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Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run

Highest listed crest 26.34 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft33 crests since 1861

The Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 33 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1861 to 2018. The highest, 26.34 ft on September 1, 1861, was major flooding, 13.34 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.34 ft
September 1, 1861
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
2
32nd of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2016
17.36 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Webster 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, Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run
Action stage11.016May 6, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.06Nov 30, 2005Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.04Jun 24, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.02Jul 26, 1896Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

33 crests from 1861 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run, 1861 to 2018 1015202530ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Sep 1, 1861: 26.34 ft, major floodingJul 26, 1896: 25.87 ft, major floodingMar 5, 1964: 11.60 ft, action stage; 15,200 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1967: 13.35 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1969: 12.20 ft, action stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1970: 11.56 ft, action stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1972: 12.79 ft, action stage; 19,300 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 13.97 ft, minor flooding; 23,900 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 1976: 11.74 ft, action stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1982: 11.76 ft, action stage; 15,800 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 17.20 ft, moderate flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1989: 16.02 ft, moderate flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1991: 12.57 ft, action stage; 18,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1994: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 21,900 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 15.21 ft, moderate floodingJul 31, 1996: 13.80 ft, minor floodingJan 8, 1998: 10.47 ft, below flood stageJun 19, 1998: 12.77 ft, action stage; 19,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2000: 12.05 ft, action stage; 16,900 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2001: 11.52 ft, action stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2002: 12.79 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2003: 10.80 ft, below flood stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2003: 12.29 ft, action stageNov 19, 2003: 13.76 ft, minor flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2004: 10.76 ft, below flood stage; 12,480 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2005: 10.06 ft, below flood stage; 10,420 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 2005: 13.36 ft, minor flooding; 21,479 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2008: 11.50 ft, action stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2010: 12.06 ft, action stage; 16,900 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2015: 10.89 ft, below flood stage; 12,960 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2015: 12.03 ft, action stage; 16,790 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2016: 17.36 ft, moderate flooding; 38,796 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2018: 11.23 ft, action stage; 11,646 cubic feet per second Highest, 26.34 ft, Sep 1, 1861 1880190019201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run 1860s: 1 1870s: 0 1880s: 0 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 1 1860s1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s
  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, Elk River at Clifton Ford near Big Run
1Sep 1, 186126.34+13.34Major—
2Jul 26, 189625.87+12.87Major—
3Jun 24, 201617.36+4.36Moderate38,796
4Nov 4, 198517.20+4.20Moderate38,000
5Apr 26, 198916.02+3.02Moderate32,400
6Jan 19, 199615.21+2.21Moderate—
7Jun 2, 197413.97+0.97Minor23,900
8Jul 31, 199613.80+0.80Minor—
9Nov 19, 200313.76+0.76Minor23,000
10Feb 9, 199413.48+0.48Minor21,900
11Nov 30, 200513.36+0.36Minor21,479
12Mar 7, 196713.35+0.35Minor21,400
13Feb 26, 197212.79−0.21Action19,300
14Apr 28, 200212.79−0.21Action19,400
15Jun 19, 199812.77−0.23Action19,300
16Dec 2, 199112.57−0.43Action18,600
17Nov 13, 200312.29−0.71Action—
18Dec 31, 196912.20−0.80Action17,200
19Jan 25, 201012.06−0.94Action16,900
20Feb 19, 200012.05−0.95Action16,900
21Mar 11, 201512.03−0.97Action16,790
22Mar 20, 198211.76−1.24Action15,800
23Oct 9, 197611.74−1.26Action15,700
24Mar 5, 196411.60−1.40Action15,200
25Dec 22, 197011.56−1.44Action15,100
26Jul 29, 200111.52−1.48Action15,500
27Dec 12, 200811.50−1.50Action14,900
28May 6, 201811.23−1.77Action11,646
29Mar 5, 201510.89−2.11Below flood stage12,960
30May 10, 200310.80−2.20Below flood stage12,600
31May 28, 200410.76−2.24Below flood stage12,480
32Jan 8, 199810.47−2.53Below flood stage—
33Mar 24, 200510.06−2.94Below flood stage10,420

The worst floods along the Elk River

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

June 24, 2016: 17.36 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Queen ShoalsWV · Jun 24, 2016 · 33.31 ft · Major · its highest
  • ClayWV · Jun 24, 2016 · 30.30 ft · Major
  • GuardianWV · Jun 24, 2016 · 13.35 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Elk River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Elk River
ClayWV18.032.40 ft, Mar 14, 19183
Clifton Ford near Big Run this gaugeWV13.026.34 ft, Sep 1, 18612
GuardianWV11.014.50 ft, Jul 16, 19790
Queen ShoalsWV19.033.31 ft, Jun 24, 20161
FrametownWV18.020.39 ft, Jul 31, 19960

Other gauges in Webster County

Flood gauges in Webster County
Guardian11.014.50 ft, Jul 16, 19790
Camden-On-Gauley19.029.75 ft, Jun 24, 20161
Dyer10.520.78 ft, Jun 24, 20167

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CFRW2, 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.