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Elk River at Guardian

Highest listed crest 14.50 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft8 crests since 1979

The Elk River at Guardian crested above flood stage 3 times among the 8 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2018. The highest, 14.50 ft on July 16, 1979, was moderate flooding, 3.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.50 ft
July 16, 1979; 6,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2016
13.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Webster County
West Virginia
Identifiers
NWS GUAW2
No USGS station

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 Guardian
Action stage9.02Mar 5, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.02Jun 24, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage14.01Jul 16, 1979Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

8 crests from 1979 to 2018. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elk River at Guardian, 1979 to 2018 81012141618ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jul 16, 1979: 14.50 ft, moderate flooding; 6,400 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1989: 8.49 ft, below flood stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondNov 13, 2003: 8.22 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2004: 11.53 ft, minor floodingJan 31, 2013: 10.58 ft, action stageMar 5, 2015: 10.34 ft, action stageJun 24, 2016: 13.35 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 2018: 8.72 ft, below flood stage Highest, 14.50 ft, Jul 16, 1979 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elk River at Guardian 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 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, Elk River at Guardian
1Jul 16, 197914.50+3.50Moderate6,400
2Jun 24, 201613.35+2.35Minor—
3May 28, 200411.53+0.53Minor—
4Jan 31, 201310.58−0.42Action—
5Mar 5, 201510.34−0.66Action—
6May 22, 20188.72−2.28Below flood stage—
7Apr 8, 19898.49−2.51Below flood stage1,720
8Nov 13, 20038.22−2.78Below flood stage—

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: 13.35 ft here, minor flooding

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 RunWV13.026.34 ft, Sep 1, 18612
Guardian this gaugeWV11.014.50 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
Clifton Ford near Big Run13.026.34 ft, Sep 1, 18612
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 GUAW2, 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.