Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Onion Creek near Driftwood

Highest listed crest 26.39 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft18 crests since 1981

The Onion Creek near Driftwood crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1981 to 2019. The highest, 26.39 ft on October 30, 2015, was major flooding, 20.89 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Onion Creek crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.39 ft
October 30, 2015; 16,723 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
11
51st of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
May 8, 2019
17.00 ft, major flooding
Location
Hays County
Near Buda (9.4 mi), Dripping Springs (9.4 mi), Kyle (9.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Onion Creek near Driftwood
Action stage5.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.50—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.07Mar 30, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.011May 8, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1981 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Onion Creek near Driftwood, 1981 to 2019 51015202530ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jun 12, 1981: 12.39 ft, moderate flooding; 5,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1985: 14.86 ft, major flooding; 7,680 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1987: 11.58 ft, moderate flooding; 5,050 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1989: 14.37 ft, major flooding; 7,260 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1991: 15.99 ft, major flooding; 18,650 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1992: 12.52 ft, moderate flooding; 5,760 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1992: 10.07 ft, moderate flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 1995: 10.04 ft, moderate flooding; 3,870 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1997: 17.56 ft, major flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1998: 25.10 ft, major flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2002: 20.20 ft, major floodingMar 12, 2007: 9.60 ft, moderate flooding; 3,660 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2007: 11.04 ft, moderate flooding; 4,680 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2013: 21.07 ft, major flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 21.56 ft, major flooding; 13,290 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2015: 26.39 ft, major flooding; 16,723 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2019: 26.30 ft, major flooding; 16,665 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 17.00 ft, major flooding; 9,600 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.39 ft, Oct 30, 2015 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Onion Creek near Driftwood 1980s: 4 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 3 2010s: 5 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.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Onion Creek near Driftwood
1Oct 30, 201526.39+20.89Major16,723
2May 4, 201926.30+20.80Major16,665
3Oct 17, 199825.10+19.60Major15,800
4May 24, 201521.56+16.06Major13,290
5Oct 31, 201321.07+15.57Major12,900
6Jul 5, 200220.20+14.70Major—
7Jun 9, 199717.56+12.06Major11,000
8May 8, 201917.00+11.50Major9,600
9Dec 20, 199115.99+10.49Major18,650
10Feb 23, 198514.86+9.36Major7,680
11May 17, 198914.37+8.87Major7,260
12May 21, 199212.52+7.02Moderate5,760
13Jun 12, 198112.39+6.89Moderate5,700
14Jun 2, 198711.58+6.08Moderate5,050
15Mar 30, 200711.04+5.54Moderate4,680
16Jun 2, 199210.07+4.57Moderate3,890
17Oct 25, 199510.04+4.54Moderate3,870
18Mar 12, 20079.60+4.10Moderate3,660

The worst floods along the Onion Creek

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

October 30, 2015: 26.39 ft here, major flooding

  • US 183TX · Oct 30, 2015 · 39.22 ft · Major
  • BudaTX · Oct 30, 2015 · 23.39 ft · Minor · its highest

May 4, 2019: 26.30 ft here, major flooding

  • US 183TX · May 4, 2019 · 26.99 ft · Moderate
  • BudaTX · May 4, 2019 · 23.02 ft · Minor

October 17, 1998: 25.10 ft here, major flooding

  • US 183TX · Oct 17, 1998 · 32.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Onion Creek

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Onion Creek
BudaTX15.023.39 ft, Oct 30, 20150
US 183TX17.040.15 ft, Oct 31, 20138
Driftwood this gaugeTX5.526.39 ft, Oct 30, 201511

Other gauges in Hays County

Flood gauges in Hays County
Fischer Store Rd near Fischer17.020.38 ft, May 8, 20190
San Marcos18.043.10 ft, May 24, 20152
Wimberley13.044.90 ft, May 24, 20156
Buda15.023.39 ft, Oct 30, 20150

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DRWT2, 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.