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Poteau River near Poteau

Highest listed crest 39.00 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft128 crests since 1923

The Poteau River near Poteau crested at major flood stage 22 times among the 128 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1923 to 2026. The highest, 39.00 ft on June 18, 1935, was major flooding, 15.00 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Poteau River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.00 ft
June 18, 1935; 100,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
22
7th of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
June 7, 2026
24.24 ft, minor flooding
Location
Le Flore County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Poteau River near Poteau
Action stage24.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.039Jun 7, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.054May 20, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.022Dec 28, 2015Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

128 crests from 1923 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Poteau River near Poteau, 1923 to 2026 152025303540ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Sep 1, 1923: 29.00 ft, moderate floodingSep 1, 1926: 32.50 ft, major floodingApr 15, 1927: 34.00 ft, major flooding; 51,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1929: 29.00 ft, moderate flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1929: 28.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 1930: 31.80 ft, major flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1931: 25.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 1932: 31.00 ft, major flooding; 32,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1935: 39.00 ft, major flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1937: 27.50 ft, moderate floodingNov 12, 1937: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 8,370 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1937: 25.00 ft, minor flooding; 9,370 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1938: 31.80 ft, major flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1938: 36.30 ft, major flooding; 73,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1938: 24.10 ft, minor flooding; 8,460 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1938: 24.80 ft, minor flooding; 9,160 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1938: 24.20 ft, minor flooding; 8,560 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1938: 28.00 ft, moderate flooding; 16,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1939: 24.70 ft, minor flooding; 9,060 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1939: 26.80 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1939: 26.69 ft, moderate flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1939: 36.20 ft, major flooding; 68,200 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1940: 22.40 ft, below flood stage; 7,540 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1941: 24.87 ft, minor flooding; 9,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1941: 19.91 ft, below flood stage; 6,550 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1941: 23.28 ft, below flood stage; 8,250 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1941: 24.75 ft, minor flooding; 9,160 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1941: 22.31 ft, below flood stage; 7,750 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1941: 27.77 ft, moderate flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1942: 20.16 ft, below flood stage; 6,700 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1942: 29.63 ft, moderate flooding; 22,700 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1942: 28.56 ft, moderate flooding; 18,500 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1942: 29.03 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1943: 37.00 ft, major flooding; 58,100 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1943: 23.22 ft, below flood stage; 7,420 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1943: 26.76 ft, moderate flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1944: 24.29 ft, minor flooding; 8,140 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1944: 28.27 ft, moderate flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1944: 26.68 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1944: 29.51 ft, moderate flooding; 20,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1944: 23.86 ft, below flood stage; 7,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1945: 32.89 ft, major flooding; 39,200 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1945: 31.02 ft, major flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1945: 25.13 ft, minor flooding; 9,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1945: 31.55 ft, major flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1945: 23.95 ft, below flood stage; 9,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1945: 32.38 ft, major flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1945: 23.67 ft, below flood stage; 7,780 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1945: 36.42 ft, major flooding; 66,300 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1945: 35.10 ft, major flooding; 55,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1945: 25.89 ft, minor flooding; 9,680 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1945: 27.84 ft, moderate flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1946: 33.50 ft, major floodingApr 12, 1947: 26.82 ft, moderate floodingFeb 28, 1948: 28.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 25, 1949: 30.50 ft, major floodingFeb 13, 1950: 25.70 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1951: 23.72 ft, below flood stageApr 12, 1952: 25.16 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1953: 27.86 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1955: 27.15 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 1957: 29.25 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 1958: 26.91 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 1960: 29.38 ft, moderate floodingMay 18, 1961: 28.71 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 1968: 32.55 ft, major floodingFeb 22, 1969: 25.84 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1970: 24.75 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1971: 32.20 ft, major floodingNov 6, 1972: 27.02 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1973: 29.84 ft, moderate floodingJun 7, 1974: 26.22 ft, moderate floodingJun 7, 1981: 25.49 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 1981: 26.