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North Fork of the Red River near Carter

Highest listed crest 20.08 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft49 crests since 1947

The North Fork of the Red River near Carter crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 49 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2019. The highest, 20.08 ft on June 4, 1995, was major flooding, 4.08 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the North Fork of the Red River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.08 ft
June 4, 1995; 34,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
5
46th of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
May 26, 2019
17.85 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Beckham County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Fork of the Red River near Carter
Action stage14.032May 7, 2007The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.06Aug 3, 1995Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.05May 26, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.05May 8, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

49 crests from 1947 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Fork of the Red River near Carter, 1947 to 2019 510152025ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft May 12, 1947: 15.37 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1947: 14.75 ft, action stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1949: 14.30 ft, action stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1950: 15.34 ft, action stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1951: 14.45 ft, action stage; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1951: 14.26 ft, action stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1953: 14.01 ft, action stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1954: 15.51 ft, action stage; 9,070 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1954: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1955: 14.59 ft, action stage; 6,910 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1955: 15.14 ft, action stage; 9,450 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1956: 14.00 ft, action stage; 6,510 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1956: 14.82 ft, action stage; 8,080 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1957: 15.39 ft, action stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1957: 14.80 ft, action stage; 9,470 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1957: 14.68 ft, action stage; 9,110 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1957: 16.95 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1959: 18.42 ft, major flooding; 53,400 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1960: 14.28 ft, action stage; 7,800 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1960: 14.06 ft, action stage; 7,050 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1961: 15.07 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1961: 15.15 ft, action stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1962: 15.72 ft, action stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1968: 14.87 ft, action stage; 7,830 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1972: 14.48 ft, action stage; 6,620 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1973: 15.04 ft, action stage; 8,520 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1977: 14.14 ft, action stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1977: 19.98 ft, major flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1977: 18.33 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1977: 16.81 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1978: 16.73 ft, minor flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1982: 17.58 ft, moderate flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 1986: 17.88 ft, moderate flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1986: 14.73 ft, action stage; 7,290 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1987: 14.70 ft, action stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1988: 16.68 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1989: 14.95 ft, action stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1990: 17.02 ft, moderate flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1995: 20.08 ft, major flooding; 34,800 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1995: 16.67 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1996: 14.19 ft, action stage; 5,620 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1997: 14.48 ft, action stage; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2001: 14.12 ft, action stage; 5,790 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2001: 14.15 ft, action stage; 5,830 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 15.81 ft, action stage; 9,870 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 17.62 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 18.63 ft, major flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2019: 17.85 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2019: 7.46 ft, below flood stage; 455 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.08 ft, Jun 4, 1995 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Fork of the Red River near Carter 1940s: 0 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 3 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, North Fork of the Red River near Carter
1Jun 4, 199520.08+4.08Major34,800
2May 17, 197719.98+3.98Major35,800
3May 8, 201918.63+2.63Major15,000
4May 26, 195918.42+2.42Major53,400
5May 21, 197718.33+2.33Major22,000
6Oct 3, 198617.88+1.88Moderate15,900
7May 26, 201917.85+1.85Moderate12,000
8May 24, 201517.62+1.62Moderate11,400
9May 17, 198217.58+1.58Moderate14,100
10May 30, 199017.02+1.02Moderate11,200
11May 17, 195716.95+0.95Minor25,300
12May 27, 197716.81+0.81Minor13,900
13May 28, 197816.73+0.73Minor13,600
14Sep 19, 198816.68+0.68Minor11,400
15Aug 3, 199516.67+0.67Minor10,200
16May 24, 195416.24+0.24Minor12,700
17May 7, 200715.81−0.19Action9,870
18Apr 27, 196215.72−0.28Action12,400
19Apr 30, 195415.51−0.49Action9,070
20Apr 19, 195715.39−0.61Action10,600
21May 12, 194715.37−0.63Action15,000
22May 18, 195015.34−0.66Action16,400
23Jun 7, 196115.15−0.85Action11,200
24Oct 4, 195515.14−0.86Action9,450
25Jun 3, 196115.07−0.93Action10,700
26Apr 25, 197315.04−0.96Action8,520
27Jun 14, 198914.95−1.05Action5,700
28Oct 9, 196814.87−1.13Action7,830
29May 28, 195614.82−1.18Action8,080
30Apr 23, 195714.80−1.20Action9,470
31May 20, 194714.75−1.25Action12,800
32Oct 22, 198614.73−1.27Action7,290
33May 27, 198714.70−1.30Action7,230
34May 4, 195714.68−1.32Action9,110
35May 19, 195514.59−1.41Action6,910
36Jun 14, 197214.48−1.52Action6,620
37Apr 25, 199714.48−1.52Action5,850
38May 18, 195114.45−1.55Action18,300
39May 7, 194914.30−1.70Action10,400
40Jul 22, 196014.28−1.72Action7,800
41Jun 6, 195114.26−1.74Action11,400
42Sep 5, 199614.19−1.81Action5,620
43May 20, 200114.15−1.85Action5,830
44Apr 20, 197714.14−1.86Action5,700
45May 5, 200114.12−1.88Action5,790
46Oct 12, 196014.06−1.94Action7,050
47Oct 23, 195314.01−1.99Action5,550
48May 1, 195614.00−2.00Action6,510
49Oct 6, 20197.46−8.54Below flood stage455

The worst floods along the North Fork of the Red River

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

June 4, 1995: 20.08 ft here, major flooding

  • HeadrickOK · Jun 5, 1995 · 17.49 ft · Moderate

May 8, 2019: 18.63 ft here, major flooding

  • HeadrickOK · May 10, 2019 · 20.43 ft · Major

May 21, 1977: 18.33 ft here, major flooding

  • HeadrickOK · May 28, 1977 · 17.26 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the North Fork of the Red River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the North Fork of the Red River
ShamrockTX10.010.31 ft, Jun 2, 20240
Carter this gaugeOK16.020.08 ft, Jun 4, 19955
HeadrickOK14.021.13 ft, May 27, 20195

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CARO2, 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.