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Columbia River at Longview

Highest listed crest 24.00 ftFlood stage 13.5 ft17 crests since 1894

The Columbia River at Longview crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1894 to 2017. The highest, 24.00 ft on June 7, 1894, was major flooding, 10.50 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Columbia River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
24.00 ft
June 7, 1894
Flood stage
13.5 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
5
22nd of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
March 30, 2017
13.90 ft, minor flooding
Location
Cowlitz County
Near Longview (2.8 mi), Kelso (3.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Columbia River at Longview
Action stage12.02Jan 2, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.55Mar 30, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.05Jan 19, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.05Feb 9, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1894 to 2017. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Columbia River at Longview, 1894 to 2017 12141618202224ft Flood stage 13.5 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jun 7, 1894: 24.00 ft, major floodingJun 6, 1948: 20.30 ft, major floodingMay 18, 1949: 14.40 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 1950: 16.70 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 1951: 14.20 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 1956: 18.00 ft, major floodingMay 23, 1957: 14.80 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1961: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingDec 25, 1964: 18.90 ft, major floodingJan 31, 1965: 16.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 12, 1972: 15.00 ft, moderate floodingJan 19, 1974: 16.40 ft, moderate floodingDec 15, 1977: 14.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1986: 13.01 ft, action stageFeb 9, 1996: 18.40 ft, major floodingJan 2, 2006: 13.37 ft, action stageMar 30, 2017: 13.90 ft, minor flooding Highest, 24.00 ft, Jun 7, 1894 190019201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Columbia River at Longview 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 3 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Columbia River at Longview
1Jun 7, 189424.00+10.50Major—
2Jun 6, 194820.30+6.80Major—
3Dec 25, 196418.90+5.40Major—
4Feb 9, 199618.40+4.90Major—
5Jun 8, 195618.00+4.50Major—
6May 26, 195016.70+3.20Moderate—
7Jan 19, 197416.40+2.90Moderate—
8Jan 31, 196516.10+2.60Moderate—
9Jun 12, 196116.00+2.50Moderate—
10Jun 12, 197215.00+1.50Moderate—
11May 23, 195714.80+1.30Minor—
12May 18, 194914.40+0.90Minor—
13May 23, 195114.20+0.70Minor—
14Dec 15, 197714.00+0.50Minor—
15Mar 30, 201713.90+0.40Minor—
16Jan 2, 200613.37−0.13Action—
17Feb 25, 198613.01−0.49Action—

The worst floods along the Columbia River

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

June 7, 1894: 24.00 ft here, major flooding

  • VancouverWA · Jun 7, 1894 · 33.60 ft · Major · its highest

June 6, 1948: 20.30 ft here, major flooding

  • VancouverWA · Jun 13, 1948 · 31.00 ft · Major

December 25, 1964: 18.90 ft here, major flooding

  • VancouverWA · Dec 25, 1964 · 27.70 ft · Major
  • St. HelensOR · Dec 25, 1964 · 24.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Columbia River

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

Flood gauges on the Columbia River
Longview this gaugeWA13.524.00 ft, Jun 7, 18945
St. HelensOR15.527.10 ft, Jun 14, 19485
VancouverWA16.033.60 ft, Jun 7, 189415
WaunaOR12.012.67 ft, Dec 10, 20150

Other gauges in Cowlitz County

Flood gauges in Cowlitz County
Castle Rock48.055.76 ft, Feb 8, 19960
Kelso21.529.50 ft, Feb 9, 19963
Woodland24.034.50 ft, Feb 9, 19961
Tower Road near Silver Lake137.0145.01 ft, Dec 3, 19829

Cowlitz County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Washington

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LOPW1, 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.