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St. Francis River at Madison

Highest listed crest 41.80 ftFlood stage 32.0 ft30 crests since 1912

The St. Francis River at Madison crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 30 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1912 to 2025. The highest, 41.80 ft on April 21, 1912, was major flooding, 9.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
41.80 ft
April 21, 1912
Flood stage
32.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
7
25th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 16, 2025
36.28 ft, major flooding
Location
St. Francis County
Near Forrest City (4.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, St. Francis River at Madison
Action stage29.05May 18, 2009The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)32.02Mar 15, 1997Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage35.04Apr 13, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.07Apr 16, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

30 crests from 1912 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the St. Francis River at Madison, 1912 to 2025 1020304050ft Flood stage 32.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Apr 21, 1912: 41.80 ft, major floodingApr 27, 1927: 39.50 ft, major floodingFeb 13, 1937: 40.70 ft, major floodingFeb 2, 1950: 35.90 ft, moderate floodingMay 2, 1973: 36.10 ft, major floodingApr 11, 1979: 35.30 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1989: 35.10 ft, moderate floodingJan 11, 1991: 32.45 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1992: 15.40 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 1993: 23.70 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 1994: 26.10 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 1997: 33.60 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1998: 26.73 ft, below flood stageFeb 4, 1999: 29.62 ft, action stageJun 5, 2000: 15.74 ft, below flood stageDec 28, 2001: 30.95 ft, action stageMay 28, 2002: 30.48 ft, action stageMay 21, 2003: 29.47 ft, action stageDec 14, 2004: 21.07 ft, below flood stageJan 21, 2005: 27.73 ft, below flood stageMar 22, 2006: 16.32 ft, below flood stage; 13,200 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2006: 14.03 ft, below flood stage; 11,645 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2007: 27.75 ft, below flood stageApr 13, 2008: 35.76 ft, moderate floodingMay 18, 2009: 29.19 ft, action stageJan 4, 2010: 26.84 ft, below flood stageMay 13, 2011: 39.81 ft, major flooding; 88,390 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 2014: 27.90 ft, below flood stageFeb 28, 2019: 36.32 ft, major floodingApr 16, 2025: 36.28 ft, major flooding; 52,065 cubic feet per second Highest, 41.80 ft, Apr 21, 1912 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, St. Francis River at Madison 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, St. Francis River at Madison
1Apr 21, 191241.80+9.80Major—
2Feb 13, 193740.70+8.70Major—
3May 13, 201139.81+7.81Major88,390
4Apr 27, 192739.50+7.50Major—
5Feb 28, 201936.32+4.32Major—
6Apr 16, 202536.28+4.28Major52,065
7May 2, 197336.10+4.10Major—
8Feb 2, 195035.90+3.90Moderate—
9Apr 13, 200835.76+3.76Moderate—
10Apr 11, 197935.30+3.30Moderate—
11Feb 27, 198935.10+3.10Moderate—
12Mar 15, 199733.60+1.60Minor—
13Jan 11, 199132.45+0.45Minor—
14Dec 28, 200130.95−1.05Action—
15May 28, 200230.48−1.52Action—
16Feb 4, 199929.62−2.38Action—
17May 21, 200329.47−2.53Action—
18May 18, 200929.19−2.81Action—
19Jan 3, 201427.90−4.10Below flood stage—
20Jan 26, 200727.75−4.25Below flood stage—
21Jan 21, 200527.73−4.27Below flood stage—
22Jan 4, 201026.84−5.16Below flood stage—
23May 16, 199826.73−5.27Below flood stage—
24Apr 25, 199426.10−5.90Below flood stage—
25Apr 16, 199323.70−8.30Below flood stage—
26Dec 14, 200421.07−10.93Below flood stage—
27Mar 22, 200616.32−15.68Below flood stage13,200
28Jun 5, 200015.74−16.26Below flood stage—
29Mar 24, 199215.40−16.60Below flood stage—
30Oct 6, 200614.03−17.97Below flood stage11,645

Gauges on the St. Francis River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the St. Francis River
FiskMO20.028.00 ft, Apr 18, 19276
Lake CityAR10.014.37 ft, Apr 2, 19790
Madison this gaugeAR32.041.80 ft, Apr 21, 19127
Mill CreekMO16.033.10 ft, Nov 14, 19931
PattersonMO16.037.13 ft, Apr 30, 20174
St. FrancisMO22.028.20 ft, Mar 15, 19350
RoselleMO15.026.50 ft, Nov 14, 19934
SacoMO21.036.10 ft, Nov 14, 19935

Other gauges in St. Francis County

Flood gauges in St. Francis County
Palestine25.039.70 ft, Feb 13, 19372

St. Francis County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arkansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MSNA4, 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.