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White River at Des Arc

Highest listed crest 39.43 ftFlood stage 24.0 ft41 crests since 1945

The White River at Des Arc crested at major flood stage 12 times among the 41 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1945 to 2025. The highest, 39.43 ft on May 7, 2011, was major flooding, 15.43 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the White River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
39.43 ft
May 7, 2011; 297,258 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
24.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
12
16th of 54 gauges in Arkansas
Most recent flood crest
April 13, 2025
33.10 ft, major flooding
Location
Prairie County
Arkansas
Identifiers
NWS DSCA4
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, White River at Des Arc
Action stage23.02May 13, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)24.010Feb 9, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.013Feb 20, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.012Apr 13, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

41 crests from 1945 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the White River at Des Arc, 1945 to 2025 2025303540ft Flood stage 24.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft Apr 3, 1945: 35.60 ft, major floodingFeb 2, 1949: 37.35 ft, major floodingApr 28, 1973: 34.20 ft, major floodingApr 3, 1975: 31.60 ft, major floodingDec 10, 1982: 32.05 ft, major floodingMay 16, 1983: 26.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1985: 26.80 ft, moderate floodingApr 30, 1986: 21.70 ft, below flood stageFeb 21, 1989: 30.34 ft, major floodingApr 29, 1991: 26.65 ft, moderate floodingJan 1, 1992: 22.30 ft, below flood stageJan 16, 1993: 24.40 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1994: 24.78 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 1995: 22.56 ft, below flood stageApr 8, 1997: 26.76 ft, moderate floodingMar 24, 1998: 23.81 ft, action stageDec 26, 2001: 25.55 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 2002: 27.68 ft, moderate floodingJan 23, 2007: 26.74 ft, moderate flooding; 99,015 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2008: 33.74 ft, major flooding; 220,681 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2008: 33.78 ft, major floodingSep 9, 2008: 20.73 ft, below flood stage; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2009: 25.22 ft, minor flooding; 58,892 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2009: 27.91 ft, moderate flooding; 82,944 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2009: 28.90 ft, moderate flooding; 96,347 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2011: 39.43 ft, major flooding; 297,258 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2011: 24.20 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 2015: 25.97 ft, minor flooding; 63,800 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2015: 24.69 ft, minor floodingJan 4, 2016: 31.50 ft, major floodingMay 9, 2017: 35.53 ft, major floodingMar 3, 2018: 28.07 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 2019: 26.12 ft, moderate floodingMar 7, 2022: 24.63 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 2022: 25.92 ft, minor floodingMay 13, 2022: 23.39 ft, action stageFeb 19, 2023: 26.43 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 2023: 27.85 ft, moderate floodingFeb 9, 2024: 24.33 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 2025: 26.45 ft, moderate floodingApr 13, 2025: 33.10 ft, major flooding Highest, 39.43 ft, May 7, 2011 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, White River at Des Arc 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 4 1990s: 4 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 8 2020s: 7 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, White River at Des Arc
1May 7, 201139.43+15.43Major297,258
2Feb 2, 194937.35+13.35Major—
3Apr 3, 194535.60+11.60Major—
4May 9, 201735.53+11.53Major—
5Apr 28, 197334.20+10.20Major—
6Apr 17, 200833.78+9.78Major—
7Mar 26, 200833.74+9.74Major220,681
8Apr 13, 202533.10+9.10Major—
9Dec 10, 198232.05+8.05Major—
10Apr 3, 197531.60+7.60Major—
11Jan 4, 201631.50+7.50Major—
12Feb 21, 198930.34+6.34Major—
13Dec 28, 200928.90+4.90Moderate96,347
14Mar 3, 201828.07+4.07Moderate—
15Nov 7, 200927.91+3.91Moderate82,944
16Apr 1, 202327.85+3.85Moderate—
17Apr 2, 200227.68+3.68Moderate—
18Apr 7, 198526.80+2.80Moderate—
19Apr 8, 199726.76+2.76Moderate—
20Jan 23, 200726.74+2.74Moderate99,015
21Apr 29, 199126.65+2.65Moderate—
22Feb 20, 202526.45+2.45Moderate—
23Feb 19, 202326.43+2.43Moderate—
24May 16, 198326.30+2.30Moderate—
25May 12, 201926.12+2.12Moderate—
26Mar 23, 201525.97+1.97Minor63,800
27Apr 17, 202225.92+1.92Minor—
28Dec 26, 200125.55+1.55Minor—
29May 10, 200925.22+1.22Minor58,892
30Mar 30, 199424.78+0.78Minor—
31May 22, 201524.69+0.69Minor—
32Mar 7, 202224.63+0.63Minor—
33Jan 16, 199324.40+0.40Minor—
34Feb 9, 202424.33+0.33Minor—
35Dec 10, 201124.20+0.20Minor—
36Mar 24, 199823.81−0.19Action—
37May 13, 202223.39−0.61Action—
38Jan 28, 199522.56−1.44Below flood stage—
39Jan 1, 199222.30−1.70Below flood stage—
40Apr 30, 198621.70−2.30Below flood stage—
41Sep 9, 200820.73−3.27Below flood stage40,000

The worst floods along the White River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the White River that crested above flood stage within a week.

May 7, 2011: 39.43 ft here, major flooding

  • AugustaAR · May 5, 2011 · 40.70 ft · Major
  • ClarendonAR · May 10, 2011 · 37.54 ft · Major
  • NewportAR · May 4, 2011 · 34.17 ft · Major
  • GeorgetownAR · May 6, 2011 · 33.95 ft · Major · its highest

February 2, 1949: 37.35 ft here, major flooding

  • AugustaAR · Jan 30, 1949 · 39.33 ft · Major
  • NewportAR · Jan 28, 1949 · 33.50 ft · Major
  • GeorgetownAR · Feb 1, 1949 · 32.80 ft · Major
  • BatesvilleAR · Jan 26, 1949 · 25.72 ft · Major

April 3, 1945: 35.60 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the White River

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

Flood gauges on the White River
BatesvilleAR15.031.90 ft, Feb 1, 191620
Calico RockAR19.050.50 ft, Aug 21, 191523
ClarendonAR26.043.30 ft, Apr 23, 192713
Des Arc this gaugeAR24.039.43 ft, May 7, 201112
GeorgetownAR21.033.95 ft, May 6, 201113
NewportAR26.035.90 ft, Apr 17, 194537
AugustaAR26.040.83 ft, Apr 19, 194513

Prairie County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Arkansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DSCA4, 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.