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Buckhannon River at Buckhannon

Highest listed crest 30.20 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft26 crests since 1985

The Buckhannon River at Buckhannon crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1985 to 2026. The highest, 30.20 ft on November 5, 1985, was major flooding, 7.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.20 ft
November 5, 1985; 16,680 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 26.0 ft
Crests at major
5
20th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
July 22, 2026
27.59 ft, major 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 Buckhannon
Action stage21.02Jun 24, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.010Feb 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.08Feb 1, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage26.05Jul 22, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

26 crests from 1985 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Buckhannon River at Buckhannon, 1985 to 2026 20222426283032ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 26.0 ft Nov 5, 1985: 30.20 ft, major flooding; 16,680 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1992: 25.92 ft, moderate floodingJan 7, 1994: 24.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 9, 1994: 28.32 ft, major floodingMay 7, 1994: 25.70 ft, moderate floodingJan 19, 1996: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1996: 25.40 ft, moderate floodingJul 31, 1996: 27.85 ft, major floodingMar 2, 1997: 24.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 2000: 26.22 ft, major floodingMar 20, 2002: 20.49 ft, below flood stageFeb 23, 2003: 25.13 ft, moderate flooding; 12,304 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 24.12 ft, minor flooding; 11,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2004: 25.09 ft, moderate flooding; 12,272 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 2011: 23.12 ft, minor flooding; 5,592 cubic feet per secondJan 31, 2013: 22.50 ft, action stage; 5,230 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2013: 24.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,168 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 25.95 ft, moderate flooding; 7,367 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2016: 21.23 ft, action stage; 4,589 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 2018: 23.74 ft, minor flooding; 5,964 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2018: 25.33 ft, moderate flooding; 6,958 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2022: 23.09 ft, minor flooding; 5,574 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2022: 24.78 ft, minor flooding; 6,596 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 2025: 25.15 ft, moderate flooding; 6,714 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2025: 24.27 ft, minor flooding; 6,347 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2026: 27.59 ft, major flooding; 8,810 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.20 ft, Nov 5, 1985 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Buckhannon River at Buckhannon 1980s: 1 1990s: 8 8 2000s: 4 2010s: 5 2020s: 5 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 Buckhannon
1Nov 5, 198530.20+7.20Major16,680
2Feb 9, 199428.32+5.32Major—
3Jul 31, 199627.85+4.85Major—
4Jul 22, 202627.59+4.59Major8,810
5Feb 19, 200026.22+3.22Major—
6Mar 5, 201525.95+2.95Moderate7,367
7Jul 28, 199225.92+2.92Moderate—
8May 7, 199425.70+2.70Moderate—
9May 17, 199625.40+2.40Moderate—
10Apr 16, 201825.33+2.33Moderate6,958
11Feb 1, 202525.15+2.15Moderate6,714
12Feb 23, 200325.13+2.13Moderate12,304
13Feb 7, 200425.09+2.09Moderate12,272
14May 8, 202224.78+1.78Minor6,596
15Feb 7, 202524.27+1.27Minor6,347
16Mar 2, 199724.20+1.20Minor—
17Nov 20, 200324.12+1.12Minor11,570
18Dec 7, 201324.08+1.08Minor6,168
19Jan 7, 199424.00+1.00Minor—
20Feb 17, 201823.74+0.74Minor5,964
21Nov 23, 201123.12+0.12Minor5,592
22Jan 2, 202223.09+0.09Minor5,574
23Jan 19, 199623.000.00Minor—
24Jan 31, 201322.50−0.50Action5,230
25Jun 24, 201621.23−1.77Action4,589
26Mar 20, 200220.49−2.51Below 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 9, 1994: 28.32 ft here, major flooding

  • AltonWV · Feb 9, 1994 · 14.18 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Buckhannon River

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

Flood gauges on the Buckhannon River
AltonWV14.015.50 ft, Jun 19, 19980
Buckhannon this gaugeWV23.030.20 ft, Nov 5, 19855

Other gauges in Upshur County

Flood gauges in Upshur County
Alton14.015.50 ft, Jun 19, 19980
Buckhannon6.012.63 ft, Jul 21, 20261

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BKNW2, 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.