Klamath River at Orleans, CA
River level and flood forecast · Humboldt County
The river is 36.1 ft below flood stage (38 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.9 ft through Sat, Oct 17, 5 AM.
Flow: 1,570 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 7:30 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Klamath River at Orleans to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 48 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 43 ft |
| Flood stage | 38 ft |
| Action stage | 32 ft |
| Record crest (December 22, 1964) | 50.25 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 43 ftFlood waters are likely to cover Highway 96 in numerous locations and will threaten residences and businesses in and around Orleans including Sandy Bar Cabins, Riverside Trailer Park and the downtown area. All persons in the vicinity of the river should take appropriate action and move to higher ground if necessary.
- 40 ftExtensive flooding of areas south of Highway 96 near Orleans, Highway 96 north of the bridge at Orleans, at Ishi Pishi Bar, and near Slate Creek. Flooding of the firehouse and other buildings on the southwest side of Orleans is expected. Flooding of Highway 96 in Orleans is possible.
- 38 ftExtensive flooding of low lying areas south of Highway 96 near Orleans and of the highway itself north of the bridge at Orleans. Flooding is likely near Ishi Pishi Bar and Slate Creek. Water may enter the fire house and other buildings on the southwest side of Orleans.
- 37 ftFlooding in low lying areas south of Highway 96 near Orleans and on the highway itself north of the bridge at Orleans. There may also be flooding of Highway 96 at Ishi Pishi Bar.
- 35 ftFlooding is likely in lower areas south of Highway 96 near Orleans and on the highway itself north of the bridge at Orleans. Flooding is possible on Highway 96 near Ishi Pishi Bar.
- 34 ftFlooding is possible along Highway 96 north of the bridge at Orleans and in adjacent low-lying areas.
Highest crests on record
- 50.25 ft — December 22, 1964
- 39.2 ft — January 16, 1974
- 39.2 ft — February 18, 1986
- 38.23 ft — January 3, 1997
- 37.49 ft — December 22, 1955
Recent crests: 18.29 ft (December 21, 2025) · 23.93 ft (December 29, 2024) · 18.67 ft (January 13, 2024) · 15.14 ft (March 14, 2023) · 21.49 ft (December 27, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (ONSC1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.