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Olentangy River near Worthington

Highest listed crest 15.68 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft44 crests since 1952

The Olentangy River near Worthington crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 44 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1952 to 2020. The highest, 15.68 ft on January 21, 1959, was major flooding, 4.68 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.68 ft
January 21, 1959; 16,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
2
34th of 129 gauges in Ohio
Most recent flood crest
May 19, 2020
13.57 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Franklin County
Near Worthington (1.1 mi), Powell (4.8 mi), Dublin (6.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Olentangy River near Worthington
Action stage8.030Jul 3, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.09Jun 23, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01May 19, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.02Jan 21, 1959Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

44 crests from 1952 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Olentangy River near Worthington, 1952 to 2020 6810121416ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jan 10, 1952: 15.30 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1956: 11.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1957: 11.58 ft, minor flooding; 6,620 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1957: 9.58 ft, action stage; 4,840 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1959: 15.68 ft, major flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1959: 8.81 ft, action stage; 3,970 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1961: 10.61 ft, action stage; 6,040 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 9.61 ft, action stage; 4,850 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1963: 11.68 ft, minor flooding; 7,340 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1964: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 8,640 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1965: 9.22 ft, action stage; 4,420 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1966: 10.25 ft, action stage; 5,610 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1967: 10.19 ft, action stage; 5,540 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1968: 10.51 ft, action stage; 5,920 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1969: 11.23 ft, minor flooding; 6,790 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1971: 7.78 ft, below flood stage; 4,340 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1972: 9.53 ft, action stage; 8,140 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1973: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1975: 10.92 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1976: 8.65 ft, action stage; 6,890 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1979: 11.45 ft, minor flooding; 9,350 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1980: 9.10 ft, action stage; 6,490 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1981: 9.60 ft, action stage; 7,070 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1984: 8.42 ft, action stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1995: 10.00 ft, action stageJun 2, 1997: 8.55 ft, action stage; 5,860 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2000: 8.66 ft, action stage; 5,980 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2002: 8.92 ft, action stage; 6,280 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2004: 11.53 ft, minor flooding; 9,830 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2005: 8.95 ft, action stageJan 6, 2005: 9.67 ft, action stageJan 12, 2005: 10.27 ft, action stageJun 2, 2006: 8.38 ft, action stage; 6,230 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2008: 8.14 ft, action stage; 5,970 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2010: 9.15 ft, action stage; 7,080 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2011: 9.10 ft, action stage; 7,030 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2011: 8.10 ft, action stageDec 5, 2011: 10.21 ft, action stage; 8,290 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2013: 8.80 ft, action stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 7.49 ft, below flood stage; 4,960 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2016: 12.41 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2017: 9.62 ft, action stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2019: 10.37 ft, action stage; 8,390 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2020: 13.57 ft, moderate flooding; 12,269 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.68 ft, Jan 21, 1959 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Olentangy River near Worthington 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 3 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Olentangy River near Worthington
1Jan 21, 195915.68+4.68Major16,500
2Jan 10, 195215.30+4.30Major15,100
3May 19, 202013.57+2.57Moderate12,269
4Mar 10, 196412.66+1.66Minor8,640
5Jun 23, 201612.41+1.41Minor10,900
6Mar 4, 196311.68+0.68Minor7,340
7May 20, 195711.58+0.58Minor6,620
8Jun 20, 197311.55+0.55Minor11,000
9Jun 14, 200411.53+0.53Minor9,830
10Sep 14, 197911.45+0.45Minor9,350
11May 27, 195611.32+0.32Minor6,080
12May 22, 196911.23+0.23Minor6,790
13Jan 24, 197510.92−0.08Action10,000
14Apr 25, 196110.61−0.39Action6,040
15May 27, 196810.51−0.49Action5,920
16Jul 3, 201910.37−0.63Action8,390
17Jan 12, 200510.27−0.73Action—
18Jul 14, 196610.25−0.75Action5,610
19Dec 5, 201110.21−0.79Action8,290
20Mar 14, 196710.19−0.81Action5,540
21Aug 8, 199510.00−1.00Action—
22Jan 6, 20059.67−1.33Action—
23Nov 19, 20179.62−1.38Action7,440
24Feb 28, 19629.61−1.39Action4,850
25Jun 13, 19819.60−1.40Action7,070
26Dec 20, 19579.58−1.42Action4,840
27Apr 13, 19729.53−1.47Action8,140
28Feb 12, 19659.22−1.78Action4,420
29Jun 6, 20109.15−1.85Action7,080
30Jun 2, 19809.10−1.90Action6,490
31Feb 28, 20119.10−1.90Action7,030
32Jan 2, 20058.95−2.05Action—
33Apr 14, 20028.92−2.08Action6,280
34Dec 14, 19598.81−2.19Action3,970
35Dec 22, 20138.80−2.20Action5,800
36Apr 8, 20008.66−2.34Action5,980
37Feb 18, 19768.65−2.35Action6,890
38Jun 2, 19978.55−2.45Action5,860
39Mar 21, 19848.42−2.58Action5,700
40Jun 2, 20068.38−2.62Action6,230
41Jun 26, 20088.14−2.86Action5,970
42May 3, 20118.10−2.90Action—
43Feb 22, 19717.78−3.22Below flood stage4,340
44Jun 26, 20157.49−3.51Below flood stage4,960

Other gauges in Franklin County

Flood gauges in Franklin County
Central College11.719.75 ft, Jan 21, 19592
Frank Road24.027.22 ft, Jan 22, 19591

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Ohio

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WRTO1, 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.