Ohio River at Parkersburg
Highest listed crest 45.20 ftFlood stage 36.0 ft26 crests since 1950
The Ohio River at Parkersburg crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 26 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2024. The highest, 45.20 ft on March 12, 1964, was major flooding, 9.20 feet above flood stage. 25 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 45.20 ft
- March 12, 1964
- Flood stage
- 36.0 ft
- Major flooding from 42.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 5
- 20th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
- Most recent flood crest
- April 14, 2024
- 38.45 ft, moderate flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 34.0 | 2 | Apr 5, 2018 |
| Flood stage (minor) | 36.0 | 7 | Mar 4, 1997 |
| Moderate flood stage | 38.0 | 12 | Apr 14, 2024 |
| Major flood stage | 42.0 | 5 | Jan 8, 2005 |
Every listed crest
26 crests from 1950 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.
Crests at or above flood stage, by decade
- 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.
- Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.
- 49 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 49.50 ft on Feb 12, 1832; 44.70 ft on Feb 1, 1840; 44.00 ft on Dec 2, 1847; 39.00 ft on Apr 1, 1852; 44.00 ft on Apr 21, 1852; 44.70 ft on Apr 14, 1860; and more.
Highest crests
| 1 | Mar 12, 1964 | 45.20 | +9.20 | Major |
| 2 | Jan 29, 1952 | 43.90 | +7.90 | Major |
| 3 | Sep 19, 2004 | 43.73 | +7.73 | Major |
| 4 | Mar 22, 1963 | 42.50 | +6.50 | Major |
| 5 | Jan 8, 2005 | 42.41 | +6.41 | Major |
| 6 | Jan 24, 1959 | 40.90 | +4.90 | Moderate |
| 7 | Jan 21, 1996 | 40.70 | +4.70 | Moderate |
| 8 | Apr 5, 2024 | 40.10 | +4.10 | Moderate |
| 9 | Feb 27, 1979 | 40.05 | +4.05 | Moderate |
| 10 | Feb 18, 2018 | 39.71 | +3.71 | Moderate |
| 11 | Jan 29, 1994 | 39.41 | +3.41 | Moderate |
| 12 | Mar 7, 1967 | 39.27 | +3.27 | Moderate |
| 13 | Dec 6, 1950 | 39.18 | +3.18 | Moderate |
| 14 | Feb 15, 1966 | 38.91 | +2.91 | Moderate |
| 15 | Apr 14, 2024 | 38.45 | +2.45 | Moderate |
| 16 | Mar 6, 1955 | 38.25 | +2.25 | Moderate |
| 17 | Mar 13, 2011 | 38.03 | +2.03 | Moderate |
| 18 | Oct 16, 1954 | 37.18 | +1.18 | Minor |
| 19 | Mar 4, 1997 | 37.00 | +1.00 | Minor |
| 20 | Jun 24, 1972 | 36.82 | +0.82 | Minor |
| 21 | Dec 20, 1990 | 36.81 | +0.81 | Minor |
| 22 | Jun 11, 1978 | 36.47 | +0.47 | Minor |
| 23 | Dec 10, 1978 | 36.43 | +0.43 | Minor |
| 24 | Mar 10, 1956 | 36.01 | +0.01 | Minor |
| 25 | Apr 5, 2018 | 35.85 | −0.15 | Action |
| 26 | Feb 8, 2008 | 34.79 | −1.21 | Action |
The worst floods along the Ohio River
For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Ohio River that crested above flood stage within a week.
