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Ohio River at Racine Lock

Highest listed crest 50.23 ftFlood stage 41.0 ft38 crests since 1974

The Ohio River at Racine Lock crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 38 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1974 to 2024. The highest, 50.23 ft on September 20, 2004, was major flooding, 9.23 feet above flood stage. 21 other gauges on the Ohio River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
50.23 ft
September 20, 2004; 393,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
41.0 ft
Major flooding from 48.0 ft
Crests at major
3
25th of 116 gauges in West Virginia
Most recent flood crest
April 14, 2024
44.63 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Mason 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, Ohio River at Racine Lock
Action stage38.017Dec 23, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)41.09Mar 3, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage44.09Apr 14, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage48.03Jan 9, 2005Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

38 crests from 1974 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ohio River at Racine Lock, 1974 to 2024 3540455055ft Flood stage 41.0 ftMajor 48.0 ft Jan 13, 1974: 39.50 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1975: 40.10 ft, action stageApr 6, 1977: 38.00 ft, action stageJan 28, 1978: 41.60 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1978: 40.30 ft, action stageDec 10, 1978: 45.40 ft, moderate floodingJan 4, 1979: 39.20 ft, action stageFeb 27, 1979: 48.20 ft, major flooding; 366,000 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1979: 39.80 ft, action stageFeb 12, 1981: 38.70 ft, action stageFeb 7, 1986: 40.10 ft, action stageDec 20, 1990: 43.30 ft, minor floodingJan 2, 1991: 46.50 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 1993: 39.40 ft, action stageJan 30, 1994: 46.90 ft, moderate floodingJan 22, 1996: 47.70 ft, moderate flooding; 360,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1997: 47.00 ft, moderate flooding; 351,500 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1998: 42.70 ft, minor floodingJun 30, 1998: 42.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2003: 38.05 ft, action stageNov 22, 2003: 42.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 8, 2004: 39.01 ft, action stageApr 15, 2004: 40.96 ft, action stageSep 10, 2004: 39.44 ft, action stageSep 20, 2004: 50.23 ft, major flooding; 393,000 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2005: 48.87 ft, major flooding; 375,000 cubic feet per secondJan 14, 2005: 42.20 ft, minor floodingFeb 9, 2008: 40.19 ft, action stageMar 13, 2011: 46.10 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 2015: 40.77 ft, action stageMar 13, 2015: 39.58 ft, action stageApr 12, 2015: 41.87 ft, minor floodingFeb 19, 2018: 47.69 ft, moderate flooding; 359,500 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2018: 42.40 ft, minor floodingDec 23, 2018: 38.84 ft, action stageMar 3, 2021: 42.74 ft, minor floodingApr 6, 2024: 46.38 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 2024: 44.63 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 50.23 ft, Sep 20, 2004 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ohio River at Racine Lock 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 4 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Ohio River at Racine Lock
1Sep 20, 200450.23+9.23Major393,000
2Jan 9, 200548.87+7.87Major375,000
3Feb 27, 197948.20+7.20Major366,000
4Jan 22, 199647.70+6.70Moderate360,000
5Feb 19, 201847.69+6.69Moderate359,500
6Mar 4, 199747.00+6.00Moderate351,500
7Jan 30, 199446.90+5.90Moderate—
8Jan 2, 199146.50+5.50Moderate—
9Apr 6, 202446.38+5.38Moderate—
10Mar 13, 201146.10+5.10Moderate—
11Dec 10, 197845.40+4.40Moderate—
12Apr 14, 202444.63+3.63Moderate—
13Dec 20, 199043.30+2.30Minor—
14Mar 3, 202142.74+1.74Minor—
15Jan 11, 199842.70+1.70Minor—
16Jun 30, 199842.70+1.70Minor—
17Apr 6, 201842.40+1.40Minor—
18Jan 14, 200542.20+1.20Minor—
19Nov 22, 200342.10+1.10Minor—
20Apr 12, 201541.87+0.87Minor—
21Jan 28, 197841.60+0.60Minor—
22Apr 15, 200440.96−0.04Action—
23Mar 6, 201540.77−0.23Action—
24Mar 16, 197840.30−0.70Action—
25Feb 9, 200840.19−0.81Action—
26Feb 26, 197540.10−0.90Action—
27Feb 7, 198640.10−0.90Action—
28Mar 7, 197939.80−1.20Action—
29Mar 13, 201539.58−1.42Action—
30Jan 13, 197439.50−1.50Action—
31Sep 10, 200439.44−1.56Action—
32Mar 6, 199339.40−1.60Action—
33Jan 4, 197939.20−1.80Action—
34Feb 8, 200439.01−1.99Action—
35Dec 23, 201838.84−2.16Action—
36Feb 12, 198138.70−2.30Action—
37Feb 24, 200338.05−2.95Action—
38Apr 6, 197738.00−3.00Action—

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.

