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Washita River near Pauls Valley

Highest listed crest 34.88 ftFlood stage 29.0 ft38 crests since 1938

The Washita River near Pauls Valley crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2015. The highest, 34.88 ft on May 11, 1950, was major flooding, 5.88 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Washita River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
34.88 ft
May 11, 1950; 30,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
29.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
10
27th of 92 gauges in Oklahoma
Most recent flood crest
May 29, 1987
33.72 ft, major flooding
Location
Garvin County
Oklahoma

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Washita River near Pauls Valley
Action stage27.013May 23, 1951The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)29.09Oct 22, 1983Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage31.03Jun 2, 1947Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.010May 29, 1987Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1938 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Washita River near Pauls Valley, 1938 to 2015 20253035ft Flood stage 29.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Mar 29, 1938: 28.90 ft, action stage; 7,800 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1938: 27.41 ft, action stage; 6,570 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1938: 29.92 ft, minor flooding; 8,880 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1940: 28.42 ft, action stage; 7,150 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1941: 27.30 ft, action stage; 6,610 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1941: 33.07 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1941: 28.35 ft, action stage; 7,070 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1941: 34.15 ft, major flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1942: 30.34 ft, minor flooding; 9,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1942: 29.70 ft, minor flooding; 7,840 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1942: 29.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,700 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1943: 32.75 ft, major flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1943: 30.33 ft, minor flooding; 9,890 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1943: 28.63 ft, action stage; 7,990 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1945: 28.56 ft, action stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1945: 28.20 ft, action stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1945: 31.23 ft, moderate flooding; 9,770 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1945: 28.28 ft, action stage; 8,600 cubic feet per secondOct 1, 1945: 34.70 ft, major flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1946: 27.06 ft, action stage; 7,750 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1946: 31.19 ft, moderate flooding; 9,860 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1946: 28.10 ft, action stage; 8,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1947: 28.80 ft, action stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1947: 33.04 ft, major flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1947: 32.52 ft, major flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1947: 31.25 ft, moderate flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1947: 30.41 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1948: 29.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1949: 33.42 ft, major flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1950: 34.88 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1951: 28.00 ft, action stage; 20,100 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1957: 32.34 ft, major flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1957: 29.64 ft, minor flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1983: 30.82 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1987: 33.72 ft, major flooding; 43,600 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2007: 25.53 ft, below flood stage; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 11, 2008: 20.99 ft, below flood stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2015: 26.63 ft, below flood stage; 25,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 34.88 ft, May 11, 1950 19401950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Washita River near Pauls Valley 1930s: 1 1940s: 16 16 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Washita River near Pauls Valley
1May 11, 195034.88+5.88Major30,000
2Oct 1, 194534.70+5.70Major18,600
3Oct 31, 194134.15+5.15Major16,200
4May 29, 198733.72+4.72Major43,600
5May 22, 194933.42+4.42Major21,700
6Jun 10, 194133.07+4.07Major22,000
7May 19, 194733.04+4.04Major15,200
8May 11, 194332.75+3.75Major14,000
9May 25, 194732.52+3.52Major14,500
10May 18, 195732.34+3.34Major35,800
11Jun 2, 194731.25+2.25Moderate12,500
12Jun 15, 194531.23+2.23Moderate9,770
13May 31, 194631.19+2.19Moderate9,860
14Oct 22, 198330.82+1.82Minor28,400
15Jun 24, 194730.41+1.41Minor12,100
16Apr 9, 194230.34+1.34Minor9,000
17May 18, 194330.33+1.33Minor9,890
18May 23, 193829.92+0.92Minor8,880
19Apr 20, 194229.70+0.70Minor7,840
20May 26, 195729.64+0.64Minor29,300
21Apr 25, 194229.50+0.50Minor7,700
22Jun 25, 194829.000.00Minor12,100
23Mar 29, 193828.90−0.10Action7,800
24Apr 15, 194728.80−0.20Action10,400
25Jun 6, 194328.63−0.37Action7,990
26Mar 15, 194528.56−0.44Action8,170
27Jul 4, 194028.42−0.58Action7,150
28Oct 5, 194128.35−0.65Action7,070
29Jul 10, 194528.28−0.72Action8,600
30Apr 20, 194528.20−0.80Action8,100
31Jun 30, 194628.10−0.90Action8,600
32May 23, 195128.00−1.00Action20,100
33May 7, 193827.41−1.59Action6,570
34Jun 2, 194127.30−1.70Action6,610
35May 23, 194627.06−1.94Action7,750
36May 26, 201526.63−2.37Below flood stage25,900
37Aug 23, 200725.53−3.47Below flood stage27,300
38Apr 11, 200820.99−8.01Below flood stage18,600

The worst floods along the Washita River

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

May 11, 1950: 34.88 ft here, major flooding

  • DicksonOK · May 12, 1950 · 42.57 ft · Major
  • CheyenneOK · May 18, 1950 · 13.71 ft · Minor

October 1, 1945: 34.70 ft here, major flooding

  • DicksonOK · Oct 1, 1945 · 41.54 ft · Major

October 31, 1941: 34.15 ft here, major flooding

  • DicksonOK · Oct 31, 1941 · 44.37 ft · Major
  • ClintonOK · Oct 25, 1941 · 22.13 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Washita River

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

Flood gauges on the Washita River
AlexOK28.033.78 ft, Oct 21, 19834
AnadarkoOK19.026.02 ft, Aug 20, 20078
LindsayOK18.025.60 ft, May 25, 20151
CarnegieOK25.031.70 ft, Oct 20, 198311
CheyenneOK13.520.24 ft, Apr 29, 19543
ChickashaOK19.029.90 ft, May 10, 19935
ClintonOK18.033.90 ft, Apr 3, 193413
DicksonOK27.048.70 ft, Jun 19, 201541
Pauls Valley this gaugeOK29.034.88 ft, May 11, 195010

Other gauges in Garvin County

Flood gauges in Garvin County
Lindsay18.025.60 ft, May 25, 20151
Hoover25.031.13 ft, May 3, 19908

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PLVO2, 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.