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Beaver Creek near Grimes

Highest listed crest 16.58 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft70 crests since 1960

The Beaver Creek near Grimes crested above flood stage 10 times among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2025. The highest, 16.58 ft on July 10, 1993, was moderate flooding, 2.58 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.58 ft
July 10, 1993; 14,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
0
10 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2019
14.22 ft, minor flooding
Location
Polk County
Near Johnston (0.6 mi), Grimes (3.6 mi), Urbandale (4.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Beaver Creek near Grimes
Action stage11.035May 23, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.09Mar 16, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.01Jul 10, 1993Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1960 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Beaver Creek near Grimes, 1960 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft May 26, 1960: 14.05 ft, minor flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1961: 11.05 ft, action stage; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1962: 12.90 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1963: 11.80 ft, action stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1964: 11.25 ft, action stage; 2,010 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1964: 11.70 ft, action stageApr 2, 1965: 13.25 ft, action stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1966: 14.04 ft, minor flooding; 5,470 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1967: 13.11 ft, action stage; 4,000 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1968: 11.24 ft, action stage; 2,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1969: 13.04 ft, action stage; 4,050 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1970: 12.97 ft, action stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1971: 13.35 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondAug 4, 1972: 8.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1973: 12.94 ft, action stage; 4,130 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1974: 14.69 ft, minor flooding; 7,340 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1975: 11.61 ft, action stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1976: 9.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1977: 7.81 ft, below flood stage; 852 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1978: 11.38 ft, action stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1979: 13.88 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1980: 9.02 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1981: 7.71 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1982: 11.32 ft, action stage; 2,780 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1983: 12.41 ft, action stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1984: 11.76 ft, action stage; 3,220 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1984: 7.66 ft, below flood stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1986: 14.73 ft, minor flooding; 7,980 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1987: 11.50 ft, action stage; 2,610 cubic feet per secondNov 30, 1987: 6.34 ft, below flood stage; 544 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1988: 6.91 ft, below flood stageFeb 1, 1989: 11.35 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1990: 14.20 ft, minor flooding; 5,580 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1991: 11.96 ft, action stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1992: 9.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,790 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1993: 16.58 ft, moderate flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 9.24 ft, below flood stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 10.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1996: 8.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1997: 10.50 ft, below flood stageJul 24, 1997: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1998: 13.20 ft, action stage; 4,280 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1999: 12.36 ft, action stage; 3,820 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2000: 6.36 ft, below flood stage; 533 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2001: 10.90 ft, below flood stage; 2,350 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 7.70 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 2002: 7.55 ft, below flood stage; 912 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2003: 11.99 ft, action stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2004: 14.59 ft, minor flooding; 7,300 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2005: 11.19 ft, action stage; 2,530 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2006: 9.47 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2007: 13.86 ft, action stage; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2008: 14.51 ft, minor flooding; 7,800 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 11.93 ft, action stage; 3,300 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2010: 14.90 ft, minor flooding; 7,960 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 9.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 7.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2013: 12.05 ft, action stage; 3,690 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2014: 12.29 ft, action stage; 4,270 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 12.93 ft, action stageJul 30, 2015: 12.44 ft, action stage; 4,700 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2015: 13.35 ft, action stage; 6,010 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2017: 8.84 ft, below flood stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 2018: 13.92 ft, action stage; 6,270 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2019: 14.22 ft, minor flooding; 7,000 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2020: 9.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2021: 4.94 ft, below flood stage; 410 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2022: 12.19 ft, action stage; 3,790 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2024: 11.78 ft, action stageJul 31, 2025: 10.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.58 ft, Jul 10, 1993 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Beaver Creek near Grimes 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Beaver Creek near Grimes
1Jul 10, 199316.58+2.58Moderate14,300
2Aug 11, 201014.90+0.90Minor7,960
3Jun 30, 198614.73+0.73Minor7,980
4May 19, 197414.69+0.69Minor7,340
5May 24, 200414.59+0.59Minor7,300
6Jun 1, 200814.51+0.51Minor7,800
7Mar 16, 201914.22+0.22Minor7,000
8Jun 19, 199014.20+0.20Minor5,580
9May 26, 196014.05+0.05Minor5,480
10Jun 13, 196614.04+0.04Minor5,470
11Jul 1, 201813.92−0.08Action6,270
12Mar 20, 197913.88−0.12Action4,700
13Apr 27, 200713.86−0.14Action6,850
14Feb 20, 197113.35−0.65Action1,900
15Dec 15, 201513.35−0.65Action6,010
16Apr 2, 196513.25−0.75Action4,230
17Jun 17, 199813.20−0.80Action4,280
18Jun 10, 196713.11−0.89Action4,000
19Mar 19, 196913.04−0.96Action4,050
20May 15, 197012.97−1.03Action3,810
21Apr 17, 197312.94−1.06Action4,130
22Jun 26, 201512.93−1.07Action—
23May 30, 196212.90−1.10Action3,780
24Jul 30, 201512.44−1.56Action4,700
25Jun 29, 198312.41−1.59Action3,130
26Jun 12, 199912.36−1.64Action3,820
27Sep 2, 201412.29−1.71Action4,270
28Jun 7, 202212.19−1.81Action3,790
29May 29, 201312.05−1.95Action3,690
30May 6, 200311.99−2.01Action3,160
31Jun 16, 199111.96−2.04Action3,340
32Apr 28, 200911.93−2.07Action3,300
33Aug 7, 196311.80−2.20Action2,540
34May 23, 202411.78−2.22Action—
35May 2, 198411.76−2.24Action3,220
36Jun 23, 196411.70−2.30Action—
37Mar 18, 197511.61−2.39Action2,500
38Aug 28, 198711.50−2.50Action2,610
39Mar 21, 197811.38−2.62Action2,980
40Feb 1, 198911.35−2.65Action1,540
41May 28, 198211.32−2.68Action2,780
42May 10, 196411.25−2.75Action2,010
43Jun 28, 196811.24−2.76Action2,000
44May 14, 200511.19−2.81Action2,530
45Jun 8, 196111.05−2.95Action1,870
46Mar 17, 200110.90−3.10Below flood stage2,350
47Jul 31, 202510.85−3.15Below flood stage2,620
48Feb 20, 199710.50−3.50Below flood stage—
49May 30, 199510.12−3.88Below flood stage1,960
50Jul 24, 19979.97−4.03Below flood stage1,920

Other gauges in Polk County

Flood gauges in Polk County
Des Moines 2nd Ave23.031.57 ft, Jun 13, 20082
Des Moines SE 6th St24.035.55 ft, Jun 13, 20086
Saylorville Reservoir884.0892.03 ft, Jul 11, 19930
Des Moines Easton Blvd12.517.51 ft, Jul 1, 20183
Ankeny NE 86th Ave11.016.17 ft, Jul 1, 20180
Des Moines Fleur Dr12.026.80 ft, Jul 11, 19931
Des Moines IA 2836.041.31 ft, Jun 13, 20083
Clive I-80/359.013.41 ft, Jun 25, 20150
Des Moines 63rd St14.019.08 ft, Jun 30, 20189

Polk County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Iowa

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GRMI4, 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.