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Emory River at Oakdale

Highest listed crest 42.30 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft68 crests since 1929

The Emory River at Oakdale crested at major flood stage 14 times among the 68 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 42.30 ft on March 23, 1929, was major flooding, 15.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.30 ft
March 23, 1929; 195,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
14
5th of 100 gauges in Tennessee
Most recent flood crest
February 23, 2022
27.29 ft, minor flooding
Location
Morgan County
Near Oak Ridge (15.0 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Emory River at Oakdale
Action stage12.040May 9, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.08Feb 23, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.06Mar 28, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.014Apr 13, 2020Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

68 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Emory River at Oakdale, 1929 to 2024 1020304050ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Mar 23, 1929: 42.30 ft, major flooding; 195,000 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1934: 19.16 ft, action stage; 40,100 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1936: 20.66 ft, action stage; 45,100 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1937: 25.46 ft, action stage; 67,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1939: 30.90 ft, major flooding; 100,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1941: 19.30 ft, action stageDec 29, 1942: 23.60 ft, action stage; 59,900 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1944: 23.30 ft, action stage; 58,400 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 1946: 22.20 ft, action stage; 52,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1948: 31.00 ft, major flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1949: 27.85 ft, minor flooding; 82,800 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1950: 22.25 ft, action stage; 53,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1951: 26.90 ft, action stage; 77,500 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1952: 21.50 ft, action stageJan 21, 1954: 24.18 ft, action stage; 62,900 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1955: 27.30 ft, minor flooding; 79,700 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1956: 22.70 ft, action stageNov 19, 1957: 26.92 ft, action stage; 76,700 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 1959: 23.40 ft, action stage; 56,300 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1961: 22.35 ft, action stage; 50,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1962: 22.84 ft, action stage; 53,200 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1963: 29.10 ft, moderate flooding; 89,400 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1964: 20.75 ft, action stage; 42,400 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 21.30 ft, action stage; 45,100 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 22.67 ft, action stage; 52,300 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1969: 34.20 ft, major flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1970: 19.60 ft, action stageFeb 5, 1971: 19.28 ft, action stage; 27,800 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1972: 27.80 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 1973: 38.68 ft, major flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1974: 25.90 ft, action stageMar 13, 1975: 30.46 ft, major flooding; 87,200 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1976: 19.40 ft, action stageApr 4, 1977: 34.05 ft, major flooding; 107,000 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 21.14 ft, action stage; 35,300 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1979: 23.00 ft, action stage; 44,000 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 30.20 ft, major flooding; 85,100 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 24.23 ft, action stage; 50,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1983: 27.75 ft, minor flooding; 69,100 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1984: 26.99 ft, action stage; 65,100 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1987: 20.57 ft, action stage; 32,900 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1988: 26.37 ft, action stage; 61,900 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1989: 26.94 ft, action stage; 64,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1990: 19.70 ft, action stageDec 23, 1990: 38.71 ft, major flooding; 170,000 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1991: 38.70 ft, major floodingJan 3, 1992: 20.00 ft, action stageMar 23, 1993: 29.21 ft, moderate flooding; 77,500 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1994: 27.30 ft, minor flooding; 66,700 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1995: 20.76 ft, action stage; 33,700 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 1996: 32.93 ft, major flooding; 108,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2002: 28.85 ft, moderate flooding; 75,200 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 30.03 ft, major flooding; 83,780 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2009: 27.91 ft, minor flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 2011: 28.81 ft, moderate flooding; 74,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2013: 20.07 ft, action stage; 30,900 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 25.27 ft, action stageFeb 16, 2016: 25.44 ft, action stage; 50,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2017: 27.98 ft, minor flooding; 65,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2018: 24.41 ft, action stage; 45,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2019: 28.26 ft, moderate flooding; 67,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 33.88 ft, major flooding; 115,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2020: 31.34 ft, major flooding; 91,300 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2021: 29.87 ft, moderate flooding; 79,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2022: 27.29 ft, minor flooding; 61,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2023: 26.95 ft, action stage; 59,400 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2023: 25.72 ft, action stage; 52,200 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2024: 25.44 ft, action stage; 50,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 42.30 ft, Mar 23, 1929 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Emory River at Oakdale 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 4 1980s: 2 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 4 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 68 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Emory River at Oakdale
1Mar 23, 192942.30+15.30Major195,000
2Dec 23, 199038.71+11.71Major170,000
3Mar 23, 199138.70+11.70Major—
4May 28, 197338.68+11.68Major170,000
5Dec 30, 196934.20+7.20Major110,000
6Apr 4, 197734.05+7.05Major107,000
7Feb 6, 202033.88+6.88Major115,000
8Dec 1, 199632.93+5.93Major108,000
9Apr 13, 202031.34+4.34Major91,300
10Feb 13, 194831.00+4.00Major101,000
11Feb 3, 193930.90+3.90Major100,000
12Mar 13, 197530.46+3.46Major87,200
13Mar 21, 198030.20+3.20Major85,100
14Sep 17, 200430.03+3.03Major83,780
15Mar 28, 202129.87+2.87Moderate79,300
16Mar 23, 199329.21+2.21Moderate77,500
17Mar 12, 196329.10+2.10Moderate89,400
18Jan 24, 200228.85+1.85Moderate75,200
19Nov 29, 201128.81+1.81Moderate74,900
20Feb 23, 201928.26+1.26Moderate67,700
21Apr 23, 201727.98+0.98Minor65,900
22May 4, 200927.91+0.91Minor70,000
23Jan 5, 194927.85+0.85Minor82,800
24Dec 10, 197227.80+0.80Minor—
25Apr 5, 198327.75+0.75Minor69,100
26Mar 22, 195527.30+0.30Minor79,700
27Mar 28, 199427.30+0.30Minor66,700
28Feb 23, 202227.29+0.29Minor61,500
29May 7, 198426.99−0.01Action65,100
30Feb 17, 202326.95−0.05Action59,400
31Jun 16, 198926.94−0.06Action64,800
32Nov 19, 195726.92−0.08Action76,700
33Feb 1, 195126.90−0.10Action77,500
34Jan 20, 198826.37−0.63Action61,900
35Jan 11, 197425.90−1.10Action—
36Jul 20, 202325.72−1.28Action52,200
37Jan 1, 193725.46−1.54Action67,700
38Feb 16, 201625.44−1.56Action50,700
39May 9, 202425.44−1.56Action50,700
40Dec 25, 201525.27−1.73Action—
41Feb 11, 201824.41−2.59Action45,200
42Jan 4, 198224.23−2.77Action50,000
43Jan 21, 195424.18−2.82Action62,900
44Dec 29, 194223.60−3.40Action59,900
45Dec 19, 195923.40−3.60Action56,300
46Sep 29, 194423.30−3.70Action58,400
47Jul 21, 197923.00−4.00Action44,000
48Feb 28, 196222.84−4.16Action53,200
49Dec 13, 195622.70−4.30Action—
50Mar 7, 196722.67−4.33Action52,300

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OAKT1, 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.