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Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake

Highest listed crest 39.68 ftFlood stage 25.0 ft77 crests since 1963

The Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 77 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1963 to 2024. The highest, 39.68 ft on August 30, 2017, was major flooding, 14.68 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Pine Island Bayou crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.68 ft
August 30, 2017; 51,035 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
25.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
6
111th of 370 gauges in Texas
Most recent flood crest
May 6, 2024
29.96 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Jefferson County
Near Beaumont (11.4 mi), Lumberton (12.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake
Action stage22.02Dec 27, 1987The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)25.052Feb 3, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage29.017May 6, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.06Sep 21, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

77 crests from 1963 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake, 1963 to 2024 2025303540ft Flood stage 25.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Sep 1, 1963: 31.00 ft, moderate flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1968: 27.28 ft, minor flooding; 3,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1969: 27.20 ft, minor flooding; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1970: 23.36 ft, action stage; 1,270 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1970: 27.80 ft, minor flooding; 4,250 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1972: 26.72 ft, minor flooding; 2,720 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1973: 30.25 ft, moderate flooding; 9,900 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1974: 29.48 ft, moderate flooding; 7,950 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1975: 30.83 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 1975: 25.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,690 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1975: 28.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,012 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 1976: 29.76 ft, moderate flooding; 8,094 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1977: 26.65 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1977: 28.42 ft, minor flooding; 5,230 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1979: 34.29 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1979: 31.43 ft, moderate flooding; 12,820 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1980: 28.81 ft, minor flooding; 6,000 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1981: 29.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 1981: 29.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1982: 26.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,970 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1982: 28.64 ft, minor flooding; 5,650 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1983: 25.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,150 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1985: 27.05 ft, minor flooding; 3,140 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1986: 27.61 ft, minor flooding; 3,890 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1986: 29.70 ft, moderate flooding; 7,950 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1987: 29.23 ft, moderate flooding; 6,876 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1987: 27.46 ft, minor flooding; 3,674 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1987: 23.77 ft, action stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1989: 33.70 ft, major flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1989: 32.37 ft, major flooding; 16,450 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1990: 26.04 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1991: 27.84 ft, minor flooding; 4,240 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1992: 27.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 1992: 27.19 ft, minor flooding; 3,308 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1992: 28.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1993: 28.08 ft, minor flooding; 4,630 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1993: 27.78 ft, minor flooding; 4,148 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1994: 25.88 ft, minor flooding; 2,100 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1994: 37.50 ft, major flooding; 48,800 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 1995: 28.03 ft, minor flooding; 4,551 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1995: 26.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,289 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1996: 27.71 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1997: 27.38 ft, minor floodingJan 10, 1998: 28.62 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 1998: 28.78 ft, minor flooding; 5,930 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1998: 28.13 ft, minor flooding; 4,720 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1998: 27.88 ft, minor flooding; 4,300 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2000: 25.50 ft, minor flooding; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2001: 31.90 ft, moderate flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2001: 26.83 ft, minor floodingNov 29, 2001: 28.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,160 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2002: 30.65 ft, moderate flooding; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2004: 29.49 ft, moderate flooding; 8,220 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2005: 26.99 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 2006: 29.10 ft, moderate flooding; 6,630 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 2006: 31.03 ft, moderate flooding; 11,512 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 2008: 25.22 ft, minor flooding; 1,832 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 2008: 25.43 ft, minor flooding; 1,911 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2008: 26.42 ft, minor flooding; 2,492 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 2008: 27.64 ft, minor flooding; 3,959 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 27.55 ft, minor flooding; 2,841 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2010: 26.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,005 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2012: 26.98 ft, minor flooding; 2,110 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2012: 25.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,483 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 2013: 26.95 ft, minor flooding; 2,479 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2015: 27.79 ft, minor flooding; 3,414 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2015: 28.15 ft, minor flooding; 4,476 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2015: 28.13 ft, minor flooding; 3,872 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2016: 30.84 ft, moderate flooding; 9,307 cubic feet per secondAug 30, 2017: 39.68 ft, major flooding; 51,035 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 2018: 26.04 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 2019: 35.70 ft, major floodingNov 9, 2020: 25.44 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 2021: 28.72 ft, minor floodingOct 2, 2021: 25.73 ft, minor floodingFeb 3, 2023: 27.02 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2024: 29.96 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 39.68 ft, Aug 30, 2017 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake 1960s: 3 1970s: 12 1980s: 13 1990s: 17 17 2000s: 14 2010s: 11 2020s: 5 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 77 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Pine Island Bayou near Sour Lake
1Aug 30, 201739.68+14.68Major51,035
2Oct 20, 199437.50+12.50Major48,800
3Sep 21, 201935.70+10.70Major—
4Apr 22, 197934.29+9.29Major25,000
5May 22, 198933.70+8.70Major22,100
6Jul 2, 198932.37+7.37Major16,450
7Jun 10, 200131.90+6.90Moderate14,600
8Jul 28, 197931.43+6.43Moderate12,820
9Oct 22, 200631.03+6.03Moderate11,512
10Sep 1, 196331.00+6.00Moderate11,400
11Jun 6, 201630.84+5.84Moderate9,307
12Jun 11, 197530.83+5.83Moderate10,900
13Oct 31, 200230.65+5.65Moderate13,600
14Jun 14, 197330.25+5.25Moderate9,900
15May 6, 202429.96+4.96Moderate—
16Nov 27, 197629.76+4.76Moderate8,094
17Nov 26, 198629.70+4.70Moderate7,950
18Jun 28, 200429.49+4.49Moderate8,220
19Jan 22, 197429.48+4.48Moderate7,950
20Jun 7, 198129.42+4.42Moderate7,300
21Nov 7, 198129.42+4.42Moderate7,300
22Jun 13, 198729.23+4.23Moderate6,876
23Jul 30, 200629.10+4.10Moderate6,630
24Jan 24, 198028.81+3.81Minor6,000
25Sep 16, 199828.78+3.78Minor5,930
26May 21, 202128.72+3.72Minor—
27Mar 8, 199228.67+3.67Minor6,080
28Dec 29, 198228.64+3.64Minor5,650
29Jan 10, 199828.62+3.62Minor—
30Nov 24, 197528.42+3.42Minor6,012
31Nov 24, 197728.42+3.42Minor5,230
32Nov 29, 200128.20+3.20Minor5,160
33Apr 19, 201528.15+3.15Minor4,476
34Nov 17, 199828.13+3.13Minor4,720
35May 28, 201528.13+3.13Minor3,872
36Mar 4, 199328.08+3.08Minor4,630
37Jan 31, 199528.03+3.03Minor4,551
38Dec 15, 199827.88+2.88Minor4,300
39Apr 9, 199127.84+2.84Minor4,240
40Oct 30, 197027.80+2.80Minor4,250
41Mar 15, 201527.79+2.79Minor3,414
42Jun 23, 199327.78+2.78Minor4,148
43Sep 30, 199627.71+2.71Minor4,040
44Nov 15, 200827.64+2.64Minor3,959
45Jun 11, 198627.61+2.61Minor3,890
46Apr 28, 200927.55+2.55Minor2,841
47Jul 13, 198727.46+2.46Minor3,674
48Mar 19, 199727.38+2.38Minor—
49Jun 26, 196827.28+2.28Minor3,300
50Feb 25, 196927.20+2.20Minor3,200

