Rivers in West Virginia
Ohio River at Parkersburg
Below flood stage
22.42ftStage
Observed Sat, Sep 26, 6:00 PM EDT
- Flood stage
- 36.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 22.40 ftSat, Sep 26, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 58.90 ft1913
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 42.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 38.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 36.00 ft |
| Action | 34.00 ft |
- 58.90 ftRecord flood. The flood wall protects to 62 feet in Parkersburg. Record flooding is occurring outside the flood wall in both West Virginia and Ohio.
- 48.00 ftMain Street, Fifth Street, Walnut Street, O'Neal Street, along with most of the streets near the Ohio River in Belpre, Ohio, are flooded. Major flooding along the Little Kanwaha River and in Vienna, West Virginia. Most areas, homes, and businesses near the rivers are flooded.
- 45.00 ftWashington Blvd., Florence, Main Streets are flooded in Belpre, Ohio. Major flooding occurs along the Little Kanwaha River and in sections of Vienna, West Virginia.
- 43.00 ftBlennerhassett, Lee, John, Walnut, Elm, Scott, Sixth, Seventh and the lower end of Main Street are flooded in Belpre, Ohio. Major flooding occurs along the Little Kanawha River and in sections of Vienna, West Virginia.
- 42.00 ftBlennerhassett Avenue, Stone Road, Seventh, Scott, Walnut and John Streets in Belpre, Ohio are flooded. Major flooding occurs along the Little Kanawha River in West Virginia.
- 41.00 ftIn West Virginia, the railroad tracks on the south bank of the Little Kanawha are flooded. Several homes along the Little Kanawha are flooded. In Belpre, Ohio, a few homes along Walnut and John Streets, Sixth Street and Barclay Street, Main Street and Blennerhassett Avenue and State Route 618 near Shell Chemical are flooded.
- 40.00 ftMost of Happy Valley is flooded. Sections of Vienna, West Virginia along the Ohio River are flooded. Walnut and John Streets in Belpre, Ohio are flooded.
- 38.00 ftSeveral homes flooded in the Happy Valley and Point Drive areas near Parkersburg, along the Little Kanawha River. A few homes are flooded on Annas Drive in Vienna, West Virginia. Dave's Marina, Walnut Street, and Scott Avenue in Belpre, Ohio, start to flood.
- 36.00 ftBackwater effects will start to cause problems along the Little Kanawha River. Happy Valley Road in Happy Valley starts to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 6% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 22, 2026.
Crest history
75 crests on NOAA’s list since 1832.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 29, 1913 | 58.90 ft |
| 2 | January 26, 1937 | 55.40 ft |
| 3 | February 9, 1884 | 53.90 ft |
| 4 | March 16, 1907 | 51.00 ft |
| 5 | February 12, 1832 | 49.50 ft |
| 6 | January 1, 1943 | 49.00 ft |
| 7 | March 9, 1945 | 48.50 ft |
| 8 | March 26, 1900 | 48.20 ft |
| 9 | March 20, 1936 | 48.00 ft |
| 10 | April 16, 1948 | 47.87 ft |
| 11 | February 8, 1883 | 45.70 ft |
| 12 | January 24, 1927 | 45.50 ft |
| 13 | March 12, 1964 | 45.20 ft |
| 14 | January 13, 1913 | 45.10 ft |
| 15 | April 22, 1940 | 44.80 ft |
| 16 | February 21, 1891 | 44.80 ft |
| 17 | February 1, 1840 | 44.70 ft |
| 18 | April 14, 1860 | 44.70 ft |
| 19 | December 2, 1847 | 44.00 ft |
| 20 | April 21, 1852 | 44.00 ft |
| 21 | January 29, 1952 | 43.90 ft |
| 22 | September 19, 2004 | 43.73 ft |
| 23 | March 22, 1963 | 42.50 ft |
| 24 | January 8, 2005 | 42.41 ft |
| 25 | January 26, 1904 | 42.40 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 14, 2024: 38.45 ft
- April 5, 2024: 40.10 ft
- April 5, 2018: 35.85 ft
- February 18, 2018: 39.71 ft
- March 13, 2011: 38.03 ft
- February 8, 2008: 34.79 ft
- January 8, 2005: 42.41 ft
- September 19, 2004: 43.73 ft
- March 4, 1997: 37.00 ft
- January 21, 1996: 40.70 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River Forecasts typically include ONLY 2 days of future rain from <u>forecast issuance time</u> (lower right of graph). Occasionally 3 days of future rain included.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.