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Elk River near Frametown

Highest listed crest 20.39 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft16 crests since 1959

The Elk River near Frametown crested above flood stage 1 time among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1959 to 2016. The highest, 20.39 ft on July 31, 1996, was minor flooding, 2.39 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Elk River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.39 ft
July 31, 1996; 30,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 31, 1996
20.39 ft, minor flooding
Location
Braxton 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 near Frametown
Action stage16.05Jun 24, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.01Jul 31, 1996Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1959 to 2016. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Elk River near Frametown, 1959 to 2016 1015202530ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Jan 22, 1959: 14.40 ft, below flood stage; 18,400 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1965: 13.96 ft, below flood stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1967: 16.05 ft, action stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 1969: 14.63 ft, below flood stage; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1974: 14.93 ft, below flood stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1985: 14.16 ft, below flood stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1991: 16.31 ft, action stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1994: 16.03 ft, action stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1996: 20.39 ft, minor flooding; 30,300 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 16.65 ft, action stage; 22,800 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2008: 13.89 ft, below flood stageJan 31, 2013: 12.27 ft, below flood stageDec 7, 2013: 15.84 ft, below flood stageMar 5, 2015: 12.80 ft, below flood stage; 15,220 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2015: 13.41 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 2016: 17.62 ft, action stage; 24,737 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.39 ft, Jul 31, 1996 196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Elk River near Frametown 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 near Frametown
1Jul 31, 199620.39+2.39Minor30,300
2Jun 24, 201617.62−0.38Action24,737
3Mar 1, 199716.65−1.35Action22,800
4Dec 3, 199116.31−1.69Action22,100
5Mar 15, 196716.05−1.95Action21,600
6May 8, 199416.03−1.97Action21,600
7Dec 7, 201315.84−2.16Below flood stage—
8Jun 2, 197414.93−3.07Below flood stage19,400
9Dec 30, 196914.63−3.37Below flood stage18,800
10Jan 22, 195914.40−3.60Below flood stage18,400
11Nov 4, 198514.16−3.84Below flood stage18,100
12Mar 26, 196513.96−4.04Below flood stage17,400
13May 10, 200813.89−4.11Below flood stage—
14Jul 13, 201513.41−4.59Below flood stage—
15Mar 5, 201512.80−5.20Below flood stage15,220
16Jan 31, 201312.27−5.73Below 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.

July 31, 1996: 20.39 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
GuardianWV11.014.50 ft, Jul 16, 19790
Queen ShoalsWV19.033.31 ft, Jun 24, 20161
Frametown this gaugeWV18.020.39 ft, Jul 31, 19960

Other gauges in Braxton County

Flood gauges in Braxton County
Herold12.018.03 ft, Jun 24, 20160
Burnsville13.016.32 ft, Jun 2, 19740

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FRMW2, 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.