Wabash River at Bluffton, IN

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Sat, Sep 26, 9:40 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 20.5 ftFlood water hits the highest point of the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
• 20 ftWater is at the top of the levee protecting the wastewater treatment plant. The power plant area is affected by high water with extensive flooding of rural areas. Homes are flooded and some county and state roads are closed. Flood water may stop rail traffic. A record flood is in progress at this stage. There is extensive flooding or northern parts of Bluffton. The commercial area in northwest Bluffton along SR 1 is affected by flood water. Some evacutations are necessary.
• 18 ftWater approaches the power plant. Rural residences along Elm Road begin to flood and the railroad is threatened. A major flood is in progress. Commercial and municipal property along SR 1 begins to flood. Evacuations are necessary in northern parts of Bluffton. Water is at a critical level on the levee protecting the wastewater treatment plant.
• 16 ftThe outlying portion of West Washington Street becomes impassible and SR 116 west of Bluffton begins to flood.
• 14 ftFlooding begins to affect residential areas in northern Bluffton. Low areas near the wastewater treatment plant begin to flood. Portions of Elm Grove Road and County Road 450 begin to flood.
• 13.3 ftRiver Road in Bluffton is flooded and closed along the River Green Way.
• 13 ftAccess road to Bluffton wastewater treatment plant is flooded.
• 12 ftWater reaching the bottom of the bridge at East River Road and 450 East. River Road and a few county roads are closed by high water.
• 11 ftRiver Road at Bluffton begins to flood. Flood waters isolate the amphitheater at Kehoe Park in Bluffton.
• 10 ftThe river is at flood stage. Flooding of agricultural land begins.

Highest crests on record

1. 21 ft — March 25, 1913
2. 18.43 ft — July 9, 2003
3. 17.17 ft — January 14, 2005
4. 16.74 ft — June 19, 2015
5. 16.7 ft — March 1, 1904

Recent crests: 11.57 ft (May 12, 2021) · 10.49 ft (May 10, 2021) · 11.64 ft (January 13, 2020) · 14.73 ft (April 28, 2019) · 11.86 ft (April 6, 2018)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• UpstreamWabash River at Linn Grove, IN
• St. Marys River at Decatur, IN
• Salamonie River near Warren, IN
• Little River near Huntington, IN
• St. Marys River near Fort Wayne, IN
• St. Marys River at Pleasant Mills, IN
• Wabash River at Huntington, IN
• St. Marys River at Willshire, OH