Rivers in Illinois
Ohio River at Cairo
Below flood stage
13.05ftStage
Observed Sun, Sep 20, 3:00 PM CDT
- Flood stage
- 40.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 19.00 ftSat, Sep 26, 7:00 PM CDT
- Record crest
- 61.72 ft2011
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 53.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 47.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 40.00 ft |
| Action | 32.00 ft |
- 65.00 ftThe river will reach the top of the protection at Mounds and Mound City.
- 64.00 ftThe river will reach the top of the protection of Cairo.
- 61.72 ftThis flood will exceed the highest stage on record.
- 56.00 ftU.S. Highway 51 near Wickliffe is flooded.
- 50.00 ftThe first gate is closed at Cairo.
- 40.00 ftMinor flooding occurs affecting mainly agricultural bottomland and low lying areas.
- 32.00 ftCairo begins pumping operations.
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 16, 2026.
Crest history
47 crests on NOAA’s list since 1882.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 2, 2011 | 61.72 ft |
| 2 | February 3, 1937 | 59.50 ft |
| 3 | March 1, 2019 | 56.51 ft |
| 4 | April 3, 1975 | 56.50 ft |
| 5 | April 20, 1927 | 56.40 ft |
| 6 | March 11, 1997 | 56.20 ft |
| 7 | January 4, 2016 | 56.14 ft |
| 8 | February 15, 1950 | 55.90 ft |
| 9 | May 28, 1995 | 55.70 ft |
| 10 | May 19, 2002 | 54.95 ft |
| 11 | March 3, 2018 | 54.80 ft |
| 12 | April 4, 1913 | 54.70 ft |
| 13 | April 17, 1994 | 54.20 ft |
| 14 | May 16, 1984 | 54.00 ft |
| 15 | March 11, 1945 | 53.90 ft |
| 16 | March 25, 2008 | 53.89 ft |
| 17 | May 18, 1996 | 53.50 ft |
| 18 | January 17, 2005 | 53.20 ft |
| 19 | May 30, 1943 | 53.00 ft |
| 20 | April 12, 2025 | 52.68 ft |
| 21 | March 31, 2020 | 52.64 ft |
| 22 | May 8, 2017 | 52.15 ft |
| 23 | February 25, 1882 | 51.90 ft |
| 24 | April 22, 1998 | 51.30 ft |
| 25 | May 13, 2009 | 51.06 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 12, 2025: 52.68 ft
- February 24, 2025: 44.75 ft
- May 13, 2024: 43.35 ft
- March 10, 2023: 43.76 ft
- March 3, 2022: 47.11 ft
- January 12, 2022: 40.58 ft
- April 4, 2021: 47.01 ft
- March 31, 2020: 52.64 ft
- March 1, 2019: 56.51 ft
- March 3, 2018: 54.80 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service.