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Buffalo River near Lobelville

Highest listed crest 26.00 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft107 crests since 1928

The Buffalo River near Lobelville crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 107 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2024. The highest, 26.00 ft on May 2, 2010, was major flooding, 12.00 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Buffalo River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.00 ft
May 2, 2010; 101,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
2
32nd of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2024
14.78 ft, minor flooding
Location
Perry County
Tennessee

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo River near Lobelville
Action stage10.034Apr 8, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.047Mar 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.023Feb 24, 2022Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.02May 2, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

107 crests from 1928 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo River near Lobelville, 1928 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Apr 23, 1928: 13.50 ft, action stageMar 24, 1929: 16.30 ft, minor floodingJan 9, 1930: 13.60 ft, action stageJun 8, 1932: 15.40 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1933: 16.20 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1934: 15.10 ft, minor floodingJan 21, 1935: 14.00 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1936: 13.40 ft, action stageJan 3, 1937: 16.80 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1938: 14.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 17, 1939: 12.40 ft, action stageApr 20, 1940: 14.90 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 1942: 14.90 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1943: 13.00 ft, action stageMar 31, 1944: 14.10 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1945: 16.60 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 1946: 18.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 4, 1947: 12.30 ft, action stageJan 7, 1949: 13.80 ft, action stageFeb 16, 1950: 15.30 ft, minor floodingDec 10, 1951: 15.40 ft, minor floodingJan 29, 1952: 14.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 14, 1953: 14.10 ft, minor floodingJan 22, 1954: 14.90 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1955: 20.40 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1956: 14.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1957: 15.60 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 1958: 13.10 ft, action stageApr 5, 1960: 12.80 ft, action stageMar 10, 1961: 14.40 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1962: 16.40 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1963: 14.10 ft, minor floodingDec 5, 1964: 13.90 ft, action stageMar 31, 1965: 15.20 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 1967: 17.10 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1968: 13.10 ft, action stageDec 31, 1969: 16.70 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1970: 14.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 1971: 13.10 ft, action stageDec 10, 1972: 18.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 17, 1973: 19.40 ft, moderate floodingJan 4, 1974: 18.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 14, 1975: 20.10 ft, moderate floodingDec 1, 1976: 15.90 ft, minor floodingDec 9, 1978: 14.60 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1979: 15.60 ft, minor floodingJan 5, 1982: 13.10 ft, action stageDec 28, 1983: 17.10 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1984: 15.90 ft, minor floodingMar 2, 1987: 14.00 ft, minor floodingDec 26, 1988: 15.44 ft, minor floodingJan 14, 1989: 15.92 ft, minor floodingFeb 5, 1990: 18.99 ft, moderate floodingFeb 20, 1991: 20.20 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1991: 25.23 ft, major flooding; 84,700 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1991: 20.16 ft, moderate flooding; 34,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1992: 17.26 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1993: 12.34 ft, action stage; 7,680 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1994: 18.46 ft, moderate flooding; 26,000 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1995: 10.00 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1996: 13.10 ft, action stageDec 18, 1996: 16.20 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 18.80 ft, moderate flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1997: 14.10 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1998: 12.40 ft, action stage; 8,900 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1998: 12.70 ft, action stage; 9,400 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1998: 18.50 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1998: 11.10 ft, action stage; 6,800 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 18.10 ft, moderate flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1999: 10.90 ft, action stage; 6,400 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2000: 10.40 ft, action stage; 5,500 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2000: 10.80 ft, action stage; 6,200 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2000: 12.10 ft, action stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2001: 10.20 ft, action stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2001: 17.70 ft, minor floodingOct 14, 2001: 13.89 ft, action stage; 10,878 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2001: 19.23 ft, moderate flooding; 30,052 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2002: 20.27 ft, moderate flooding; 35,686 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2002: 16.86 ft, minor flooding; 19,274 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2002: 10.74 ft, action stage; 5,993 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 2003: 20.