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Cimarron River near Waynoka

Highest listed crest 15.10 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft124 crests since 1935

The Cimarron River near Waynoka crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 124 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 2025. The highest, 15.10 ft on May 16, 1957, was major flooding, 7.10 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Cimarron River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.10 ft
May 16, 1957; 94,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
2
65th of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
June 7, 2025
9.72 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 Waynoka
Action stage7.53May 29, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.099Jun 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.020May 26, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.02May 16, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

124 crests from 1935 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cimarron River near Waynoka, 1935 to 2025 6810121416ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft May 19, 1935: 14.50 ft, major floodingApr 27, 1938: 9.26 ft, minor flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1938: 9.49 ft, minor flooding; 46,600 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1938: 10.70 ft, moderate flooding; 60,000 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1938: 8.40 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1941: 8.10 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1941: 8.35 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1941: 9.70 ft, minor flooding; 45,100 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1942: 10.50 ft, moderate flooding; 55,000 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1942: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1944: 9.80 ft, minor flooding; 47,000 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1944: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1945: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 20,400 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1947: 8.13 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1948: 9.35 ft, minor flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1949: 10.00 ft, moderate flooding; 42,900 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1949: 8.90 ft, minor flooding; 28,200 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1949: 8.55 ft, minor flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1949: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1950: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1950: 11.40 ft, moderate flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1950: 8.90 ft, minor flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1951: 9.54 ft, minor flooding; 37,700 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1951: 8.69 ft, minor flooding; 28,300 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1951: 9.58 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1951: 9.43 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1955: 9.73 ft, minor flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1955: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1955: 8.56 ft, minor flooding; 27,100 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1957: 9.06 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1957: 15.10 ft, major flooding; 94,500 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1957: 8.44 ft, minor flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1957: 10.56 ft, moderate flooding; 48,400 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1957: 8.31 ft, minor flooding; 26,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1957: 11.78 ft, moderate flooding; 60,200 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1957: 9.71 ft, minor flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1958: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1959: 8.34 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1960: 9.87 ft, minor flooding; 33,500 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1962: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1963: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1965: 8.35 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1965: 8.33 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 1967: 9.12 ft, minor flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1968: 8.09 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1970: 8.05 ft, minor flooding; 10,000 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1973: 9.56 ft, minor flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 1974: 10.08 ft, moderate flooding; 52,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1975: 8.86 ft, minor flooding; 7,880 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1976: 8.59 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1976: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1977: 8.55 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1978: 8.75 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1979: 11.70 ft, moderate flooding; 48,200 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1979: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1979: 9.04 ft, minor flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1981: 8.51 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1982: 8.29 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1983: 8.39 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1985: 9.36 ft, minor flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1987: 9.65 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1987: 10.04 ft, moderate flooding; 21,200 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1987: 8.92 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1989: 9.63 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1989: 9.83 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1993: 9.93 ft, minor flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1995: 9.00 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 1995: 10.19 ft, moderate flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1996: 8.37 ft, minor flooding; 4,778 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1996: 10.02 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1996: 9.96 ft, minor flooding; 12,565 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1996: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 1997: 8.80 ft, minor floodingMar 17, 1998: 8.07 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1998: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 4,320 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1998: 8.00 ft, minor floodingNov 1, 1998: 10.41 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1999: 9.61 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1999: 8.41 ft, minor floodingJun 25, 1999: 8.54 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 1999: 10.13 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 2000: 9.70 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2000: 10.74 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2000: 9.82 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 2001: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 6,610 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2002: 8.