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Nehalem River near Foss

Highest listed crest 29.56 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft66 crests since 1964

The Nehalem River near Foss crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 66 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2026. The highest, 29.56 ft on February 8, 1996, was major flooding, 14.56 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
29.56 ft
February 8, 1996; 70,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
3
30th of 100 gauges in Oregon
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2026
15.07 ft, minor flooding
Location
Tillamook County
Oregon

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Nehalem River near Foss
Action stage13.09Mar 30, 2012The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.048Mar 14, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.06Dec 9, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.03Dec 3, 2007Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

66 crests from 1964 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Nehalem River near Foss, 1964 to 2026 1015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Jan 25, 1964: 21.10 ft, moderate flooding; 43,200 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 21.53 ft, moderate flooding; 40,400 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1965: 19.68 ft, minor flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1970: 15.34 ft, minor flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1970: 20.76 ft, moderate flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1972: 23.11 ft, moderate flooding; 46,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 20.98 ft, moderate flooding; 39,400 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 19.35 ft, minor flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1977: 19.70 ft, minor flooding; 35,200 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1980: 19.41 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 1981: 15.45 ft, minor flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1982: 14.31 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1982: 18.78 ft, minor flooding; 33,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1982: 14.63 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1982: 18.59 ft, minor flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 19.11 ft, minor flooding; 33,400 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1982: 16.01 ft, minor flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1983: 14.99 ft, action stage; 21,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1986: 16.77 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1986: 14.65 ft, action stage; 19,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1987: 16.97 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1987: 18.33 ft, minor flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1987: 17.53 ft, minor flooding; 29,500 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1988: 16.25 ft, minor flooding; 25,900 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1990: 25.07 ft, major flooding; 53,400 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1990: 14.59 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1990: 17.30 ft, minor flooding; 28,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1991: 19.17 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1994: 14.58 ft, action stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1994: 17.62 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1994: 15.67 ft, minor flooding; 24,100 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1995: 14.19 ft, action stage; 19,900 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1995: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 32,500 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1995: 16.02 ft, minor flooding; 25,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 29.56 ft, major flooding; 70,300 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1996: 19.54 ft, minor flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1996: 19.20 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1997: 15.21 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1998: 18.87 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1998: 15.50 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1998: 18.91 ft, minor flooding; 34,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1999: 14.00 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1999: 17.68 ft, minor flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1999: 18.43 ft, minor flooding; 33,300 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1999: 15.03 ft, minor flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2003: 16.61 ft, minor flooding; 28,086 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2006: 15.48 ft, minor flooding; 24,942 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2006: 19.77 ft, minor flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2007: 24.30 ft, major flooding; 52,000 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2008: 15.86 ft, minor flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2009: 16.03 ft, minor flooding; 26,512 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 18.53 ft, minor flooding; 33,655 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 2011: 15.88 ft, minor flooding; 27,775 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2012: 15.45 ft, minor flooding; 25,155 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2012: 14.86 ft, action stage; 23,567 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2012: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 30,057 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2014: 15.06 ft, minor flooding; 26,084 cubic feet per secondNov 18, 2015: 17.71 ft, minor flooding; 29,323 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 23.40 ft, moderate flooding; 47,100 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2016: 15.16 ft, minor flooding; 22,284 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2017: 15.00 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2022: 18.27 ft, minor flooding; 33,809 cubic feet per secondDec 6, 2023: 15.91 ft, minor flooding; 27,584 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 16.55 ft, minor flooding; 29,228 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2025: 17.14 ft, minor flooding; 28,685 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2026: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 23,532 cubic feet per second Highest, 29.56 ft, Feb 8, 1996 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Nehalem River near Foss 1960s: 3 1970s: 6 1980s: 11 1990s: 17 17 2000s: 7 2010s: 8 2020s: 5 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 66 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Nehalem River near Foss
1Feb 8, 199629.56+14.56Major70,300
2Jan 9, 199025.07+10.07Major53,400
3Dec 3, 200724.30+9.30Major52,000
4Dec 9, 201523.40+8.40Moderate47,100
5Jan 20, 197223.11+8.11Moderate46,900
6Dec 23, 196421.53+6.53Moderate40,400
7Jan 25, 196421.10+6.10Moderate43,200
8Jan 16, 197420.98+5.98Moderate39,400
9Dec 7, 197020.76+5.76Moderate35,800
10Nov 7, 200619.77+4.77Minor37,300
11Dec 13, 197719.70+4.70Minor35,200
12Jan 28, 196519.68+4.68Minor37,800
13Apr 23, 199619.54+4.54Minor35,400
14Dec 26, 198019.41+4.41Minor34,300
15Dec 2, 197719.35+4.35Minor33,200
16Dec 31, 199619.20+4.20Minor34,300
17Apr 5, 199119.17+4.17Minor34,300
18Dec 3, 198219.11+4.11Minor33,400
19Dec 28, 199818.91+3.91Minor34,400
20Nov 25, 199818.87+3.87Minor34,300
21Jan 24, 198218.78+3.78Minor33,600
22Nov 29, 199518.60+3.60Minor32,500
23Feb 20, 198218.59+3.59Minor32,200
24Jan 8, 200918.53+3.53Minor33,655
25Nov 25, 199918.43+3.43Minor33,300
26Mar 3, 198718.33+3.33Minor31,700
27Jan 7, 202218.27+3.27Minor33,809
28Nov 18, 201517.71+2.71Minor29,323
29Feb 24, 199917.68+2.68Minor30,700
30Dec 20, 199417.62+2.62Minor29,700
31Dec 9, 198717.53+2.53Minor29,500
32Nov 19, 201217.33+2.33Minor30,057
33Feb 10, 199017.30+2.30Minor28,800
34Dec 19, 202517.14+2.14Minor28,685
35Feb 1, 198716.97+1.97Minor27,800
36Feb 23, 198616.77+1.77Minor27,300
37Feb 1, 200316.61+1.61Minor28,086
38Dec 9, 202516.55+1.55Minor29,228
39Jan 14, 198816.25+1.25Minor25,900
40Jan 2, 200916.03+1.03Minor26,512
41Dec 14, 199516.02+1.02Minor25,200
42Dec 16, 198216.01+1.01Minor24,400
43Dec 6, 202315.91+0.91Minor27,584
44Jan 17, 201115.88+0.88Minor27,775
45Nov 13, 200815.86+0.86Minor26,000
46Dec 27, 199415.67+0.67Minor24,100
47Dec 2, 199815.50+0.50Minor24,500
48Jan 30, 200615.48+0.48Minor24,942
49Dec 6, 198115.45+0.45Minor23,700
50Mar 15, 201215.45+0.45Minor25,155

The worst floods along the Nehalem River

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

December 3, 2007: 24.30 ft here, major flooding

  • VernoniaOR · Dec 3, 2007 · 19.10 ft · Major · its highest

December 9, 2015: 23.40 ft here, moderate flooding

  • VernoniaOR · Dec 9, 2015 · 14.60 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Nehalem River

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

Flood gauges on the Nehalem River
VernoniaOR12.019.10 ft, Dec 3, 20071
Foss this gaugeOR15.029.56 ft, Feb 8, 19963

Other gauges in Tillamook County

Flood gauges in Tillamook County
Beaver18.023.40 ft, Nov 20, 19622
Tillamook16.523.20 ft, Feb 8, 19961
Sollie Smith Br at Tillamook24.526.23 ft, Dec 9, 20150
Tillamook12.022.84 ft, Nov 7, 20063

Tillamook County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Oregon

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FSSO3, 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.