Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake

Highest listed crest 145.01 ftFlood stage 137.0 ft16 crests since 1977

The Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1977 to 2015. The highest, 145.01 ft on December 3, 1982, was major flooding, 8.01 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
145.01 ft
December 3, 1982; 38,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
137.0 ft
Major flooding from 140.0 ft
Crests at major
9
13th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 9, 2015
139.01 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Cowlitz County
Near Longview (14.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake
Action stage135.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)137.01Jan 3, 1984Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage139.03Dec 9, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage140.09Feb 8, 1996Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1977 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake, 1977 to 2015 130135140145150ft Flood stage 137.0 ftMajor 140.0 ft Dec 2, 1977: 139.54 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1982: 140.93 ft, major flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1982: 141.23 ft, major flooding; 38,200 cubic feet per secondOct 29, 1982: 140.60 ft, major flooding; 15,400 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 145.01 ft, major flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1982: 141.61 ft, major flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1983: 142.53 ft, major flooding; 23,400 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1984: 138.84 ft, minor flooding; 13,700 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1984: 140.53 ft, major flooding; 17,500 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1986: 140.74 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1986: 139.29 ft, moderate flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 141.89 ft, major flooding; 61,800 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2006: 134.85 ft, below flood stage; 37,200 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2007: 131.07 ft, below flood stage; 23,500 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2009: 134.07 ft, below flood stage; 35,700 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2015: 139.01 ft, moderate flooding; 51,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 145.01 ft, Dec 3, 1982 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake 1970s: 1 1980s: 10 10 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Toutle River at Tower Road near Silver Lake
1Dec 3, 1982145.01+8.01Major38,000
2Jan 5, 1983142.53+5.53Major23,400
3Feb 8, 1996141.89+4.89Major61,800
4Dec 16, 1982141.61+4.61Major22,400
5Feb 20, 1982141.23+4.23Major38,200
6Jan 24, 1982140.93+3.93Major36,800
7Feb 23, 1986140.74+3.74Major31,000
8Oct 29, 1982140.60+3.60Major15,400
9Jan 25, 1984140.53+3.53Major17,500
10Dec 2, 1977139.54+2.54Moderate26,600
11Nov 24, 1986139.29+2.29Moderate26,100
12Dec 9, 2015139.01+2.01Moderate51,900
13Jan 3, 1984138.84+1.84Minor13,700
14Nov 7, 2006134.85−2.15Below flood stage37,200
15Jan 7, 2009134.07−2.93Below flood stage35,700
16Dec 3, 2007131.07−5.93Below flood stage23,500

Other gauges in Cowlitz County

Flood gauges in Cowlitz County
Longview13.524.00 ft, Jun 7, 18945
Castle Rock48.055.76 ft, Feb 8, 19960
Kelso21.529.50 ft, Feb 9, 19963
Woodland24.034.50 ft, Feb 9, 19961

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TOTW1, 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.