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Willapa River at Willapa

Highest listed crest 27.28 ftFlood stage 21.0 ft50 crests since 1975

The Willapa River at Willapa crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1975 to 2025. The highest, 27.28 ft on December 20, 1994, was major flooding, 6.28 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.28 ft
December 20, 1994; 14,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
21.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
7
19th of 70 gauges in Washington
Most recent flood crest
December 9, 2025
22.69 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Pacific County
Washington

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Willapa River at Willapa
Action stage20.06Dec 13, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.012Nov 17, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.011Dec 9, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.07Jan 8, 2009Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1975 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Willapa River at Willapa, 1975 to 2025 182022242628ft Flood stage 21.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft Dec 4, 1975: 21.49 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 1975: 18.52 ft, below flood stage; 8,180 cubic feet per secondJan 15, 1976: 19.65 ft, below flood stage; 9,080 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1977: 21.62 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1977: 18.69 ft, below flood stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1979: 19.75 ft, below flood stage; 9,160 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1981: 18.75 ft, below flood stage; 8,360 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1981: 19.80 ft, below flood stage; 9,200 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1982: 20.52 ft, action stage; 9,780 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 1982: 19.03 ft, below flood stage; 8,580 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 20.77 ft, action stage; 9,040 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 1982: 19.53 ft, below flood stage; 8,170 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1983: 18.18 ft, below flood stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1986: 21.81 ft, minor flooding; 9,850 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1986: 19.04 ft, below flood stage; 7,740 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1986: 22.70 ft, moderate flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1987: 20.29 ft, action stage; 8,660 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1987: 21.91 ft, minor flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1987: 19.66 ft, below flood stage; 8,200 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 1989: 19.54 ft, below flood stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1990: 24.06 ft, major flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1990: 21.97 ft, minor flooding; 9,980 cubic feet per secondNov 24, 1990: 24.21 ft, major flooding; 11,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1991: 20.21 ft, action stage; 8,600 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1992: 20.05 ft, action stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 1993: 22.08 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1994: 19.97 ft, below flood stage; 8,420 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1994: 27.28 ft, major flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondDec 27, 1994: 23.16 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1995: 21.04 ft, minor flooding; 9,240 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1996: 22.13 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1996: 23.21 ft, moderate flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1996: 22.12 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1996: 21.01 ft, minor flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1997: 24.53 ft, major flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 1998: 19.82 ft, below flood stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 1998: 21.92 ft, minor flooding; 9,990 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1998: 21.06 ft, minor flooding; 9,350 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 1998: 20.86 ft, action stage; 9,210 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1998: 21.87 ft, minor flooding; 9,950 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1999: 24.43 ft, major flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1999: 22.01 ft, moderate flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2006: 22.00 ft, moderate flooding; 10,953 cubic feet per secondDec 4, 2007: 26.65 ft, major flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJan 8, 2009: 24.45 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2009: 21.83 ft, minor flooding; 11,300 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 2012: 23.85 ft, moderate flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 2015: 21.11 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2022: 23.33 ft, moderate flooding; 12,083 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 2025: 22.69 ft, moderate flooding; 13,764 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.28 ft, Dec 20, 1994 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Willapa River at Willapa 1970s: 2 1980s: 3 1990s: 17 17 2000s: 4 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 9 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 23.26 ft on Dec 13, 1966; 18.35 ft on Jan 19, 1967; 22.68 ft on Dec 7, 1970; 18.90 ft on Dec 30, 1970; 21.00 ft on Jan 15, 1971; 20.62 ft on Jan 11, 1972; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Willapa River at Willapa
1Dec 20, 199427.28+6.28Major14,800
2Dec 4, 200726.65+5.65Major15,100
3Mar 19, 199724.53+3.53Major12,100
4Jan 8, 200924.45+3.45Major13,000
5Feb 24, 199924.43+3.43Major12,000
6Nov 24, 199024.21+3.21Major11,800
7Jan 9, 199024.06+3.06Major11,700
8Nov 19, 201223.85+2.85Moderate12,900
9Jan 7, 202223.33+2.33Moderate12,083
10Feb 8, 199623.21+2.21Moderate11,000
11Dec 27, 199423.16+2.16Moderate10,900
12Nov 24, 198622.70+1.70Moderate10,600
13Dec 9, 202522.69+1.69Moderate13,764
14Jan 1, 199622.13+1.13Moderate10,100
15Apr 24, 199622.12+1.12Moderate10,100
16Dec 10, 199322.08+1.08Moderate10,100
17Dec 15, 199922.01+1.01Moderate10,100
18Jan 30, 200622.00+1.00Moderate10,953
19Feb 10, 199021.97+0.97Minor9,980
20Nov 25, 199821.92+0.92Minor9,990
21Mar 4, 198721.91+0.91Minor9,930
22Dec 28, 199821.87+0.87Minor9,950
23Nov 17, 200921.83+0.83Minor11,300
24Jan 19, 198621.81+0.81Minor9,850
25Dec 2, 197721.62+0.62Minor10,700
26Dec 4, 197521.49+0.49Minor10,500
27Nov 17, 201521.11+0.11Minor10,800
28Dec 2, 199821.06+0.06Minor9,350
29Nov 29, 199521.04+0.04Minor9,240
30Dec 29, 199621.01+0.01Minor9,220
31Dec 13, 199820.86−0.14Action9,210
32Dec 3, 198220.77−0.23Action9,040
33Jan 23, 198220.52−0.48Action9,780
34Feb 1, 198720.29−0.71Action8,660
35Apr 5, 199120.21−0.79Action8,600
36Jan 28, 199220.05−0.95Action8,480
37Nov 30, 199419.97−1.03Below flood stage8,420
38Jan 14, 199819.82−1.18Below flood stage8,310
39Dec 5, 198119.80−1.20Below flood stage9,200
40Dec 18, 197919.75−1.25Below flood stage9,160
41Dec 10, 198719.66−1.34Below flood stage8,200
42Jan 15, 197619.65−1.35Below flood stage9,080
43Dec 4, 198919.54−1.46Below flood stage8,100
44Dec 16, 198219.53−1.47Below flood stage8,170
45Feb 23, 198619.04−1.96Below flood stage7,740
46Feb 14, 198219.03−1.97Below flood stage8,580
47Feb 16, 198118.75−2.25Below flood stage8,360
48Dec 11, 197718.69−2.31Below flood stage8,310
49Dec 26, 197518.52−2.48Below flood stage8,180
50Nov 15, 198318.18−2.82Below flood stage7,230

Other gauges in Pacific County

Flood gauges in Pacific County
Naselle15.020.62 ft, Jan 7, 20098

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WILW1, 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.