Ohio River at Smithland Lock and Dam
Highest listed crest 54.83 ftFlood stage 40.0 ft31 crests since 1982
The Ohio River at Smithland Lock and Dam crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1982 to 2025. The highest, 54.83 ft on May 6, 2011, was major flooding, 14.83 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 54.83 ft
- May 6, 2011; 1,064,820 cubic feet per second
- Flood stage
- 40.0 ft
- Major flooding from 50.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 4
- 26th of 72 gauges in Kentucky
- Most recent flood crest
- April 15, 2025
- 47.96 ft, minor flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 35.0 | 0 | — |
| Flood stage (minor) | 40.0 | 26 | Apr 15, 2025 |
| Moderate flood stage | 48.0 | 1 | Jan 8, 1991 |
| Major flood stage | 50.0 | 4 | Feb 25, 2019 |
Every listed crest
31 crests from 1982 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
| 1 | May 6, 2011 | 54.83 | +14.83 | Major |
| 2 | Feb 25, 2019 | 51.83 | +11.83 | Major |
| 3 | Mar 12, 1997 | 51.44 | +11.44 | Major |
| 4 | Mar 2, 2018 | 50.14 | +10.14 | Major |
| 5 | Jan 8, 1991 | 49.80 | +9.80 | Moderate |
| 6 | Apr 15, 2025 | 47.96 | +7.96 | Minor |
| 7 | Jan 16, 2005 | 47.29 | +7.29 | Minor |
| 8 | May 14, 1984 | 47.10 | +7.10 | Minor |
| 9 | Feb 20, 2020 | 46.59 | +6.59 | Minor |
| 10 | May 25, 1983 | 46.40 | +6.40 | Minor |
| 11 | Feb 24, 1989 | 46.10 | +6.10 | Minor |
| 12 | Feb 19, 1990 | 45.80 | +5.80 | Minor |
| 13 | Apr 23, 1994 | 45.29 | +5.29 | Minor |
| 14 | Mar 17, 2015 | 45.22 | +5.22 | Minor |
| 15 | Mar 28, 2008 | 45.17 | +5.17 | Minor |
| 16 | Mar 2, 2022 | 44.04 | +4.04 | Minor |
| 17 | May 28, 1995 | 44.00 | +4.00 | Minor |
| 18 | May 13, 1996 | 44.00 | +4.00 | Minor |
| 19 | Feb 28, 2003 | 43.90 | +3.90 | Minor |
| 20 | Feb 1, 1999 | 43.70 | +3.70 | Minor |
| 21 | May 24, 2002 | 43.00 | +3.00 | Minor |
| 22 | May 6, 2010 | 42.90 | +2.90 | Minor |
| 23 | Mar 10, 2021 | 42.37 | +2.37 | Minor |
| 24 | Feb 6, 1994 | 41.40 | +1.40 | Minor |
| 25 | Apr 28, 1998 | 41.40 | +1.40 | Minor |
| 26 | May 12, 2009 | 41.33 | +1.33 | Minor |
| 27 | Mar 18, 1994 | 41.30 | +1.30 | Minor |
| 28 | Mar 25, 1982 | 40.60 | +0.60 | Minor |
| 29 | Apr 3, 1993 | 40.30 | +0.30 | Minor |
| 30 | Mar 6, 1985 | 40.20 | +0.20 | Minor |
| 31 | Dec 10, 2004 | 40.10 | +0.10 | Minor |
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.