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 14, 1982: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 4, 1982: 24.12 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1990: 26.80 ft, moderate floodingFeb 15, 1990: 23.70 ft, below flood stageApr 21, 1990: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 3, 1990: 30.60 ft, major floodingMay 20, 1990: 27.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1993: 27.24 ft, moderate flooding; 9,186 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1994: 24.90 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 1995: 28.57 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1996: 27.90 ft, moderate floodingNov 7, 1996: 26.60 ft, moderate floodingNov 25, 1996: 27.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 21, 1997: 26.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 2, 1997: 24.10 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1998: 29.80 ft, moderate floodingJun 30, 1999: 25.60 ft, minor floodingDec 17, 2001: 26.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 1, 2002: 25.60 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 2002: 28.69 ft, moderate floodingApr 8, 2002: 28.63 ft, moderate floodingNov 30, 2006: 28.38 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 2008: 25.81 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 2008: 28.78 ft, moderate floodingMar 30, 2008: 24.49 ft, minor floodingMay 3, 2009: 24.19 ft, minor floodingOct 9, 2009: 24.48 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 2011: 27.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 25, 2012: 24.24 ft, minor floodingJun 1, 2013: 26.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 2015: 28.55 ft, moderate floodingMay 20, 2015: 25.91 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2015: 31.73 ft, major floodingDec 14, 2015: 25.31 ft, minor flooding; 10,532 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2015: 31.44 ft, major floodingApr 30, 2016: 25.19 ft, minor flooding; 10,460 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 21.99 ft, below flood stage; 8,568 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2018: 25.02 ft, minor flooding; 10,357 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2018: 27.69 ft, moderate flooding; 14,378 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 2018: 24.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,284 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2019: 25.78 ft, minor flooding; 10,817 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2019: 27.45 ft, moderate flooding; 13,690 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2020: 24.68 ft, minor flooding; 10,151 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2020: 25.20 ft, minor flooding; 10,466 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2020: 28.34 ft, moderate flooding; 16,241 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2021: 25.30 ft, minor flooding; 10,526 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2022: 26.68 ft, moderate flooding; 11,936 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 2023: 25.40 ft, minor flooding; 10,587 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 2023: 25.39 ft, minor flooding; 10,581 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2023: 28.97 ft, moderate flooding; 18,921 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2025: 26.47 ft, moderate flooding; 11,631 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2025: 26.95 ft, moderate flooding; 12,327 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2025: 23.18 ft, below flood stage; 9,266 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2026: 24.24 ft, minor flooding; 9,888 cubic feet per second Highest, 39.00 ft, Jun 18, 1935 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Poteau River near Poteau 1920s: 5 1930s: 17 1940s: 25 25 1950s: 6 1960s: 4 1970s: 5 1980s: 4 1990s: 14 2000s: 10 2010s: 14 2020s: 11 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 128 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Poteau River near Poteau
1Jun 18, 193539.00+15.00Major100,000
2May 11, 194337.00+13.00Major58,100
3May 16, 194536.42+12.42Major66,300
4Feb 19, 193836.30+12.30Major73,000
5Apr 17, 193936.20+12.20Major68,200
6Jun 12, 194535.10+11.10Major55,900
7Apr 15, 192734.00+10.00Major51,000
8Dec 13, 194633.50+9.50Major—
9Feb 22, 194532.89+8.89Major39,200
10May 14, 196832.55+8.55Major—
11Sep 1, 192632.50+8.50Major—
12Mar 31, 194532.38+8.38Major35,800
13Dec 10, 197132.20+8.20Major—
14May 12, 193031.80+7.80Major37,000
15Jan 25, 193831.80+7.80Major37,000
16May 26, 201531.73+7.73Major—
17Mar 20, 194531.55+7.55Major30,700
18Dec 28, 201531.44+7.44Major—
19Mar 1, 194531.02+7.02Major27,300
20Feb 18, 193231.00+7.00Major32,000
21May 3, 199030.60+6.60Major—
22Jan 25, 194930.50+6.50Major—
23Apr 23, 197329.84+5.84Moderate—
24Jan 5, 199829.80+5.80Moderate—
25Apr 10, 194229.63+5.63Moderate22,700
26May 4, 194429.51+5.51Moderate20,300
27May 20, 196029.38+5.38Moderate—
28Apr 4, 195729.25+5.25Moderate—
29Dec 29, 194229.03+5.03Moderate20,900
30Sep 1, 192329.00+5.00Moderate—
31May 20, 192929.00+5.00Moderate21,000
32Mar 25, 202328.97+4.97Moderate18,921
33Mar 19, 200828.78+4.78Moderate—
34May 18, 196128.71+4.71Moderate—
35May 29, 192928.70+4.70Moderate—
36Mar 19, 200228.69+4.69Moderate—
37Apr 8, 200228.63+4.63Moderate—
38Jan 14, 199528.57+4.57Moderate—
39Apr 27, 194228.56+4.56Moderate18,500
40May 11, 201528.55+4.55Moderate—
41Nov 30, 200628.38+4.38Moderate—
42Sep 1, 202028.34+4.34Moderate16,241
43Mar 1, 194428.27+4.27Moderate15,400
44Feb 28, 194828.20+4.20Moderate—
45May 30, 193828.00+4.00Moderate16,500
46Apr 23, 199627.90+3.90Moderate—
47Mar 14, 195327.86+3.86Moderate—
48Sep 30, 194527.84+3.84Moderate13,800
49Nov 3, 194127.77+3.77Moderate11,800
50Aug 16, 201827.69+3.69Moderate14,378

The worst floods along the Poteau River

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

June 18, 1935: 39.00 ft here, major flooding

  • PanamaOK · Jun 18, 1935 · 49.60 ft · Major · its highest

April 17, 1939: 36.20 ft here, major flooding

  • PanamaOK · Apr 17, 1939 · 45.10 ft · Major

Gauges on the Poteau River

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

Flood gauges on the Poteau River
Poteau this gaugeOK24.039.00 ft, Jun 18, 193522
PanamaOK29.049.60 ft, Jun 18, 193512

Other gauges in Le Flore County

Flood gauges in Le Flore County
Panama29.049.60 ft, Jun 18, 193512

Le Flore County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oklahoma

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PTAO2, 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.