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Cow Bayou at FM 1442

Highest listed crest 16.53 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft3 crests since 2017

The Cow Bayou at FM 1442 crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 3 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2017 to 2020. The highest, 16.53 ft on September 3, 2017, was major flooding, 10.53 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Cow Bayou crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.53 ft
September 3, 2017
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
2
218th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
May 15, 2020
8.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Orange County
Near Orange (8.5 mi), Port Neches (10.9 mi), Groves (11.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cow Bayou at FM 1442
Action stage5.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.01May 15, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.02Sep 20, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

3 crests from 2017 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cow Bayou at FM 1442, 2017 to 2020 681012141618ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft Sep 3, 2017: 16.53 ft, major floodingSep 20, 2019: 14.91 ft, major floodingMay 15, 2020: 8.67 ft, minor flooding Highest, 16.53 ft, Sep 3, 2017 20202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cow Bayou at FM 1442 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 1 2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Cow Bayou at FM 1442
1Sep 3, 201716.53+10.53Major—
2Sep 20, 201914.91+8.91Major—
3May 15, 20208.67+2.67Minor—

The worst floods along the Cow Bayou

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

September 3, 2017: 16.53 ft here, major flooding

  • MauricevilleTX · Aug 30, 2017 · 26.85 ft · Major · its highest
  • SH 87TX · Sep 3, 2017 · 7.72 ft · Major · its highest

September 20, 2019: 14.91 ft here, major flooding

  • MauricevilleTX · Sep 20, 2019 · 24.06 ft · Major
  • SH 87TX · Sep 20, 2019 · 4.36 ft · Minor

May 15, 2020: 8.67 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Cow Bayou

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

Flood gauges on the Cow Bayou
MauricevilleTX17.026.85 ft, Aug 30, 20175
FM 1442 this gaugeTX6.016.53 ft, Sep 3, 20172
SH 87TX4.07.72 ft, Sep 3, 20171

Other gauges in Orange County

Flood gauges in Orange County
FM 32476.013.30 ft, Sep 1, 20172
SH 874.09.50 ft, Sep 1, 20171
I-1010.012.06 ft, Dec 8, 20180
SH 874.07.72 ft, Sep 3, 20171
Mauriceville17.026.85 ft, Aug 30, 20175
Saltwater Barrier4.021.56 ft, Sep 1, 201711
I-103.03.37 ft, Sep 23, 20200
International Paper7.07.67 ft, Apr 30, 20200
Orange4.07.83 ft, Sep 3, 20173

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ORFT2, 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.