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,630 cubic feet per secondOct 28, 2002: 8.17 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 2004: 8.38 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2004: 8.72 ft, minor flooding; 3,770 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2005: 10.75 ft, moderate flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2005: 10.63 ft, moderate floodingJul 6, 2005: 8.28 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2006: 9.30 ft, minor flooding; 8,120 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2007: 8.00 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2007: 9.24 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2007: 8.36 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2007: 9.98 ft, minor flooding; 7,230 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2007: 8.36 ft, minor floodingJul 13, 2007: 9.71 ft, minor floodingSep 12, 2008: 9.53 ft, minor flooding; 5,880 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 6,400 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2010: 8.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2010: 8.51 ft, minor flooding; 3,460 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2010: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 5,310 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2012: 9.39 ft, minor flooding; 8,930 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 2013: 8.11 ft, minor flooding; 3,010 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2014: 8.87 ft, minor flooding; 4,640 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 9.16 ft, minor flooding; 6,160 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2017: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 3,260 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2017: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 3,170 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2018: 8.06 ft, minor flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2018: 9.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,460 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2018: 11.12 ft, moderate flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2019: 10.12 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2019: 10.10 ft, moderate flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 11.32 ft, moderate flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2019: 7.95 ft, action stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2021: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,540 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2023: 8.11 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2024: 7.88 ft, action stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2025: 9.09 ft, minor flooding; 4,520 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2025: 7.68 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2025: 9.72 ft, minor flooding; 7,350 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.10 ft, May 16, 1957 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cimarron River near Waynoka 1930s: 5 1940s: 14 1950s: 19 1960s: 7 1970s: 11 1980s: 10 1990s: 16 2000s: 20 20 2010s: 15 2020s: 4 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 124 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cimarron River near Waynoka
1May 16, 195715.10+7.10Major94,500
2May 19, 193514.50+6.50Major—
3Jun 23, 195711.78+3.78Moderate60,200
4May 10, 197911.70+3.70Moderate48,200
5Jul 28, 195011.40+3.40Moderate70,000
6May 26, 201911.32+3.32Moderate19,800
7Oct 9, 201811.12+3.12Moderate18,600
8Jun 12, 200510.75+2.75Moderate15,300
9May 26, 200010.74+2.74Moderate11,800
10May 23, 193810.70+2.70Moderate60,000
11Jun 17, 200510.63+2.63Moderate—
12May 30, 195710.56+2.56Moderate48,400
13Apr 22, 194210.50+2.50Moderate55,000
14Nov 1, 199810.41+2.41Moderate10,400
15Jun 9, 199510.19+2.19Moderate14,100
16Jul 1, 199910.13+2.13Moderate—
17May 9, 201910.12+2.12Moderate10,400
18May 21, 201910.10+2.10Moderate10,300
19Sep 2, 197410.08+2.08Moderate52,400
20May 27, 198710.04+2.04Moderate21,200
21Sep 21, 199610.02+2.02Moderate11,000
22May 16, 194910.00+2.00Moderate42,900
23Jun 15, 20079.98+1.98Minor7,230
24Sep 26, 19969.96+1.96Minor12,565
25May 1, 19939.93+1.93Minor15,400
26Jun 8, 19609.87+1.87Minor33,500
27May 5, 20019.84+1.84Minor6,610
28Oct 10, 19859.83+1.83Minor16,700
29Jun 13, 19899.83+1.83Minor16,300
30Oct 25, 20009.82+1.82Minor—
31Apr 22, 19449.80+1.80Minor47,000
32May 19, 19559.73+1.73Minor41,800
33Jun 7, 20259.72+1.72Minor7,350
34Jul 1, 19579.71+1.71Minor41,800
35Jul 13, 20079.71+1.71Minor—
36Oct 23, 19419.70+1.70Minor45,100
37Mar 23, 20009.70+1.70Minor—
38Mar 23, 19879.65+1.65Minor18,100
39May 18, 19899.63+1.63Minor14,600
40Apr 14, 19999.61+1.61Minor—
41Jun 24, 19519.58+1.58Minor33,900
42Apr 27, 20099.57+1.57Minor6,400
43Sep 27, 19739.56+1.56Minor36,800
44May 18, 19519.54+1.54Minor37,700
45Jul 25, 19799.53+1.53Minor24,300
46Sep 12, 20089.53+1.53Minor5,880
47May 19, 19389.49+1.49Minor46,600
48Jun 30, 19519.43+1.43Minor28,700
49Apr 11, 20129.39+1.39Minor8,930
50Apr 30, 19859.36+1.36Minor10,300

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 16, 1957: 15.10 ft here, major flooding

  • DoverOK · May 16, 1957 · 25.70 ft · Major
  • PerkinsOK · May 17, 1957 · 24.53 ft · Major
  • GuthrieOK · May 21, 1957 · 19.94 ft · Minor

June 23, 1957: 11.78 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PerkinsOK · Jun 25, 1957 · 18.80 ft · Minor

May 10, 1979: 11.70 ft here, moderate flooding

  • DoverOK · May 11, 1979 · 18.52 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
BuffaloOK9.09.74 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
Waynoka this gaugeOK8.015.10 ft, May 16, 19572

Other gauges in Woods County

Flood gauges in Woods County
Buffalo9.09.74 ft, May 9, 20190
Alva14.515.49 ft, May 26, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WANO2, 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.