May 6, 2011: 54.83 ft here, major flooding
- CairoIL · May 2, 2011 · 61.72 ft · Major · its highest
- GolcondaIL · May 6, 2011 · 56.87 ft · Major
- ShawneetownKY · May 6, 2011 · 56.36 ft · Major
- PaducahKY · May 5, 2011 · 55.03 ft · Major
- J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY · May 6, 2011 · 56.92 ft · Moderate
- Mount VernonIN · May 5, 2011 · 51.80 ft · Moderate
- Newburgh Lock and DamKY · Apr 29, 2011 · 49.08 ft · Moderate
- EvansvilleIN · May 5, 2011 · 46.78 ft · Minor
February 25, 2019: 51.83 ft here, major flooding
- CairoIL · Mar 1, 2019 · 56.51 ft · Major
- PaducahKY · Feb 25, 2019 · 53.27 ft · Major
- GolcondaIL · Feb 25, 2019 · 51.51 ft · Moderate
- Mount VernonIN · Feb 19, 2019 · 46.40 ft · Moderate
- McAlpine LowerKY · Feb 27, 2019 · 57.00 ft · Minor
- CincinnatiOH · Feb 26, 2019 · 53.39 ft · Minor
- AshlandKY · Feb 26, 2019 · 53.17 ft · Minor
- MaysvilleKY · Feb 26, 2019 · 50.86 ft · Minor
- Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Feb 28, 2019 · 44.91 ft · Minor
- Tell CityIN · Feb 28, 2019 · 43.70 ft · Minor
March 12, 1997: 51.44 ft here, major flooding
- CairoIL · Mar 11, 1997 · 56.20 ft · Major
- ShawneetownKY · Mar 12, 1997 · 54.40 ft · Major
- Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Mar 8, 1997 · 52.42 ft · Major
- Tell CityIN · Mar 8, 1997 · 50.40 ft · Major
- OwensboroKY · Mar 9, 1997 · 49.00 ft · Major
- McAlpine UpperKY · Mar 7, 1997 · 38.76 ft · Major
- Clifty CreekIN · Mar 7, 1997 · 460.90 ft · Moderate
- McAlpine LowerKY · Mar 7, 1997 · 70.47 ft · Moderate
- CincinnatiOH · Mar 5, 1997 · 64.70 ft · Moderate
- Meldahl DamOH · Mar 5, 1997 · 62.50 ft · Moderate
Gauges on the Ohio River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Ashland | KY | 74.21 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| Belleville Lock | WV | 61.80 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 15 |
| Cairo | IL | 61.72 ft, May 2, 2011 | 19 |
| Cannelton Lock and Dam | KY | 60.80 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 8 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 66.20 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 1 |
| Clifty Creek | IN | 475.90 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 1 |
| Dashields Lock and Dam | PA | 42.80 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 5 |
| East Liverpool | WV | 29.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 11 |
| Evansville | IN | 53.75 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Golconda | IL | 62.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 3 |
| Hannibal Lock and Dam | OH | 41.90 ft, Jun 25, 1972 | 2 |
| Henderson | KY | 43.08 ft, Apr 12, 2025 | 0 |
| Ironton | OH | 54.67 ft, Feb 19, 2018 | 0 |
| J.T. Myers Lock and Dam | KY | 64.40 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 1 |
| Lloyd Greenup Lock | KY | 64.50 ft, Mar 31, 1913 | 3 |
| Marietta Pumphouse | OH | 58.30 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 3 |
| Markland Lower | KY | 76.10 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 1 |
| Maysville | KY | 75.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 2 |
| McAlpine Lower | KY | 85.44 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| McAlpine Upper | KY | 52.15 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 7 |
| Meldahl Dam | OH | 76.00 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 3 |
| Montgomery Lock and Dam | PA | 55.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 10 |
| Moundsville | WV | 57.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 3 |
| Mount Vernon | IN | 59.21 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 2 |
| New Cumberland Lock and Dam | OH | 50.20 ft, Dec 31, 1942 | 15 |
| Newburgh Lock and Dam | KY | 56.60 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater | KY | 48.20 ft, Feb 21, 2020 | 1 |
| Owensboro | KY | 54.80 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 5 |
| Paducah | KY | 60.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 7 |
| Parkersburg | WV | 45.20 ft, Mar 12, 1964 | 5 |
| Pike Island Lock and Dam | WV | 47.70 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 46.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 22 |
| Point Pleasant | WV | 62.80 ft, Mar 30, 1913 | 25 |
| Pomeroy | OH | 68.80 ft, Apr 1, 1913 | 34 |
| Portsmouth | OH | 53.78 ft, Apr 7, 2025 | 0 |
| Powhatan Point | OH | 53.30 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 5 |
| R C Byrd Lock | WV | 69.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 9 |
| Racine Lock | WV | 50.23 ft, Sep 20, 2004 | 3 |
| Shawneetown | KY | 65.64 ft, Jan 30, 1937 | 7 |
| Smithland Lock and Dam this gauge | KY | 54.83 ft, May 6, 2011 | 4 |
| Steubenville | OH | 44.00 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 1 |
| Tell City | IN | 56.95 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 6 |
| Wellsburg | WV | 54.60 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 9 |
| Wellsville | OH | 20.90 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Wheeling | WV | 45.40 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Willow Island Lock | WV | 44.78 ft, Sep 19, 2004 | 2 |
| Huntington | OH | 57.52 ft, Mar 5, 1997 | 0 |
Livingston County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kentucky
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMLI2, 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.