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Ohio River at Pittsburgh

Highest listed crest 46.00 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft102 crests since 1902

The Ohio River at Pittsburgh crested at major flood stage 22 times among the 102 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2024. The highest, 46.00 ft on March 18, 1936, was major flooding, 24.00 feet above flood stage. 11 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 6 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
46.00 ft
March 18, 1936
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
22
1st of 170 gauges in Pennsylvania
Most recent flood crest
April 4, 2024
28.37 ft, major flooding
Location
Allegheny County
Near Pittsburgh (1.8 mi), Mount Lebanon (4.8 mi), Baldwin (5.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ohio River at Pittsburgh
Action stage18.036Dec 18, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.028Jan 29, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.016Sep 11, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.022Apr 4, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

102 crests from 1902 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Pittsburgh, 1902 to 2024 1020304050ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Mar 1, 1902: 35.40 ft, major floodingMar 15, 1907: 38.50 ft, major floodingJan 9, 1913: 34.30 ft, major floodingFeb 28, 1936: 29.20 ft, major floodingMar 13, 1936: 25.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1936: 46.00 ft, major floodingMar 26, 1936: 30.60 ft, major floodingJan 26, 1937: 34.50 ft, major floodingApr 27, 1937: 35.10 ft, major floodingDec 31, 1942: 36.60 ft, major floodingMar 7, 1945: 33.40 ft, major floodingApr 15, 1948: 29.80 ft, major floodingJan 28, 1952: 29.70 ft, major floodingOct 16, 1954: 32.40 ft, major floodingJan 22, 1959: 29.23 ft, major floodingFeb 27, 1961: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1963: 23.30 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 1963: 26.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1964: 27.60 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 1964: 31.60 ft, major floodingFeb 14, 1966: 28.60 ft, major floodingMar 7, 1967: 25.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1968: 22.10 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 1968: 22.50 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 1970: 25.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 1972: 35.82 ft, major floodingDec 10, 1972: 22.60 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 1973: 19.49 ft, action stageJan 12, 1974: 22.09 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1975: 22.25 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1976: 23.40 ft, minor floodingOct 10, 1976: 19.69 ft, action stageFeb 25, 1977: 19.63 ft, action stageApr 3, 1977: 21.10 ft, action stageDec 15, 1977: 20.84 ft, action stageJan 27, 1978: 23.04 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1978: 21.10 ft, action stageMar 22, 1978: 19.78 ft, action stageMay 18, 1978: 21.44 ft, action stageDec 9, 1978: 22.44 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1979: 23.12 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1979: 24.27 ft, minor floodingMar 6, 1979: 25.71 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1979: 18.72 ft, action stageMar 19, 1980: 18.14 ft, action stageApr 1, 1980: 19.98 ft, action stageApr 10, 1980: 20.75 ft, action stageAug 19, 1980: 19.42 ft, action stageFeb 21, 1981: 24.42 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 1982: 20.44 ft, action stageMay 5, 1983: 18.90 ft, action stageFeb 15, 1984: 23.59 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1985: 20.95 ft, action stageNov 6, 1985: 26.19 ft, moderate floodingNov 17, 1985: 21.55 ft, action stageNov 29, 1985: 23.73 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1986: 19.50 ft, action stageFeb 6, 1986: 24.93 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 1986: 19.44 ft, action stageMar 16, 1986: 20.24 ft, action stageApr 8, 1987: 18.72 ft, action stageDec 19, 1990: 24.70 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 1990: 27.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 29, 1994: 22.