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Cimarron River near Buffalo

Highest listed crest 9.74 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft19 crests since 1985

The Cimarron River near Buffalo crested above flood stage 3 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1985 to 2023. The highest, 9.74 ft on May 9, 2019, was minor flooding, 0.74 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Cimarron River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.74 ft
May 9, 2019; 8,780 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 27, 2019
9.09 ft, minor flooding
Location
Woods County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cimarron River near Buffalo
Action stage8.012Jul 23, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.03May 27, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1985 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cimarron River near Buffalo, 1985 to 2023 789101112ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Apr 13, 1985: 8.11 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1985: 8.41 ft, action stage; 6,480 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1985: 8.33 ft, action stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1987: 8.82 ft, action stage; 9,980 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1987: 8.19 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1987: 9.04 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1989: 8.34 ft, action stage; 5,790 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1989: 8.63 ft, action stage; 7,360 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1993: 8.43 ft, action stage; 5,350 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2007: 8.71 ft, action stage; 5,870 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2007: 7.51 ft, below flood stageAug 7, 2007: 7.87 ft, below flood stage; 3,070 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2013: 7.49 ft, below flood stageJul 3, 2014: 7.69 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2019: 9.74 ft, minor flooding; 8,780 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 8.56 ft, action stage; 4,620 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2019: 9.09 ft, minor flooding; 6,250 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2020: 8.23 ft, action stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2023: 8.20 ft, action stage; 3,670 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.74 ft, May 9, 2019 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cimarron River near Buffalo 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 0 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Cimarron River near Buffalo
1May 9, 20199.74+0.74Minor8,780
2May 27, 20199.09+0.09Minor6,250
3May 27, 19879.04+0.04Minor12,100
4Apr 24, 19878.82−0.18Action9,980
5May 8, 20078.71−0.29Action5,870
6Jun 12, 19898.63−0.37Action7,360
7May 22, 20198.56−0.44Action4,620
8May 2, 19938.43−0.57Action5,350
9Apr 29, 19858.41−0.59Action6,480
10May 18, 19898.34−0.66Action5,790
11Jun 11, 19858.33−0.67Action6,050
12Aug 11, 20208.23−0.77Action3,740
13Jul 23, 20238.20−0.80Action3,670
14May 5, 19878.19−0.81Action6,010
15Apr 13, 19858.11−0.89Action5,270
16Aug 7, 20077.87−1.13Below flood stage3,070
17Jul 3, 20147.69−1.31Below flood stage2,500
18Jun 15, 20077.51−1.49Below flood stage—
19Aug 10, 20137.49−1.51Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Cimarron River

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

May 9, 2019: 9.74 ft here, minor flooding

  • DoverOK · May 10, 2019 · 20.65 ft · Moderate
  • RipleyOK · May 9, 2019 · 20.61 ft · Moderate
  • AmesOK · May 9, 2019 · 12.08 ft · Moderate
  • WaynokaOK · May 9, 2019 · 10.12 ft · Moderate
  • GuthrieOK · May 9, 2019 · 18.57 ft · Minor

May 27, 2019: 9.09 ft here, minor flooding

  • RipleyOK · May 22, 2019 · 26.60 ft · Major
  • DoverOK · May 22, 2019 · 22.16 ft · Major
  • AmesOK · May 22, 2019 · 11.38 ft · Moderate
  • WaynokaOK · May 26, 2019 · 11.32 ft · Moderate
  • GuthrieOK · May 21, 2019 · 21.79 ft · Minor

May 27, 1987: 9.04 ft here, minor flooding

  • DoverOK · May 29, 1987 · 20.20 ft · Moderate
  • WaynokaOK · May 27, 1987 · 10.04 ft · Moderate
  • GuthrieOK · May 28, 1987 · 19.73 ft · Minor
  • PerkinsOK · May 29, 1987 · 19.50 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Cimarron River

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

Flood gauges on the Cimarron River
AmesOK10.012.39 ft, Oct 4, 20180
Buffalo this gaugeOK9.09.74 ft, May 9, 20190
DoverOK17.026.10 ft, Oct 3, 19866
GuthrieOK18.025.70 ft, Oct 4, 19862
PerkinsOK17.026.75 ft, Oct 4, 19866
RipleyOK17.028.36 ft, May 10, 199310
WaynokaOK8.015.10 ft, May 16, 19572

Other gauges in Woods County

Flood gauges in Woods County
Waynoka8.015.10 ft, May 16, 19572
Alva14.515.49 ft, May 26, 20190

Woods County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oklahoma

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BFFO2, 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.