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Russian River near Healdsburg

Highest listed crest 30.80 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft29 crests since 1937

The Russian River near Healdsburg crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 29 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1937 to 2023. The highest, 30.80 ft on December 1, 1937, was major flooding, 7.80 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.80 ft
December 1, 1937
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 29.0 ft
Crests at major
2
24th of 106 gauges in California
Most recent flood crest
February 27, 2019
26.84 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sonoma County
Near Healdsburg (1.7 mi), Windsor (5.1 mi), Santa Rosa (13.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Russian River near Healdsburg
Action stage20.05Jan 11, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.08Feb 27, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.01Dec 23, 1964Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.02Feb 28, 1940Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

29 crests from 1937 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Russian River near Healdsburg, 1937 to 2023 010203040ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 29.0 ft Dec 1, 1937: 30.80 ft, major floodingFeb 28, 1940: 30.00 ft, major flooding; 67,000 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1943: 25.45 ft, minor flooding; 53,300 cubic feet per secondJan 17, 1954: 22.68 ft, action stage; 53,700 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1955: 26.16 ft, minor flooding; 65,400 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1964: 27.00 ft, moderate flooding; 71,300 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1970: 22.08 ft, action stage; 53,500 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1974: 24.62 ft, minor flooding; 64,700 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1983: 24.18 ft, minor flooding; 62,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1986: 25.81 ft, minor flooding; 71,100 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1995: 26.23 ft, minor flooding; 73,000 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1995: 22.95 ft, action stage; 58,400 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 24.61 ft, minor flooding; 65,700 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2008: 17.08 ft, below flood stage; 35,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2009: 10.78 ft, below flood stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2010: 15.03 ft, below flood stage; 27,800 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2011: 14.40 ft, below flood stage; 25,800 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 2012: 13.55 ft, below flood stage; 23,200 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2012: 16.53 ft, below flood stage; 28,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 2014: 8.35 ft, below flood stage; 8,090 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2014: 20.28 ft, action stage; 42,800 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 2016: 13.22 ft, below flood stage; 19,300 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2017: 20.32 ft, action stage; 42,500 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2018: 9.76 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2019: 26.84 ft, minor flooding; 67,300 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 2019: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 7,050 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 2021: 3.95 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondOct 25, 2021: 13.55 ft, below flood stage; 17,900 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 2023: 16.45 ft, below flood stage; 26,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.80 ft, Dec 1, 1937 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Russian River near Healdsburg 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 2 1990s: 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 0 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Russian River near Healdsburg
1Dec 1, 193730.80+7.80Major—
2Feb 28, 194030.00+7.00Major67,000
3Dec 23, 196427.00+4.00Moderate71,300
4Feb 27, 201926.84+3.84Minor67,300
5Jan 9, 199526.23+3.23Minor73,000
6Dec 22, 195526.16+3.16Minor65,400
7Feb 17, 198625.81+2.81Minor71,100
8Jan 21, 194325.45+2.45Minor53,300
9Jan 16, 197424.62+1.62Minor64,700
10Jan 1, 199724.61+1.61Minor65,700
11Jan 26, 198324.18+1.18Minor62,700
12Mar 9, 199522.95−0.05Action58,400
13Jan 17, 195422.68−0.32Action53,700
14Jan 24, 197022.08−0.92Action53,500
15Jan 11, 201720.32−2.68Action42,500
16Dec 11, 201420.28−2.72Action42,800
17Jan 4, 200817.08−5.92Below flood stage35,600
18Dec 23, 201216.53−6.47Below flood stage28,600
19Jan 9, 202316.45−6.55Below flood stage26,400
20Jan 20, 201015.03−7.97Below flood stage27,800
21Mar 24, 201114.40−8.60Below flood stage25,800
22Mar 28, 201213.55−9.45Below flood stage23,200
23Oct 25, 202113.55−9.45Below flood stage17,900
24Jan 18, 201613.22−9.78Below flood stage19,300
25Feb 23, 200910.78−12.22Below flood stage15,500
26Mar 22, 20189.76−13.24Below flood stage10,800
27Feb 9, 20148.35−14.65Below flood stage8,090
28Dec 7, 20197.63−15.37Below flood stage7,050
29Feb 2, 20213.95−19.05Below flood stage1,740

The worst floods along the Russian River

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

February 28, 1940: 30.00 ft here, major flooding

  • GuernevilleCA · Feb 28, 1940 · 46.87 ft · Major
  • HoplandCA · Feb 28, 1940 · 24.90 ft · Moderate

December 23, 1964: 27.00 ft here, moderate flooding

  • GuernevilleCA · Dec 23, 1964 · 47.35 ft · Major
  • HoplandCA · Dec 22, 1964 · 26.01 ft · Major

February 27, 2019: 26.84 ft here, minor flooding

  • GuernevilleCA · Feb 27, 2019 · 45.38 ft · Major
  • HoplandCA · Feb 27, 2019 · 22.95 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Russian River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Russian River
HoplandCA15.030.00 ft, Dec 15, 19375
Healdsburg this gaugeCA23.030.80 ft, Dec 1, 19372
GuernevilleCA32.049.50 ft, Feb 18, 198615

Other gauges in Sonoma County

Flood gauges in Sonoma County
Corona Road24.927.98 ft, Feb 3, 19980
Guerneville32.049.50 ft, Feb 18, 198615

Sonoma County: every hazard · River floods across the country · California

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HEAC1, 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.