March 12, 1964: 45.20 ft here, major flooding
- McAlpine LowerKY · Mar 13, 1964 · 73.46 ft · Major
- CincinnatiOH · Mar 11, 1964 · 66.20 ft · Major · its highest
- Cannelton Lock and DamKY · Mar 8, 1964 · 53.90 ft · Major
- Tell CityIN · Mar 8, 1964 · 53.00 ft · Major
- PomeroyOH · Mar 13, 1964 · 52.80 ft · Major
- OwensboroKY · Mar 15, 1964 · 49.50 ft · Major
- Point PleasantWV · Mar 13, 1964 · 48.87 ft · Major
- Belleville LockWV · Mar 12, 1964 · 48.80 ft · Major
- Pike Island Lock and DamWV · Mar 11, 1964 · 47.70 ft · Major · its highest
- WellsburgWV · Mar 11, 1964 · 46.20 ft · Major
January 29, 1952: 43.90 ft here, major flooding
- PomeroyOH · Jan 30, 1952 · 51.90 ft · Major
- Point PleasantWV · Jan 29, 1952 · 48.62 ft · Major
- Belleville LockWV · Jan 29, 1952 · 46.60 ft · Major
- Montgomery Lock and DamPA · Jan 28, 1952 · 40.50 ft · Major
- PittsburghPA · Jan 28, 1952 · 29.70 ft · Major
- East LiverpoolWV · Jan 28, 1952 · 18.40 ft · Major
- AshlandKY · Jan 31, 1952 · 58.60 ft · Moderate
- CincinnatiOH · Feb 2, 1952 · 56.90 ft · Moderate
- R C Byrd LockWV · Jan 30, 1952 · 53.90 ft · Moderate
- Tell CityIN · Feb 5, 1952 · 45.60 ft · Moderate
September 19, 2004: 43.73 ft here, major flooding
- PomeroyOH · Sep 19, 2004 · 52.20 ft · Major
- Racine LockWV · Sep 20, 2004 · 50.23 ft · Major · its highest
- MoundsvilleWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 47.00 ft · Major
- Pike Island Lock and DamWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 46.30 ft · Major
- Belleville LockWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 45.80 ft · Major
- Powhatan PointOH · Sep 19, 2004 · 45.60 ft · Major
- WheelingWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 45.30 ft · Major
- WellsburgWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 45.10 ft · Major
- Willow Island LockWV · Sep 19, 2004 · 44.78 ft · Major · its highest
- New Cumberland Lock and DamOH · Sep 19, 2004 · 44.50 ft · Major
Gauges on the Ohio River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Ashland | KY | 74.21 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| Belleville Lock | WV | 61.80 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 15 |
| Cairo | IL | 61.72 ft, May 2, 2011 | 19 |
| Cannelton Lock and Dam | KY | 60.80 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 8 |
| Cincinnati | OH | 66.20 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 1 |
| Clifty Creek | IN | 475.90 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 1 |
| Dashields Lock and Dam | PA | 42.80 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 5 |
| East Liverpool | WV | 29.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 11 |
| Evansville | IN | 53.75 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Golconda | IL | 62.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 3 |
| Hannibal Lock and Dam | OH | 41.90 ft, Jun 25, 1972 | 2 |
| Henderson | KY | 43.08 ft, Apr 12, 2025 | 0 |
| Ironton | OH | 54.67 ft, Feb 19, 2018 | 0 |
| J.T. Myers Lock and Dam | KY | 64.40 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 1 |
| Lloyd Greenup Lock | KY | 64.50 ft, Mar 31, 1913 | 3 |
| Marietta Pumphouse | OH | 58.30 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 3 |
| Markland Lower | KY | 76.10 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 1 |
| Maysville | KY | 75.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 2 |
| McAlpine Lower | KY | 85.44 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 4 |
| McAlpine Upper | KY | 52.15 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 7 |
| Meldahl Dam | OH | 76.00 ft, Jan 26, 1937 | 3 |
| Montgomery Lock and Dam | PA | 55.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 10 |
| Moundsville | WV | 57.90 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 3 |
| Mount Vernon | IN | 59.21 ft, Feb 1, 1937 | 2 |
| New Cumberland Lock and Dam | OH | 50.20 ft, Dec 31, 1942 | 15 |
| Newburgh Lock and Dam | KY | 56.60 ft, Jan 31, 1937 | 1 |
| Olmsted Lock and Dam Headwater | KY | 48.20 ft, Feb 21, 2020 | 1 |
| Owensboro | KY | 54.80 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 5 |
| Paducah | KY | 60.60 ft, Feb 2, 1937 | 7 |
| Parkersburg this gauge | WV | 45.20 ft, Mar 12, 1964 | 5 |
| Pike Island Lock and Dam | WV | 47.70 ft, Mar 11, 1964 | 5 |
| Pittsburgh | PA | 46.00 ft, Mar 18, 1936 | 22 |
| Point Pleasant | WV | 62.80 ft, Mar 30, 1913 | 25 |
| Pomeroy | OH | 68.80 ft, Apr 1, 1913 | 34 |
| Portsmouth | OH | 53.78 ft, Apr 7, 2025 | 0 |
| Powhatan Point | OH | 53.30 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 5 |
| R C Byrd Lock | WV | 69.60 ft, Jan 27, 1937 | 9 |
| Racine Lock | WV | 50.23 ft, Sep 20, 2004 | 3 |
| Shawneetown | KY | 65.64 ft, Jan 30, 1937 | 7 |
| Smithland Lock and Dam | KY | 54.83 ft, May 6, 2011 | 4 |
| Steubenville | OH | 44.00 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 1 |
| Tell City | IN | 56.95 ft, Jan 29, 1937 | 6 |
| Wellsburg | WV | 54.60 ft, Mar 19, 1936 | 9 |
| Wellsville | OH | 20.90 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Wheeling | WV | 45.40 ft, Jan 20, 1996 | 3 |
| Willow Island Lock | WV | 44.78 ft, Sep 19, 2004 | 2 |
| Huntington | OH | 57.52 ft, Mar 5, 1997 | 0 |
Other gauges in Wood County
| Mineral Wells | 15.61 ft, Apr 5, 2024 | 0 |
| Belleville Lock | 61.80 ft, Mar 29, 1913 | 15 |
Wood County: every hazard · River floods across the country · West Virginia
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PARW2, 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.