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Cimarron River near Perkins

Highest listed crest 26.75 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft68 crests since 1926

The Cimarron River near Perkins crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2008. The highest, 26.75 ft on October 4, 1986, was major flooding, 9.75 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cimarron River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.75 ft
October 4, 1986; 162,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
6
43rd of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
June 10, 2008
19.40 ft, minor flooding
Location
Payne County
Near Stillwater (12.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS PRKO2
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, Cimarron River near Perkins
Action stage16.07Dec 21, 1991The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.051Jun 10, 2008Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.04Nov 4, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.06Mar 11, 1990Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1926 to 2008. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cimarron River near Perkins, 1926 to 2008 16182022242628ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Oct 5, 1926: 22.00 ft, major flooding; 85,000 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1932: 19.60 ft, minor flooding; 52,000 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1935: 23.00 ft, major flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1936: 17.80 ft, minor flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1937: 17.10 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1938: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1941: 16.90 ft, action stage; 24,600 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1941: 17.57 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1941: 16.88 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1941: 17.70 ft, minor flooding; 31,600 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1941: 19.25 ft, minor flooding; 46,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1942: 17.40 ft, minor flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1942: 19.30 ft, minor flooding; 48,300 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1942: 18.17 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1943: 19.08 ft, minor flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1944: 19.08 ft, minor flooding; 55,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1944: 17.28 ft, minor flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1944: 16.93 ft, action stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1945: 16.73 ft, action stage; 25,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1945: 18.92 ft, minor flooding; 41,900 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1945: 17.56 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1947: 18.63 ft, minor flooding; 45,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1947: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1948: 18.26 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1948: 17.87 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1949: 20.22 ft, moderate flooding; 65,300 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1949: 16.07 ft, action stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1949: 16.90 ft, action stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1950: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 49,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1951: 18.90 ft, minor flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1955: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 49,600 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1955: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1955: 18.20 ft, minor flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1955: 18.39 ft, minor flooding; 53,700 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1957: 24.53 ft, major flooding; 149,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1957: 20.75 ft, moderate flooding; 94,000 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1957: 17.22 ft, minor flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1957: 17.32 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1957: 17.61 ft, minor flooding; 53,200 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1957: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 76,600 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1959: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 55,500 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1959: 21.40 ft, moderate flooding; 98,600 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1961: 18.45 ft, minor flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1965: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 62,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1973: 18.68 ft, minor flooding; 42,800 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1974: 19.86 ft, minor flooding; 70,900 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1974: 21.85 ft, moderate flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1977: 18.05 ft, minor flooding; 48,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1980: 17.83 ft, minor flooding; 61,500 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1982: 17.49 ft, minor flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1982: 22.03 ft, major flooding; 106,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1983: 18.40 ft, minor flooding; 49,100 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1983: 17.94 ft, minor flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1986: 26.75 ft, major flooding; 162,000 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1986: 19.53 ft, minor flooding; 67,400 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1986: 18.48 ft, minor flooding; 52,400 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1987: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 67,900 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1988: 18.08 ft, minor flooding; 46,900 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1988: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 52,700 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1990: 22.20 ft, major floodingDec 21, 1991: 16.10 ft, action stageApr 12, 1997: 18.00 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2007: 17.45 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2007: 17.45 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 2007: 18.80 ft, minor floodingJul 14, 2007: 18.35 ft, minor floodingAug 20, 2007: 17.93 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 2008: 19.40 ft, minor flooding Highest, 26.75 ft, Oct 4, 1986 1940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cimarron River near Perkins 1920s: 1 1930s: 5 1940s: 16 16 1950s: 14 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 11 1990s: 2 2000s: 6 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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

The 50 highest of 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cimarron River near Perkins
1Oct 4, 198626.75+9.75Major162,000
2May 17, 195724.53+7.53Major149,000
3Jun 21, 193523.00+6.00Major100,000
4Mar 11, 199022.20+5.20Major—
5May 19, 198222.03+5.03Major106,000
6Oct 5, 192622.00+5.00Major85,000
7Nov 4, 197421.85+4.85Moderate100,000
8Oct 3, 195921.40+4.40Moderate98,600
9May 21, 195720.75+3.75Moderate94,000
10May 19, 194920.22+3.22Moderate65,300
11Mar 12, 197419.86+2.86Minor70,900
12May 21, 195519.80+2.80Minor49,600
13Aug 18, 193219.60+2.60Minor52,000
14Oct 23, 198619.53+2.53Minor67,400
15May 29, 198719.50+2.50Minor67,900
16Jun 10, 200819.40+2.40Minor—
17Apr 20, 194219.30+2.30Minor48,300
18Oct 25, 194119.25+2.25Minor46,900
19May 20, 194319.08+2.08Minor46,600
20Apr 11, 194419.08+2.08Minor55,700
21Apr 17, 194518.92+1.92Minor41,900
22May 20, 195118.90+1.90Minor50,200
23Jul 31, 195018.80+1.80Minor49,000
24May 27, 195518.80+1.80Minor35,400
25Jun 25, 195718.80+1.80Minor76,600
26Jun 30, 200718.80+1.80Minor—
27Apr 1, 197318.68+1.68Minor42,800
28Apr 14, 194718.63+1.63Minor45,500
29May 16, 194718.50+1.50Minor30,600
30Apr 2, 198818.50+1.50Minor52,700
31Nov 5, 198618.48+1.48Minor52,400
32Sep 14, 196118.45+1.45Minor70,000
33May 15, 198318.40+1.40Minor49,100
34Oct 5, 195518.39+1.39Minor53,700
35Jul 14, 200718.35+1.35Minor—
36Jun 24, 194818.26+1.26Minor34,500
37May 24, 193818.20+1.20Minor36,500
38Jun 19, 195518.20+1.20Minor33,500
39Apr 26, 194218.17+1.17Minor35,500
40Mar 4, 198818.08+1.08Minor46,900
41May 22, 197718.05+1.05Minor48,500
42Sep 26, 195918.00+1.00Minor55,500
43Apr 12, 199718.00+1.00Minor—
44Oct 21, 198317.94+0.94Minor36,500
45Aug 20, 200717.93+0.93Minor—
46Jun 29, 194817.87+0.87Minor29,400
47Sep 22, 196517.85+0.85Minor62,100
48May 17, 198017.83+0.83Minor61,500
49Jun 6, 193617.80+0.80Minor33,000
50Jun 11, 194117.70+0.70Minor31,600

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.

October 4, 1986: 26.75 ft here, major flooding

  • DoverOK · Oct 3, 1986 · 26.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • GuthrieOK · Oct 4, 1986 · 25.70 ft · Major · its highest

May 17, 1957: 24.53 ft here, major flooding

  • DoverOK · May 16, 1957 · 25.70 ft · Major
  • WaynokaOK · May 16, 1957 · 15.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • GuthrieOK · May 21, 1957 · 19.94 ft · Minor

March 11, 1990: 22.20 ft here, major flooding

  • RipleyOK · Mar 11, 1990 · 21.43 ft · Moderate

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
BuffaloOK9.09.74 ft, May 9, 20190
DoverOK17.026.10 ft, Oct 3, 19866
GuthrieOK18.025.70 ft, Oct 4, 19862
Perkins this gaugeOK17.026.75 ft, Oct 4, 19866
RipleyOK17.028.36 ft, May 10, 199310
WaynokaOK8.015.10 ft, May 16, 19572

Other gauges in Payne County

Flood gauges in Payne County
Ripley17.028.36 ft, May 10, 199310

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PRKO2, 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.