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Osage River near St. Thomas

Highest listed crest 29.53 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft19 crests since 1997

The Osage River near St. Thomas crested above flood stage 5 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1997 to 2017. The highest, 29.53 ft on December 29, 2015, was minor flooding, 6.53 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Osage River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.53 ft
December 29, 2015; 114,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
0
5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 1, 2017
25.45 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cole County
Near Jefferson City (10.2 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Osage River near St. Thomas
Action stage16.09May 21, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.05May 1, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1997 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Osage River near St. Thomas, 1997 to 2017 101520253035ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Feb 27, 1997: 15.94 ft, below flood stage; 46,600 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1998: 21.86 ft, action stage; 74,700 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1998: 19.78 ft, action stage; 64,500 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2000: 12.06 ft, below flood stage; 28,800 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2001: 16.34 ft, action stage; 48,400 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 17.73 ft, action stage; 56,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2003: 14.18 ft, below flood stage; 39,100 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2004: 14.53 ft, below flood stage; 40,600 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 23.37 ft, minor flooding; 82,600 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2006: 11.46 ft, below flood stage; 28,000 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 2007: 17.08 ft, action stage; 52,400 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2008: 20.99 ft, action stage; 69,000 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2009: 20.94 ft, action stage; 68,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2010: 18.14 ft, action stage; 55,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2011: 18.82 ft, action stage; 58,600 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2013: 25.04 ft, minor flooding; 90,200 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2015: 23.95 ft, minor flooding; 84,300 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 29.53 ft, minor flooding; 114,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 25.45 ft, minor flooding; 92,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.53 ft, Dec 29, 2015 2000200520102015

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Osage River near St. Thomas 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 4 4 1990s2000s2010s
  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, Osage River near St. Thomas
1Dec 29, 201529.53+6.53Minor114,000
2May 1, 201725.45+2.45Minor92,200
3Aug 8, 201325.04+2.04Minor90,200
4Jul 3, 201523.95+0.95Minor84,300
5Jan 6, 200523.37+0.37Minor82,600
6Jun 26, 199821.86−1.14Action74,700
7Apr 1, 200820.99−2.01Action69,000
8Jun 17, 200920.94−2.06Action68,800
9Oct 6, 199819.78−3.22Action64,500
10May 21, 201118.82−4.18Action58,600
11Apr 21, 201018.14−4.86Action55,500
12May 13, 200217.73−5.27Action56,800
13Jul 19, 200717.08−5.92Action52,400
14Jun 6, 200116.34−6.66Action48,400
15Feb 27, 199715.94−7.06Below flood stage46,600
16May 27, 200414.53−8.47Below flood stage40,600
17Jun 11, 200314.18−8.82Below flood stage39,100
18Jun 29, 200012.06−10.94Below flood stage28,800
19May 5, 200611.46−11.54Below flood stage28,000

The worst floods along the Osage River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Osage River that crested above flood stage within a week.

December 29, 2015: 29.53 ft here, minor flooding

  • Mari-Osa CampgroundMO · Dec 29, 2015 · 30.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • TuscumbiaMO · Dec 29, 2015 · 34.39 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • BagnellMO · Dec 29, 2015 · 34.22 ft · Minor
  • Schell CityMO · Dec 31, 2015 · 32.43 ft · Minor
  • TabervilleMO · Jan 1, 2016 · 29.77 ft · Minor

May 1, 2017: 25.45 ft here, minor flooding

August 8, 2013: 25.04 ft here, minor flooding

  • Schell CityMO · Aug 10, 2013 · 31.89 ft · Minor
  • BagnellMO · Aug 7, 2013 · 25.44 ft · Minor
  • TabervilleMO · Aug 12, 2013 · 25.34 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Osage River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Osage River
Mari-Osa CampgroundMO19.030.30 ft, Dec 29, 20153
TuscumbiaMO20.034.39 ft, Dec 29, 20150
WarsawMO34.044.54 ft, May 21, 19430
BagnellMO22.038.90 ft, May 19, 19430
Schell CityMO30.051.50 ft, Oct 5, 19862
St. Thomas this gaugeMO23.029.53 ft, Dec 29, 20150
TabervilleMO23.043.65 ft, May 27, 20190

Other gauges in Cole County

Flood gauges in Cole County
Jefferson City23.038.65 ft, Jul 30, 199310
Jefferson City17.034.00 ft, Apr 12, 199411

Cole County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Missouri

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STTM7, 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.