The worst floods along the Pine Island Bayou

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

August 30, 2017: 39.68 ft here, major flooding

  • Bevil OaksTX · Aug 31, 2017 · 34.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • B.I. Pump PlantTX · Aug 30, 2017 · 28.97 ft · Major · its highest

October 20, 1994: 37.50 ft here, major flooding

September 21, 2019: 35.70 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Pine Island Bayou

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

Flood gauges on the Pine Island Bayou
B.I. Pump PlantTX11.028.97 ft, Aug 30, 20171
Highway 326TX35.037.49 ft, Jun 11, 20010
BatsonTX61.067.17 ft, Oct 19, 20064
Bevil OaksTX22.034.70 ft, Aug 31, 20173
Sour Lake this gaugeTX25.039.68 ft, Aug 30, 20176

Other gauges in Jefferson County

Flood gauges in Jefferson County
Beaumont4.019.59 ft, Sep 1, 20175
Downtown Beaumont4.017.00 ft, Sep 2, 20171
B.I. Pump Plant11.028.97 ft, Aug 30, 20171
Highway 32635.037.49 ft, Jun 11, 20010
Tide Station (LCH) at Rainbow Bridge3.010.50 ft, Sep 13, 20081
near Sabine Pass4.014.31 ft, Sep 13, 20085

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SOLT2, 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.