Rivers in Kentucky
Ohio River at Ashland
Below flood stage
37.56ftStage
Observed Tue, Sep 22, 3:00 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 52.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 38.50 ftTue, Sep 22, 8:00 PM EDT
- Record crest
- 74.21 ft1937
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 65.50 ft |
| Moderate flood | 56.60 ft |
| Minor flood | 52.00 ft |
| Action | 50.00 ft |
- 66.50 ftCSX Railroad closed in east end of Ashland near Catlettsburg KY.
- 65.80 ftRiver overtops the low point of the bank at the foot of Houston Street in Russell and flows overland to Ganners Branch.
- 65.50 ftUS Routes 23 and 60 floods in the east end of Ashland. US Route 23 one quarter of a mile west of Ashland floods.
- 64.50 ftCSX Railroad closed in Russell.
- 63.00 ftUS Route 60 floods in Catlettsburg.
- 60.00 ftThe flood gate at Oakland Avenue in Catlettsburg is closed.
- 56.60 ftGeneral flooding of areas around Ashland outside of the flood wall.
- 56.00 ftThe flood gate in Catlettsburg at 26th and Front Street is closed.
- 55.50 ftKY Route 3 floods in Catlettsburg.
- 52.00 ftMinor flooding of roads in low lying areas begin to flood due to backwater from creeks.
- 50.00 ftCatlettsburg flood gate at 15th and Center Street is closed.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 7% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.
Crest history
79 crests on NOAA’s list since 1888.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 27, 1937 | 74.21 ft |
| 2 | March 31, 1913 | 70.60 ft |
| 3 | February 12, 1888 | 69.30 ft |
| 4 | April 17, 1948 | 65.90 ft |
| 5 | March 9, 1945 | 64.45 ft |
| 6 | January 2, 1943 | 64.00 ft |
| 7 | March 8, 1955 | 63.83 ft |
| 8 | March 23, 1936 | 63.30 ft |
| 9 | March 21, 1933 | 62.10 ft |
| 10 | February 5, 1939 | 61.20 ft |
| 11 | February 4, 1950 | 61.00 ft |
| 12 | April 24, 1940 | 61.00 ft |
| 13 | March 1, 1962 | 60.95 ft |
| 14 | March 5, 1997 | 60.79 ft |
| 15 | March 9, 1967 | 60.44 ft |
| 16 | May 9, 1958 | 59.90 ft |
| 17 | March 9, 1963 | 59.72 ft |
| 18 | March 13, 1964 | 59.69 ft |
| 19 | March 4, 1945 | 59.64 ft |
| 20 | January 25, 1927 | 59.30 ft |
| 21 | January 31, 1952 | 58.60 ft |
| 22 | March 3, 2021 | 58.00 ft |
| 23 | December 10, 1950 | 57.35 ft |
| 24 | January 5, 1924 | 57.10 ft |
| 25 | April 23, 1943 | 57.00 ft |
Most recent crests
- April 7, 2025: 52.31 ft
- February 18, 2025: 54.90 ft
- April 15, 2024: 52.17 ft
- April 7, 2024: 52.26 ft
- March 3, 2021: 58.00 ft
- February 15, 2020: 54.61 ft
- February 26, 2019: 53.17 ft
- December 24, 2018: 52.07 ft
- April 7, 2018: 51.16 ft
- February 19, 2018: 56.76 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.