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 23, 2003: 14.70 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 2003: 11.60 ft, action stage; 7,275 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2003: 21.45 ft, moderate flooding; 43,149 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2004: 19.13 ft, moderate flooding; 29,476 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2004: 11.16 ft, action stage; 6,641 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2004: 11.20 ft, action stageOct 20, 2004: 12.32 ft, action stage; 8,433 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2004: 17.48 ft, minor floodingDec 24, 2004: 13.10 ft, action stageJan 15, 2005: 11.82 ft, action stage; 7,661 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 2005: 11.33 ft, action stageApr 8, 2005: 12.50 ft, action stageMay 2, 2010: 26.00 ft, major flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2011: 18.41 ft, moderate flooding; 25,100 cubic feet per secondJan 13, 2012: 9.33 ft, below flood stage; 4,590 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2013: 15.30 ft, minor flooding; 14,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2015: 15.81 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2016: 16.19 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2017: 14.28 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2018: 19.36 ft, moderate flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2019: 19.91 ft, moderate flooding; 31,837 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2020: 16.11 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2021: 19.41 ft, moderate flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2022: 18.78 ft, moderate flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2023: 14.12 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2024: 14.78 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.00 ft, May 2, 2010 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo River near Lobelville 1920s: 1 1930s: 6 1940s: 5 1950s: 8 1960s: 6 1970s: 8 1980s: 5 1990s: 11 11 2000s: 9 2010s: 8 2020s: 5 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 107 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Buffalo River near Lobelville
1May 2, 201026.00+12.00Major101,000
2May 28, 199125.23+11.23Major84,700
3May 8, 200321.45+7.45Moderate43,149
4Mar 23, 195520.40+6.40Moderate—
5Feb 16, 200320.30+6.30Moderate—
6Jan 25, 200220.27+6.27Moderate35,686
7Feb 20, 199120.20+6.20Moderate—
8Dec 3, 199120.16+6.16Moderate34,900
9Mar 14, 197520.10+6.10Moderate—
10Feb 24, 201919.91+5.91Moderate31,837
11Mar 28, 202119.41+5.41Moderate29,400
12Mar 17, 197319.40+5.40Moderate—
13Mar 2, 201819.36+5.36Moderate29,100
14Dec 1, 200119.23+5.23Moderate30,052
15Feb 7, 200419.13+5.13Moderate29,476
16Feb 5, 199018.99+4.99Moderate—
17Mar 4, 199718.80+4.80Moderate27,900
18Feb 24, 202218.78+4.78Moderate26,400
19Dec 10, 197218.70+4.70Moderate—
20Jul 16, 199818.50+4.50Moderate26,600
21Mar 29, 199418.46+4.46Moderate26,000
22Apr 28, 201118.41+4.41Moderate25,100
23Jan 8, 194618.20+4.20Moderate—
24Jan 24, 199918.10+4.10Moderate24,500
25Jan 4, 197418.00+4.00Moderate—
26Feb 17, 200117.70+3.70Minor—
27Dec 2, 200417.48+3.48Minor—
28Mar 11, 199217.26+3.26Minor—
29May 15, 196717.10+3.10Minor—
30Dec 28, 198317.10+3.10Minor—
31Mar 18, 200216.86+2.86Minor19,274
32Jan 3, 193716.80+2.80Minor—
33Dec 31, 196916.70+2.70Minor—
34Jan 2, 194516.60+2.60Minor—
35Feb 28, 196216.40+2.40Minor—
36Mar 24, 192916.30+2.30Minor—
37Apr 2, 193316.20+2.20Minor—
38Dec 18, 199616.20+2.20Minor16,800
39Feb 4, 201616.19+2.19Minor17,000
40Feb 14, 202016.11+2.11Minor16,800
41Jan 14, 198915.92+1.92Minor—
42Dec 1, 197615.90+1.90Minor—
43Apr 23, 198415.90+1.90Minor—
44Feb 23, 201515.81+1.81Minor15,900
45Feb 2, 195715.60+1.60Minor—
46May 4, 197915.60+1.60Minor—
47Dec 26, 198815.44+1.44Minor—
48Jun 8, 193215.40+1.40Minor—
49Dec 10, 195115.40+1.40Minor—
50Feb 16, 195015.30+1.30Minor—

The worst floods along the Buffalo River

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

May 2, 2010: 26.00 ft here, major flooding

  • Flat WoodsTN · May 3, 2010 · 32.69 ft · Major · its highest

May 28, 1991: 25.23 ft here, major flooding

May 8, 2003: 21.45 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Flat WoodsTN · May 7, 2003 · 25.08 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Buffalo River

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

Flood gauges on the Buffalo River
Flat WoodsTN22.032.69 ft, May 3, 20104
Lobelville this gaugeTN14.026.00 ft, May 2, 20102

Other gauges in Perry County

Flood gauges in Perry County
Flat Woods22.032.69 ft, May 3, 20104

Perry County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Tennessee

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LBVT1, 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.