH	52.0	54.67 ft, Feb 19, 2018	0
J.T. Myers Lock and Dam	KY	37.0	64.40 ft, Feb 1, 1937	1
Lloyd Greenup Lock	KY	54.0	64.50 ft, Mar 31, 1913	3
Marietta Pumphouse	OH	35.0	58.30 ft, Mar 29, 1913	3
Markland Lower	KY	51.0	76.10 ft, Jan 26, 1937	1
Maysville	KY	50.0	75.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937	2
McAlpine Lower	KY	55.0	85.44 ft, Jan 27, 1937	4
McAlpine Upper	KY	23.0	52.15 ft, Jan 27, 1937	7
Meldahl Dam	OH	51.0	76.00 ft, Jan 26, 1937	3
Montgomery Lock and Dam	PA	33.0	55.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936	10
Moundsville	WV	37.0	57.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936	3
Mount Vernon	IN	35.0	59.21 ft, Feb 1, 1937	2
New Cumberland Lock and Dam	OH	36.0	50.20 ft, Dec 31, 1942	15
Newburgh Lock and Dam	KY	38.0	56.60 ft, Jan 31, 1937	1
Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater	KY	36.0	48.20 ft, Feb 21, 2020	1
Owensboro this gauge	KY	40.0	54.80 ft, Jan 29, 1937	5
Paducah	KY	39.0	60.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937	7
Parkersburg	WV	36.0	45.20 ft, Mar 12, 1964	5
Pike Island Lock and Dam	WV	37.0	47.70 ft, Mar 11, 1964	5
Pittsburgh	PA	22.0	46.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936	22
Point Pleasant	WV	40.0	62.80 ft, Mar 30, 1913	25
Pomeroy	OH	46.0	68.80 ft, Apr 1, 1913	34
Portsmouth	OH	50.0	53.78 ft, Apr 7, 2025	0
Powhatan Point	OH	37.0	53.30 ft, Mar 19, 1936	5
R C Byrd Lock	WV	50.0	69.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937	9
Racine Lock	WV	41.0	50.23 ft, Sep 20, 2004	3
Shawneetown	KY	33.0	65.64 ft, Jan 30, 1937	7
Smithland Lock and Dam	KY	40.0	54.83 ft, May 6, 2011	4
Steubenville	OH	36.0	44.00 ft, Jan 20, 1996	1
Tell City	IN	38.0	56.95 ft, Jan 29, 1937	6
Wellsburg	WV	36.0	54.60 ft, Mar 19, 1936	9
Wellsville	OH	11.0	20.90 ft, Jan 20, 1996	3
Wheeling	WV	36.0	45.40 ft, Jan 20, 1996	3
Willow Island Lock	WV	37.0	44.78 ft, Sep 19, 2004	2
Huntington	OH	50.0	57.52 ft, Mar 5, 1997	0

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OWBK2, 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.