Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Kuparuk River near Deadhorse

Highest listed crest 38.26 ftFlood stage 35.5 ft63 crests since 1971

The Kuparuk River near Deadhorse crested above flood stage 30 times among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1971 to 2025. The highest, 38.26 ft on June 4, 2013, was moderate flooding, 2.76 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.26 ft
June 4, 2013; 90,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
35.5 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
30 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 17, 2025
37.88 ft, moderate flooding
Location
North Slope Borough
Alaska
Identifiers
NWS KUPA2
USGS 15896000; out of service

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Kuparuk River near Deadhorse
Action stage34.016May 24, 2016The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)35.517Jun 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage37.013Jun 17, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1971 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kuparuk River near Deadhorse, 1971 to 2025 3234363840ft Flood stage 35.5 ft Jun 5, 1971: 36.40 ft, minor flooding; 77,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1972: 35.70 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1972: 34.32 ft, action stage; 45,800 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1973: 36.70 ft, minor flooding; 82,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1974: 33.08 ft, below flood stageJun 10, 1974: 32.18 ft, below flood stage; 24,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1975: 32.81 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 1976: 35.02 ft, action stage; 55,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1977: 35.75 ft, minor flooding; 66,800 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1978: 37.60 ft, moderate flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1979: 33.38 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 1980: 34.50 ft, action stageJun 12, 1980: 33.76 ft, below flood stage; 40,500 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1981: 35.86 ft, minor floodingJun 10, 1981: 32.61 ft, below flood stage; 27,500 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1982: 37.09 ft, moderate flooding; 104,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1983: 35.50 ft, minor flooding; 68,400 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1984: 34.85 ft, action stage; 56,800 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1985: 33.66 ft, below flood stage; 34,500 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1986: 35.40 ft, action stage; 38,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1987: 32.90 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1988: 33.61 ft, below flood stage; 38,700 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1989: 36.90 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 1990: 37.28 ft, moderate flooding; 70,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1991: 34.17 ft, action stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1992: 33.80 ft, below flood stageAug 28, 1992: 32.94 ft, below flood stage; 30,800 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1993: 34.60 ft, action stageJun 8, 1994: 33.74 ft, below flood stage; 36,500 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 34.22 ft, action stageMay 25, 1996: 37.57 ft, moderate floodingJun 7, 1997: 35.20 ft, action stage; 62,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1998: 34.54 ft, action stage; 51,700 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1999: 32.12 ft, below flood stage; 22,400 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2000: 36.60 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 2001: 36.74 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 2002: 36.58 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 2003: 36.00 ft, minor flooding; 43,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 35.65 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 2005: 33.30 ft, below flood stage; 34,900 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2006: 33.70 ft, below flood stageJun 7, 2007: 36.04 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 2008: 34.43 ft, action stageMay 26, 2009: 36.68 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2009: 33.71 ft, below flood stage; 37,900 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2010: 34.58 ft, action stageJun 7, 2010: 34.29 ft, action stage; 44,600 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2011: 36.18 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2011: 34.86 ft, action stage; 56,800 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2012: 34.24 ft, action stageJun 4, 2013: 38.26 ft, moderate flooding; 90,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2014: 37.50 ft, moderate flooding; 60,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 2015: 37.61 ft, moderate floodingMay 24, 2016: 34.42 ft, action stage; 50,400 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2017: 36.00 ft, minor flooding; 40,200 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2018: 37.12 ft, moderate flooding; 59,600 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2019: 37.89 ft, moderate floodingMay 31, 2020: 37.73 ft, moderate flooding; 66,900 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2021: 38.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 2, 2022: 37.92 ft, moderate flooding; 62,000 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2023: 33.59 ft, below flood stage; 38,500 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2024: 35.63 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 2025: 37.88 ft, moderate flooding; 126,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 38.26 ft, Jun 4, 2013 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kuparuk River near Deadhorse 1970s: 5 1980s: 4 1990s: 2 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 5 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Kuparuk River near Deadhorse
1Jun 4, 201338.26+2.76Moderate90,000
2Jun 6, 202138.00+2.50Moderate—
3Jun 2, 202237.92+2.42Moderate62,000
4May 24, 201937.89+2.39Moderate—
5Jun 17, 202537.88+2.38Moderate126,000
6May 31, 202037.73+2.23Moderate66,900
7May 19, 201537.61+2.11Moderate—
8Jun 7, 197837.60+2.10Moderate118,000
9May 25, 199637.57+2.07Moderate—
10Jun 1, 201437.50+2.00Moderate60,000
11May 20, 199037.28+1.78Moderate70,000
12Jun 6, 201837.12+1.62Moderate59,600
13Jun 7, 198237.09+1.59Moderate104,000
14Jun 4, 198936.90+1.40Minor—
15Jun 9, 200136.74+1.24Minor—
16Jun 6, 197336.70+1.20Minor82,000
17May 26, 200936.68+1.18Minor—
18Jun 12, 200036.60+1.10Minor—
19May 23, 200236.58+1.08Minor—
20Jun 5, 197136.40+0.90Minor77,000
21May 27, 201136.18+0.68Minor—
22Jun 7, 200736.04+0.54Minor—
23Jun 7, 200336.00+0.50Minor43,000
24Jun 1, 201736.00+0.50Minor40,200
25Jun 1, 198135.86+0.36Minor—
26Jun 6, 197735.75+0.25Minor66,800
27Jun 2, 197235.70+0.20Minor—
28May 25, 200435.65+0.15Minor—
29Jun 10, 202435.63+0.13Minor—
30Jun 3, 198335.500.00Minor68,400
31Jun 8, 198635.40−0.10Action38,000
32Jun 7, 199735.20−0.30Action62,700
33Jun 15, 197635.02−0.48Action55,000
34May 31, 201134.86−0.64Action56,800
35Jun 11, 198434.85−0.65Action56,800
36May 31, 199334.60−0.90Action—
37Jun 1, 201034.58−0.92Action—
38May 29, 199834.54−0.96Action51,700
39Jun 7, 198034.50−1.00Action—
40May 30, 200834.43−1.07Action—
41May 24, 201634.42−1.08Action50,400
42Jun 11, 197234.32−1.18Action45,800
43Jun 7, 201034.29−1.21Action44,600
44May 26, 201234.24−1.26Action—
45May 30, 199534.22−1.28Action—
46Jun 5, 199134.17−1.33Action37,100
47May 30, 199233.80−1.70Below flood stage—
48Jun 12, 198033.76−1.74Below flood stage40,500
49Jun 8, 199433.74−1.76Below flood stage36,500
50Jun 3, 200933.71−1.79Below flood stage37,900

Other gauges in North Slope Borough

Flood gauges in North Slope Borough
Colville Village4.57.82 ft, Jun 12, 20001
Umiat59.063.80 ft, Jun 17, 20250
Pump Station 320.026.92 ft, Jun 2, 20130

North Slope Borough: every hazard · River floods across the country · Alaska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KUPA2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.