Rivers in Oklahoma
Verdigris River near Inola
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 48.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 45.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 42.00 ft |
| Action | 42.00 ft |
- 54.00 ftnear record flooding occurs between the Port of Catoosa to the pool of Newt Graham Lock and Dam. Some 73,000 acres of land along the river, including landings and parks, are inundated. The flood of record was 54.93 feet on May 21, 1943. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 52.00 ftvery severe flooding occurs from the twin Highway 412 bridges downstream. Parks and landings along the Verdigris River are inundated. This will approach the flood of October 5, 1959 when the river crested at 53.20 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 50.00 ftsevere flooding occurs from the twin Highway 412 bridges downstream. Landings and parks along the river are covered to depths of several feet. This will approach the flood of May 25, 1957 when the river crested at 51.50 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
- 48.00 ftwidespread agricultural flooding occurs. Some landings and parks along the river are inundated. This is a dangerous situation.
- 46.00 ftwidespread agricultural flooding occurs. Parks along the river are inundated and some landings may be affected.
- 45.00 ftmoderate agricultural flooding occurs. Parks along the river are flooded and some landings may be affected. This will approach the flooding which occurred on August 18, 1961 when the river crested at 44.38 feet.
- 44.00 ftwidespread minor agricultural flooding occurs. Parks along the river may be flooded.
- 42.00 ftminor agricultural flooding occurs.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | Under 5% |
| Moderate flooding | Under 5% |
| Major flooding | Under 5% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 21, 2026.
Crest history
69 crests on NOAA’s list since 1940.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 21, 1943 | 54.93 ft |
| 2 | October 5, 1959 | 53.20 ft |
| 3 | June 16, 1957 | 52.75 ft |
| 4 | June 27, 1948 | 52.40 ft |
| 5 | July 8, 1951 | 52.32 ft |
| 6 | November 1, 1941 | 52.00 ft |
| 7 | May 12, 1943 | 51.80 ft |
| 8 | April 22, 1945 | 51.70 ft |
| 9 | October 4, 1945 | 51.65 ft |
| 10 | May 25, 1957 | 51.50 ft |
| 11 | October 8, 1941 | 50.83 ft |
| 12 | April 14, 1944 | 50.64 ft |
| 13 | April 23, 1941 | 49.79 ft |
| 14 | June 15, 1941 | 49.39 ft |
| 15 | April 23, 1942 | 49.22 ft |
| 16 | July 25, 1948 | 49.02 ft |
| 17 | June 26, 1942 | 48.82 ft |
| 18 | April 22, 1947 | 48.74 ft |
| 19 | April 13, 1942 | 48.18 ft |
| 20 | October 19, 1941 | 47.32 ft |
| 21 | May 4, 1944 | 46.60 ft |
| 22 | May 23, 1949 | 46.46 ft |
| 23 | July 26, 1959 | 45.90 ft |
| 24 | October 8, 1944 | 45.40 ft |
| 25 | April 28, 1947 | 45.38 ft |
Most recent crests
- December 28, 2015: 41.20 ft
- November 5, 1974: 40.87 ft
- May 1, 1970: 32.28 ft
- June 5, 1969: 31.35 ft
- March 21, 1968: 32.02 ft
- July 27, 1967: 27.50 ft
- June 10, 1966: 19.29 ft
- April 13, 1965: 34.80 ft
- April 5, 1964: 33.14 ft
- October 3, 1962: 27.70 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Arkansas-Red Basin RFC. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.
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.