Rivers in Ohio

Scioto River at Chillicothe

Ross County, OhioNWS CHCO1USGS 03231500Wilmington office

Below flood stage
9.97ftStage

Observed Sun, Sep 20, 3:45 PM EDT

Flood stage
16.00 ft
Record crest
39.80 ft1913

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood31.00 ft
Moderate flood22.00 ft
Minor flood16.00 ft
Action14.00 ft
  1. 40.00 ftWater begins to flow onto High Street and will already be across the Paint Street Bridge, the railroad bridge and the Bridge Street Bridge. Extensive lowland flooding occurs along the river throughout Ross County.
  2. 36.00 ftWater flows onto the Paint Street Bridge and will already be across the railroad bridge in the southeast part of Chillicothe and the South Bridge Street Bridge. Extensive lowland flooding occurs along the river throughout Ross County.
  3. 30.50 ftThis is similar to the FEMA 1 percent flood. Flooding occurs on North Bridge Street and Eastern Avenue near the river in Chillicothe. Portions of State Route 207 and State Route 205 are flooded. Extensive lowland flooding occurs along the river throughout Ross County.
  4. 25.00 ftExtensive lowland flooding occurs along the Scioto River throughout Ross County, with evacuations continuing for residents in low areas along the river.
  5. 23.00 ftFlooding is widespread through lowland areas of Ross County. Some roadways are flooded, with numerous homes inundated in Yellowbud. Extensive crop losses occur during the growing season.
  6. 22.00 ftLowland flooding continues near Chillicothe. In Yellowbud, several homes are inundated due to backwater flooding from the Scioto River into Yellowbud Creek.
  7. 19.30 ftSignificant lowland flooding occurs along the Scioto River in Ross County. While Chillicothe itself has only minimal flooding, backwater flooding along Yellowbud Creek results in significant flooding near Yellowbud.
  8. 17.00 ftLowland areas flood along the Scioto River in Ross County. Backwater flooding from the Scioto River affects Yellowbud Creek, with lowland flooding near Yellowbud.
  9. 16.00 ftKellenberger Road near Yellowbud is flooded. Flooding occurs along stretches of the recreational bike trail, with water possibly encroaching along Stewart Road.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, September to November

CategoryChance
Minor flooding6%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 15, 2026.

Crest history

29 crests on NOAA’s list since 1898.

#DateStage
1March 26, 191339.80 ft
2January 23, 195932.50 ft
3March 24, 189828.30 ft
4January 23, 193727.80 ft
5January 28, 195226.80 ft
6February 28, 192926.00 ft
7March 8, 194525.70 ft
8March 6, 196325.20 ft
9March 11, 196424.55 ft
10April 21, 194023.90 ft
11March 29, 191622.70 ft
12May 16, 193322.30 ft
13March 23, 192721.60 ft
14January 8, 200520.89 ft
15January 14, 200519.12 ft
16March 1, 196218.28 ft
17January 7, 200417.73 ft
18May 29, 196817.66 ft
19January 2, 199117.58 ft
20April 5, 202416.79 ft
21May 22, 202016.51 ft
22June 4, 199716.23 ft
23April 6, 201816.17 ft
24March 21, 200815.96 ft
25September 17, 197915.94 ft

Most recent crests

  • April 5, 2024: 16.79 ft
  • May 22, 2020: 16.51 ft
  • March 22, 2020: 15.70 ft
  • April 6, 2018: 16.17 ft
  • March 21, 2008: 15.96 ft
  • January 14, 2005: 19.12 ft
  • January 8, 2005: 20.89 ft
  • January 7, 2004: 17.73 ft
  • June 4, 1997: 16.23 ft
  • May 2, 1996: 15.39 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the Ohio River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. 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.