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1994: 19.90 ft, action stageMar 25, 1994: 21.20 ft, action stageMar 29, 1994: 21.30 ft, action stageJan 20, 1996: 34.60 ft, major floodingJul 20, 1996: 28.10 ft, major floodingJan 9, 1998: 25.64 ft, moderate flooding; 216,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 2000: 23.70 ft, minor flooding; 195,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2003: 19.20 ft, action stageNov 20, 2003: 25.69 ft, moderate flooding; 225,500 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 23.20 ft, minor flooding; 187,200 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2004: 22.17 ft, minor flooding; 173,000 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2004: 22.04 ft, minor flooding; 171,100 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 31.00 ft, major flooding; 310,200 cubic feet per secondJan 6, 2005: 28.43 ft, major flooding; 268,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2005: 21.25 ft, action stage; 158,750 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2007: 23.93 ft, minor flooding; 197,916 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2007: 21.11 ft, action stage; 156,523 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 19.83 ft, action stage; 136,484 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2008: 21.94 ft, action stage; 168,237 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2009: 19.92 ft, action stage; 137,897 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 25.80 ft, moderate flooding; 226,126 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 23.05 ft, minor flooding; 184,515 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2010: 25.25 ft, moderate flooding; 218,350 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 26.65 ft, moderate flooding; 239,411 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2011: 20.49 ft, action stage; 147,037 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 21.85 ft, action stage; 166,948 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2015: 21.56 ft, action stage; 162,826 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2018: 25.31 ft, moderate flooding; 218,593 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2018: 27.49 ft, moderate flooding; 255,990 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2018: 23.12 ft, minor floodingSep 11, 2018: 27.08 ft, moderate flooding; 246,201 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2019: 19.45 ft, action stage; 130,607 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2019: 24.43 ft, minor flooding; 205,344 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2019: 20.11 ft, action stage; 140,907 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2019: 19.91 ft, action stage; 138,101 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2022: 22.93 ft, minor flooding; 182,762 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 2024: 22.98 ft, minor flooding; 183,508 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2024: 28.37 ft, major flooding; 267,114 cubic feet per second Highest, 46.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at Pittsburgh 1900s: 2 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 6 1940s: 3 1950s: 3 1960s: 9 1970s: 11 11 1980s: 5 1990s: 6 2000s: 8 2010s: 9 2020s: 3 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 102 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Ohio River at Pittsburgh
1Mar 18, 193646.00+24.00Major—
2Mar 15, 190738.50+16.50Major—
3Dec 31, 194236.60+14.60Major—
4Jun 24, 197235.82+13.82Major—
5Mar 1, 190235.40+13.40Major—
6Apr 27, 193735.10+13.10Major—
7Jan 20, 199634.60+12.60Major—
8Jan 26, 193734.50+12.50Major—
9Jan 9, 191334.30+12.30Major—
10Mar 7, 194533.40+11.40Major—
11Oct 16, 195432.40+10.40Major—
12Mar 11, 196431.60+9.60Major—
13Sep 18, 200431.00+9.00Major310,200
14Mar 26, 193630.60+8.60Major—
15Apr 15, 194829.80+7.80Major—
16Jan 28, 195229.70+7.70Major—
17Jan 22, 195929.23+7.23Major—
18Feb 28, 193629.20+7.20Major—
19Feb 14, 196628.60+6.60Major—
20Jan 6, 200528.43+6.43Major268,000
21Apr 4, 202428.37+6.37Major267,114
22Jul 20, 199628.10+6.10Major—
23Mar 6, 196427.60+5.60Moderate—
24Feb 17, 201827.49+5.49Moderate255,990
25Dec 31, 199027.20+5.20Moderate—
26Sep 11, 201827.08+5.08Moderate246,201
27Mar 20, 196326.70+4.70Moderate—
28Mar 12, 201126.65+4.65Moderate239,411
29Nov 6, 198526.19+4.19Moderate—
30Mar 13, 193625.80+3.80Moderate—
31Jan 26, 201025.80+3.80Moderate226,126
32Mar 6, 197925.71+3.71Moderate—
33Nov 20, 200325.69+3.69Moderate225,500
34Jan 9, 199825.64+3.64Moderate216,500
35Apr 3, 197025.60+3.60Moderate—
36Jan 13, 201825.31+3.31Moderate218,593
37Dec 2, 201025.25+3.25Moderate218,350
38Mar 7, 196725.00+3.00Moderate—
39Feb 6, 198624.93+2.93Minor—
40Dec 19, 199024.70+2.70Minor—
41Feb 9, 201924.43+2.43Minor205,344
42Feb 21, 198124.42+2.42Minor—
43Feb 26, 197924.27+2.27Minor—
44Mar 16, 200723.93+1.93Minor197,916
45Nov 29, 198523.73+1.73Minor—
46Feb 20, 200023.70+1.70Minor195,000
47Feb 15, 198423.59+1.59Minor—
48Feb 17, 197623.40+1.40Minor—
49Mar 6, 196323.30+1.30Minor—
50Mar 7, 200423.20+1.20Minor187,200

The worst floods along the Ohio River

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

March 18, 1936: 46.00 ft here, major flooding

March 15, 1907: 38.50 ft here, major flooding

December 31, 1942: 36.60 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Ohio River

