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Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger

Highest listed crest 14.20 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft13 crests since 1935

The Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 13 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1935 to 1997. The highest, 14.20 ft on October 13, 1957, was major flooding, 7.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.20 ft
October 13, 1957; 50,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
1
248th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
June 23, 1997
9.06 ft, minor flooding
Location
Runnels County
Texas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger
Action stage6.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.07Jun 23, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.05Oct 13, 1981Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.01Oct 13, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

13 crests from 1935 to 1997. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger, 1935 to 1997 6810121416ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Sep 3, 1935: 10.30 ft, moderate flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1939: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1946: 10.84 ft, moderate flooding; 32,800 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1954: 10.38 ft, moderate flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1955: 8.65 ft, minor flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1956: 11.90 ft, moderate flooding; 38,500 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1957: 14.20 ft, major flooding; 50,000 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1974: 8.36 ft, minor flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1978: 9.17 ft, minor flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1981: 11.80 ft, moderate flooding; 38,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1992: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondSep 15, 1996: 8.47 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1997: 9.06 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.20 ft, Oct 13, 1957 194019501960197019801990

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 14.50 ft on Aug 1, 1906.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Elm Creek (Colorado Basin WCTX) at Ballinger
1Oct 13, 195714.20+7.20Major50,000
2May 1, 195611.90+4.90Moderate38,500
3Oct 13, 198111.80+4.80Moderate38,300
4May 14, 194610.84+3.84Moderate32,800
5Apr 12, 195410.38+3.38Moderate31,400
6Sep 3, 193510.30+3.30Moderate31,000
7Aug 3, 19789.17+2.17Minor23,400
8Jun 23, 19979.06+2.06Minor16,700
9May 18, 19558.65+1.65Minor15,600
10Jun 19, 19398.60+1.60Minor15,600
11Sep 15, 19968.47+1.47Minor15,700
12Sep 19, 19748.36+1.36Minor14,600
13Feb 24, 19928.03+1.03Minor12,000

Other gauges in Runnels County

Flood gauges in Runnels County
Ballinger18.027.78 ft, Sep 29, 20127

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BAMT2, 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.