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Purgatoire River near Las Animas

Highest listed crest 14.45 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft17 crests since 1983

The Purgatoire River near Las Animas crested above flood stage 15 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1983 to 2023. The highest, 14.45 ft on May 30, 2021, was moderate flooding, 5.45 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.45 ft
May 30, 2021; 3,780 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
0
15 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 22, 2023
11.35 ft, minor flooding
Location
Bent County
Colorado

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Purgatoire River near Las Animas
Action stage8.02Aug 19, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.013Jul 22, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.02May 30, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1983 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Purgatoire River near Las Animas, 1983 to 2023 810121416ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Jun 7, 1983: 9.26 ft, minor flooding; 3,070 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1990: 8.93 ft, action stage; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1992: 9.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,560 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1995: 10.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,820 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1996: 10.21 ft, minor flooding; 2,830 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 1997: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 2,500 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1999: 12.00 ft, moderate flooding; 5,200 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2004: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 3,440 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2005: 9.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,270 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2008: 8.97 ft, action stage; 2,130 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2012: 9.40 ft, minor flooding; 2,450 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2013: 9.54 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2014: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2015: 10.26 ft, minor flooding; 3,510 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2021: 14.45 ft, moderate flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2023: 10.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2023: 11.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,480 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.45 ft, May 30, 2021 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Purgatoire River near Las Animas 1980s: 1 1990s: 5 5 2000s: 2 2010s: 4 2020s: 3 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Purgatoire River near Las Animas
1May 30, 202114.45+5.45Moderate3,780
2May 3, 199912.00+3.00Moderate5,200
3Jul 22, 202311.35+2.35Minor2,480
4Aug 19, 200410.52+1.52Minor3,440
5Jul 6, 202310.35+1.35Minor2,090
6May 22, 201510.26+1.26Minor3,510
7Aug 31, 199610.21+1.21Minor2,830
8May 31, 199510.20+1.20Minor2,820
9Aug 12, 19979.64+0.64Minor2,500
10Jun 9, 20149.57+0.57Minor2,860
11Aug 10, 20139.54+0.54Minor2,200
12Jul 9, 19929.43+0.43Minor2,560
13Apr 12, 20129.40+0.40Minor2,450
14Jun 7, 19839.26+0.26Minor3,070
15Apr 7, 20059.15+0.15Minor2,270
16Aug 19, 20088.97−0.03Action2,130
17Jul 21, 19908.93−0.07Action2,870

Bent County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Colorado

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LAPC2, 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.