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Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive

Highest listed crest 71.22 ftFlood stage 62.2 ft8 crests since 1983

The Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 8 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1983 to 2017. The highest, 71.22 ft on August 31, 2017, was major flooding, 9.02 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Buffalo Bayou crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
71.22 ft
August 31, 2017; 14,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
62.2 ft
Major flooding from 65.3 ft
Crests at major
3
187th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
August 31, 2017
71.22 ft, major flooding
Location
Harris County
Near Bellaire (7.0 mi), West University Place (8.2 mi), Stafford (9.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive
Action stage59.21Sep 19, 1983The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)62.20—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage63.22Apr 18, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage65.33Aug 31, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

8 crests from 1983 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive, 1983 to 2017 505560657075ft Flood stage 62.2 ftMajor 65.3 ft Sep 19, 1983: 61.48 ft, action stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1984: 53.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1992: 68.30 ft, major flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 59.10 ft, below flood stageApr 28, 2009: 65.49 ft, major flooding; 7,060 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2015: 65.00 ft, moderate flooding; 6,190 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2016: 65.29 ft, moderate flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2017: 71.22 ft, major flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 71.22 ft, Aug 31, 2017 199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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.
  3. 15 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 64.58 ft on Aug 31, 1981; 51.69 ft on May 13, 1982; 58.98 ft on Oct 25, 1984; 57.44 ft on Nov 11, 1985; 54.99 ft on Nov 23, 1986; 53.25 ft on Mar 17, 1988; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Buffalo Bayou at West Belt Drive
1Aug 31, 201771.22+9.02Major14,600
2Mar 4, 199268.30+6.10Major7,290
3Apr 28, 200965.49+3.29Major7,060
4Apr 18, 201665.29+3.09Moderate6,590
5May 26, 201565.00+2.80Moderate6,190
6Sep 19, 198361.48−0.72Action3,810
7Sep 13, 200859.10−3.10Below flood stage—
8Jul 18, 198453.12−9.08Below flood stage1,940

The worst floods along the Buffalo Bayou

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

August 31, 2017: 71.22 ft here, major flooding

March 4, 1992: 68.30 ft here, major flooding

April 28, 2009: 65.49 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Buffalo Bayou

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

Flood gauges on the Buffalo Bayou
Barker ReservoirTX93.2101.60 ft, Aug 27, 20170
West Belt Drive this gaugeTX62.271.22 ft, Aug 31, 20173
Piney Point VillageTX52.062.84 ft, Aug 31, 20171
Shepherd DriveTX28.041.90 ft, Aug 28, 20172

Other gauges in Harris County

Flood gauges in Harris County
Barker111.0114.86 ft, Apr 18, 20165
Gessner Drive57.061.60 ft, May 26, 20157
Houston41.045.67 ft, Aug 27, 20171
Barker Reservoir93.2101.60 ft, Aug 27, 20170
Piney Point Village52.062.84 ft, Aug 31, 20171
Shepherd Drive28.041.90 ft, Aug 28, 20172
Crosby53.458.99 ft, Aug 28, 20170
Telephone Road43.547.40 ft, Aug 29, 20170
Cypress122.0129.97 ft, Aug 28, 20173
Hockley157.3162.85 ft, Aug 28, 20176
Westfield85.597.12 ft, Aug 29, 20179
Houston55.062.88 ft, Aug 28, 201710
Houston30.044.85 ft, Aug 28, 201717
Houston84.886.16 ft, Apr 18, 20160
Addicks Reservoir96.0109.09 ft, Aug 30, 20170
Addicks109.0112.64 ft, Apr 18, 20163
Sheldon10.028.72 ft, Aug 29, 201716
Houston26.230.44 ft, Oct 5, 19815
Spring91.5111.60 ft, Oct 18, 19944
Tide Station (HGX) at Manchester3.77.57 ft, Sep 14, 20211
Tide Station (HGX) at Morgan's Point3.76.03 ft, Sep 14, 20211
Humble49.369.18 ft, Aug 29, 201724
Houston32.045.60 ft, Aug 28, 20174
Tomball129.4133.89 ft, Aug 28, 20171

Harris County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Texas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WSBT2, 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.