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

Flood gauges on the Ohio River
AshlandKY52.074.21 ft, Jan 27, 19374
Belleville LockWV35.061.80 ft, Mar 29, 191315
CairoIL40.061.72 ft, May 2, 201119
Cannelton Lock and DamKY42.060.80 ft, Jan 27, 19378
CincinnatiOH52.066.20 ft, Mar 11, 19641
Clifty CreekIN451.0475.90 ft, Jan 27, 19371
Dashields Lock and DamPA25.042.80 ft, Mar 18, 19365
East LiverpoolWV14.029.90 ft, Mar 19, 193611
EvansvilleIN42.053.75 ft, Jan 31, 19371
GolcondaIL40.062.60 ft, Feb 2, 19373
Hannibal Lock and DamOH35.041.90 ft, Jun 25, 19722
HendersonKY36.043.08 ft, Apr 12, 20250
IrontonOH52.054.67 ft, Feb 19, 20180
J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY37.064.40 ft, Feb 1, 19371
Lloyd Greenup LockKY54.064.50 ft, Mar 31, 19133
Marietta PumphouseOH35.058.30 ft, Mar 29, 19133
Markland LowerKY51.076.10 ft, Jan 26, 19371
MaysvilleKY50.075.60 ft, Jan 27, 19372
McAlpine LowerKY55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374
McAlpine UpperKY23.052.15 ft, Jan 27, 19377
Meldahl DamOH51.076.00 ft, Jan 26, 19373
Montgomery Lock and DamPA33.055.00 ft, Mar 18, 193610
MoundsvilleWV37.057.90 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Mount VernonIN35.059.21 ft, Feb 1, 19372
New Cumberland Lock and DamOH36.050.20 ft, Dec 31, 194215
Newburgh Lock and DamKY38.056.60 ft, Jan 31, 19371
Olmsted Lock and Dam HeadwaterKY36.048.20 ft, Feb 21, 20201
OwensboroKY40.054.80 ft, Jan 29, 19375
PaducahKY39.060.60 ft, Feb 2, 19377
ParkersburgWV36.045.20 ft, Mar 12, 19645
Pike Island Lock and DamWV37.047.70 ft, Mar 11, 19645
Pittsburgh this gaugePA22.046.00 ft, Mar 18, 193622
Point PleasantWV40.062.80 ft, Mar 30, 191325
PomeroyOH46.068.80 ft, Apr 1, 191334
PortsmouthOH50.053.78 ft, Apr 7, 20250
Powhatan PointOH37.053.30 ft, Mar 19, 19365
R C Byrd LockWV50.069.60 ft, Jan 27, 19379
Racine LockWV41.050.23 ft, Sep 20, 20043
ShawneetownKY33.065.64 ft, Jan 30, 19377
Smithland Lock and DamKY40.054.83 ft, May 6, 20114
SteubenvilleOH36.044.00 ft, Jan 20, 19961
Tell CityIN38.056.95 ft, Jan 29, 19376
WellsburgWV36.054.60 ft, Mar 19, 19369
WellsvilleOH11.020.90 ft, Jan 20, 19963
WheelingWV36.045.40 ft, Jan 20, 19963
Willow Island LockWV37.044.78 ft, Sep 19, 20042
HuntingtonOH50.057.52 ft, Mar 5, 19970

Other gauges in Allegheny County

Flood gauges in Allegheny County
C.W. Bill Young Lock and Dam17.031.10 ft, Mar 18, 19362
Natrona Lock and Dam21.032.10 ft, Mar 18, 19365
Sharpsburg Lock and Dam21.026.90 ft, Jun 24, 19721
Carnegie20.025.05 ft, Sep 18, 20041
Girty's Run11.013.56 ft, Jul 5, 20180
Etna9.010.28 ft, May 30, 19860
Braddock Lock and Dam22.035.30 ft, Mar 18, 19368
Elizabeth Lock and Dam20.032.50 ft, Mar 18, 19369
Dashields Lock and Dam25.042.80 ft, Mar 18, 19365
Etna13.014.60 ft, Sep 1, 20210
Turtle Creek6.011.34 ft, Jun 18, 20091
Sutersville20.032.50 ft, Oct 16, 195412

Allegheny County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Pennsylvania

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PTTP1, 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.