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Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave

Highest listed crest 31.57 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft84 crests since 1903

The Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 84 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1903 to 2025. The highest, 31.57 ft on June 13, 2008, was major flooding, 8.57 feet above flood stage. 9 other gauges on the Des Moines River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.57 ft
June 13, 2008
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 30.0 ft
Crests at major
2
70th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
July 1, 2018
24.00 ft, minor flooding
Location
Polk County
Near Des Moines (2.8 mi), Pleasant Hill (6.0 mi), Altoona (7.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave
Action stage19.030Aug 1, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.04Jul 1, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.03Jul 2, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage30.02Jun 13, 2008Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

84 crests from 1903 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave, 1903 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 30.0 ft May 31, 1903: 27.40 ft, moderate flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1906: 13.00 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1915: 16.10 ft, below flood stage; 29,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1916: 10.20 ft, below flood stage; 17,200 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1917: 16.30 ft, below flood stage; 26,800 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1918: 16.60 ft, below flood stage; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1919: 11.30 ft, below flood stage; 16,900 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1920: 13.70 ft, below flood stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1921: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1922: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1923: 8.30 ft, below flood stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1924: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 7,570 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1925: 5.41 ft, below flood stage; 4,920 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1926: 13.20 ft, below flood stageFeb 7, 1927: 8.50 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1928: 5.80 ft, below flood stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1929: 16.20 ft, below flood stage; 23,300 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1930: 6.00 ft, below flood stage; 6,140 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1931: 3.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1932: 14.72 ft, below flood stage; 28,500 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1933: 16.20 ft, below flood stage; 30,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1934: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 5,370 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1935: 13.37 ft, below flood stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1936: 11.33 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1937: 13.30 ft, below flood stageSep 20, 1938: 14.80 ft, below flood stage; 24,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1939: 4.70 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1940: 3.10 ft, below flood stage; 6,810 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1941: 3.43 ft, below flood stage; 8,100 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1941: 17.10 ft, below flood stage; 9,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1943: 19.02 ft, action stage; 9,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1944: 24.40 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1945: 20.46 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1946: 19.78 ft, action stage; 16,900 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1947: 26.50 ft, moderate flooding; 39,500 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 21.21 ft, action stage; 20,300 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1949: 19.43 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1950: 17.73 ft, below flood stage; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 23.80 ft, minor flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1952: 20.20 ft, action stage; 17,800 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1953: 17.90 ft, below flood stage; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1954: 30.16 ft, major flooding; 60,200 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1954: 16.02 ft, below flood stage; 6,840 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1956: 13.44 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1957: 17.15 ft, below flood stage; 9,680 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1958: 16.83 ft, below flood stage; 8,480 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1959: 19.72 ft, action stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1960: 25.25 ft, minor flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1961: 22.55 ft, action