Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Columbia River at Vancouver

Highest listed crest 33.60 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft28 crests since 1894

The Columbia River at Vancouver crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1894 to 2019. The highest, 33.60 ft on June 7, 1894, was major flooding, 17.60 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
33.60 ft
June 7, 1894
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 25.0 ft
Crests at major
15
10th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
March 30, 2017
17.60 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clark County
Near Vancouver (4.8 mi), Portland (6.9 mi), Beaverton (12.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS VAPW1
No USGS station

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 Vancouver
Action stage15.02Apr 12, 2019The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.07Mar 30, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.03Jan 3, 1997Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage25.015Feb 9, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1894 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Columbia River at Vancouver, 1894 to 2019 101520253035ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 25.0 ft Jun 7, 1894: 33.60 ft, major floodingJun 16, 1903: 25.60 ft, major floodingJun 13, 1913: 25.20 ft, major floodingJun 3, 1916: 25.30 ft, major floodingJun 22, 1917: 25.30 ft, major floodingJun 12, 1921: 26.00 ft, major floodingMay 31, 1928: 26.20 ft, major floodingJun 19, 1933: 26.30 ft, major floodingJun 1, 1948: 30.80 ft, major floodingJun 13, 1948: 31.00 ft, major floodingJun 26, 1950: 25.90 ft, major floodingJun 4, 1956: 27.60 ft, major floodingDec 25, 1964: 27.70 ft, major floodingJan 19, 1965: 25.44 ft, major flooding; 675,000 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 19.54 ft, minor flooding; 417,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1972: 21.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 1974: 21.10 ft, moderate floodingDec 1, 1995: 18.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 9, 1996: 27.20 ft, major floodingApr 27, 1996: 17.50 ft, minor floodingJan 3, 1997: 22.55 ft, moderate floodingFeb 2, 1997: 16.80 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 1997: 19.03 ft, minor floodingDec 30, 1998: 15.00 ft, action stageNov 26, 1999: 12.32 ft, below flood stageJun 2, 2011: 17.43 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 2017: 17.60 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 2019: 15.60 ft, action stage Highest, 33.60 ft, Jun 7, 1894 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Columbia River at Vancouver 1890s: 1 1900s: 1 1910s: 3 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 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 Vancouver
1Jun 7, 189433.60+17.60Major—
2Jun 13, 194831.00+15.00Major—
3Jun 1, 194830.80+14.80Major—
4Dec 25, 196427.70+11.70Major—
5Jun 4, 195627.60+11.60Major—
6Feb 9, 199627.20+11.20Major—
7Jun 19, 193326.30+10.30Major—
8May 31, 192826.20+10.20Major—
9Jun 12, 192126.00+10.00Major—
10Jun 26, 195025.90+9.90Major—
11Jun 16, 190325.60+9.60Major—
12Jan 19, 196525.44+9.44Major675,000
13Jun 3, 191625.30+9.30Major—
14Jun 22, 191725.30+9.30Major—
15Jun 13, 191325.20+9.20Major—
16Jan 3, 199722.55+6.55Moderate—
17Jun 12, 197221.50+5.50Moderate—
18Jun 22, 197421.10+5.10Moderate—
19Jan 24, 197019.54+3.54Minor417,000
20Jun 5, 199719.03+3.03Minor—
21Dec 1, 199518.50+2.50Minor—
22Mar 30, 201717.60+1.60Minor—
23Apr 27, 199617.50+1.50Minor—
24Jun 2, 201117.43+1.43Minor—
25Feb 2, 199716.80+0.80Minor—
26Apr 12, 201915.60−0.40Action—
27Dec 30, 199815.00−1.00Action—
28Nov 26, 199912.32−3.68Below flood stage—

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: 33.60 ft here, major flooding

  • LongviewWA · Jun 7, 1894 · 24.00 ft · Major · its highest

June 13, 1948: 31.00 ft here, major flooding

  • St. HelensOR · Jun 14, 1948 · 27.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • LongviewWA · Jun 6, 1948 · 20.30 ft · Major

June 1, 1948: 30.80 ft here, major flooding

  • LongviewWA · Jun 6, 1948 · 20.30 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
LongviewWA13.524.00 ft, Jun 7, 18945
St. HelensOR15.527.10 ft, Jun 14, 19485
Vancouver this gaugeWA16.033.60 ft, Jun 7, 189415
WaunaOR12.012.67 ft, Dec 10, 20150

Other gauges in Clark County

Flood gauges in Clark County
Heisson20.025.17 ft, Feb 8, 19960
Washougal14.015.33 ft, Nov 18, 20150

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VAPW1, 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.