Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Buckhannon River at Alton

Highest listed crest 15.50 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft11 crests since 1989

The Buckhannon River at Alton crested above flood stage 3 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1989 to 2025. The highest, 15.50 ft on June 19, 1998, was moderate flooding, 1.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.50 ft
June 19, 1998
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 6, 2025
14.29 ft, minor flooding
Location
Upshur County
West Virginia

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Buckhannon River at Alton
Action stage12.03Jan 31, 2013The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.02Feb 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.01Jun 19, 1998Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1989 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buckhannon River at Alton, 1989 to 2025 8101214161820ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Aug 23, 1989: 13.00 ft, action stageDec 2, 1991: 11.14 ft, below flood stageJul 28, 1992: 11.96 ft, below flood stageFeb 9, 1994: 14.18 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1998: 15.50 ft, moderate floodingFeb 19, 2000: 12.15 ft, action stageFeb 23, 2003: 11.35 ft, below flood stageJan 31, 2013: 12.59 ft, action stageJun 24, 2016: 11.49 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 2018: 8.50 ft, below flood stageFeb 6, 2025: 14.29 ft, minor flooding; 10,290 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.50 ft, Jun 19, 1998 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buckhannon River at Alton 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Buckhannon River at Alton
1Jun 19, 199815.50+1.50Moderate—
2Feb 6, 202514.29+0.29Minor10,290
3Feb 9, 199414.18+0.18Minor—
4Aug 23, 198913.00−1.00Action—
5Jan 31, 201312.59−1.41Action—
6Feb 19, 200012.15−1.85Action—
7Jul 28, 199211.96−2.04Below flood stage—
8Jun 24, 201611.49−2.51Below flood stage—
9Feb 23, 200311.35−2.65Below flood stage—
10Dec 2, 199111.14−2.86Below flood stage—
11Apr 16, 20188.50−5.50Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Buckhannon River

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

February 6, 2025: 14.29 ft here, minor flooding

  • BuckhannonWV · Feb 1, 2025 · 25.15 ft · Moderate

February 9, 1994: 14.18 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Buckhannon River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Buckhannon River
Alton this gaugeWV14.015.50 ft, Jun 19, 19980
BuckhannonWV23.030.20 ft, Nov 5, 19855

Other gauges in Upshur County

Flood gauges in Upshur County
Buckhannon23.030.20 ft, Nov 5, 19855
Buckhannon6.012.63 ft, Jul 21, 20261

Upshur County: every hazard · River floods across the country · West Virginia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ALTW2, 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.