September 20, 2004: 50.23 ft here, major flooding

January 9, 2005: 48.87 ft here, major flooding

February 27, 1979: 48.20 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Ohio River

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

Flood gauges on the Ohio River
AshlandKY52.074.21 ft, Jan 27, 19374
Belleville LockWV35.061.80 ft, Mar 29, 191315
CairoIL40.061.72 ft, May 2, 201119
Cannelton Lock and DamKY42.060.80 ft, Jan 27, 19378
CincinnatiOH52.066.20 ft, Mar 11, 19641
Clifty CreekIN451.0475.90 ft, Jan 27, 19371
Dashields Lock and DamPA25.042.80 ft, Mar 18, 19365
East LiverpoolWV14.029.90 ft, Mar 19, 193611
EvansvilleIN42.053.75 ft, Jan 31, 19371
GolcondaIL40.062.60 ft, Feb 2, 19373
Hannibal Lock and DamOH35.041.90 ft, Jun 25, 19722
HendersonKY36.043.08 ft, Apr 12, 20250
IrontonOH52.054.67 ft, Feb 19, 20180
J.T. Myers Lock and DamKY37.064.40 ft, Feb 1, 19371
Lloyd Greenup LockKY54.064.50 ft, Mar 31, 19133
Marietta PumphouseOH35.058.30 ft, Mar 29, 19133
Markland LowerKY51.076.10 ft, Jan 26, 19371
MaysvilleKY50.075.60 ft, Jan 27, 19372
McAlpine LowerKY55.085.44 ft, Jan 27, 19374
McAlpine UpperKY23.052.15 ft, Jan 27, 19377
Meldahl DamOH51.076.00 ft, Jan 26, 19373
Montgomery Lock and DamPA33.055.00 ft, Mar 18, 193610
MoundsvilleWV37.057.90 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Mount VernonIN35.059.21 ft, Feb 1, 19372
New Cumberland Lock and DamOH36.050.20 ft, Dec 31, 194215
Newburgh Lock and DamKY38.056.60 ft, Jan 31, 19371
Olmsted Lock and Dam HeadwaterKY36.048.20 ft, Feb 21, 20201
OwensboroKY40.054.80 ft, Jan 29, 19375
PaducahKY39.060.60 ft, Feb 2, 19377
ParkersburgWV36.045.20 ft, Mar 12, 19645
Pike Island Lock and DamWV37.047.70 ft, Mar 11, 19645
PittsburghPA22.046.00 ft, Mar 18, 193622
Point PleasantWV40.062.80 ft, Mar 30, 191325
PomeroyOH46.068.80 ft, Apr 1, 191334
PortsmouthOH50.053.78 ft, Apr 7, 20250
Powhatan PointOH37.053.30 ft, Mar 19, 19365
R C Byrd LockWV50.069.60 ft, Jan 27, 19379
Racine Lock this gaugeWV41.050.23 ft, Sep 20, 20043
ShawneetownKY33.065.64 ft, Jan 30, 19377
Smithland Lock and DamKY40.054.83 ft, May 6, 20114
SteubenvilleOH36.044.00 ft, Jan 20, 19961
Tell CityIN38.056.95 ft, Jan 29, 19376
WellsburgWV36.054.60 ft, Mar 19, 19369
WellsvilleOH11.020.90 ft, Jan 20, 19963
WheelingWV36.045.40 ft, Jan 20, 19963
Willow Island LockWV37.044.78 ft, Sep 19, 20042
HuntingtonOH50.057.52 ft, Mar 5, 19970

Other gauges in Mason County

Flood gauges in Mason County
Point Pleasant40.062.80 ft, Mar 30, 191325
R C Byrd Lock50.069.60 ft, Jan 27, 19379

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RACW2, 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.