stage; 26,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1997: 18.76 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1998: 19.59 ft, action stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1999: 19.49 ft, action stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 2000: 18.20 ft, below flood stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2001: 20.41 ft, action stage; 18,500 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2002: 18.05 ft, below flood stage; 8,940 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 19.57 ft, action stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2004: 20.06 ft, action stage; 17,400 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 2005: 19.84 ft, action stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2006: 19.33 ft, action stageMar 21, 2007: 20.47 ft, action stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2007: 20.72 ft, action stageJun 13, 2008: 31.57 ft, major floodingMay 30, 2009: 17.70 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2010: 26.08 ft, moderate flooding; 37,300 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 18.64 ft, below flood stageJun 20, 2011: 18.63 ft, below flood stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2012: 17.26 ft, below flood stage; 6,140 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2013: 20.12 ft, action stage; 16,800 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2014: 21.67 ft, action stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2015: 20.47 ft, action stage; 19,000 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2015: 20.55 ft, action stageDec 23, 2015: 19.78 ft, action stage; 17,100 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 2016: 20.30 ft, action stageJul 1, 2018: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2018: 21.20 ft, action stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2019: 21.61 ft, action stageOct 12, 2019: 20.49 ft, action stageMay 28, 2020: 19.37 ft, action stage; 16,200 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2021: 16.40 ft, below flood stageMar 27, 2021: 14.41 ft, below flood stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2022: 18.23 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 2023: 19.88 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2024: 20.55 ft, action stageAug 1, 2025: 19.88 ft, action stage; 17,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.57 ft, Jun 13, 2008 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 2 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 84 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Moines River at Des Moines 2nd Ave
1Jun 13, 200831.57+8.57Major—
2Jun 24, 195430.16+7.16Major60,200
3May 31, 190327.40+4.40Moderate42,000
4Jun 26, 194726.50+3.50Moderate39,500
5Jul 2, 201026.08+3.08Moderate37,300
6Apr 1, 196025.25+2.25Minor36,200
7May 23, 194424.40+1.40Minor34,000
8Jul 1, 201824.00+1.00Minor28,700
9Mar 31, 195123.80+0.80Minor32,400
10Mar 31, 196122.55−0.45Action26,700
11Jun 27, 201421.67−1.33Action22,000
12Mar 22, 201921.61−1.39Action—
13Mar 19, 194821.21−1.79Action20,300
14Oct 12, 201821.20−1.80Action21,300
15Aug 25, 200720.72−2.28Action—
16Sep 1, 201520.55−2.45Action—
17May 23, 202420.55−2.45Action—
18Oct 12, 201920.49−2.51Action—
19Mar 21, 200720.47−2.53Action17,700
20Jun 26, 201520.47−2.53Action19,000
21Jun 4, 194520.46−2.54Action18,700
22Apr 17, 200120.41−2.59Action18,500
23Sep 30, 201620.30−2.70Action—
24Apr 3, 195220.20−2.80Action17,800
25May 29, 201320.12−2.88Action16,800
26May 31, 200420.06−2.94Action17,400
27Mar 1, 202319.88−3.12Action13,800
28Aug 1, 202519.88−3.12Action17,000
29May 18, 200519.84−3.16Action16,800
30May 29, 194619.78−3.22Action16,900
31Dec 23, 201519.78−3.22Action17,100
32Jun 3, 195919.72−3.28Action16,100
33Apr 10, 199819.59−3.41Action16,000
34May 12, 200319.57−3.43Action16,000
35Apr 20, 199919.49−3.51Action15,700
36Mar 8, 194919.43−3.57Action15,300
37May 28, 202019.37−3.63Action16,200
38May 3, 200619.33−3.67Action—
39Feb 24, 194319.02−3.98Action9,500
40Mar 15, 199718.76−4.24Below flood stage13,700
41Apr 26, 201118.64−4.36Below flood stage—
42Jun 20, 201118.63−4.37Below flood stage13,900
43Jun 17, 202218.23−4.77Below flood stage12,400
44Jul 13, 200018.20−4.80Below flood stage10,000
45Aug 16, 200218.05−4.95Below flood stage8,940
46Jun 12, 195317.90−5.10Below flood stage11,400
47Mar 9, 195017.73−5.27Below flood stage10,600
48May 30, 200917.70−5.30Below flood stage10,800
49May 7, 201217.26−5.74Below flood stage6,140
50Jun 17, 195717.15−5.85Below flood stage9,680

The worst floods along the Des Moines River

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

June 13, 2008: 31.57 ft here, major flooding

June 24, 1954: 30.16 ft here, major flooding

May 31, 1903: 27.40 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Des Moines River

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

Flood gauges on the Des Moines River
Des Moines 2nd Ave this gaugeIA23.031.57 ft, Jun 13, 20082
Des Moines SE 6th StIA24.035.55 ft, Jun 13, 20086
Fort DodgeIA10.520.28 ft, Jun 23, 19474
KeosauquaIA22.032.66 ft, Jul 13, 19938
OttumwaIA13.022.15 ft, Jul 12, 19935
Red Rock ReservoirIA780.0782.67 ft, Jul 13, 19930
Saylorville ReservoirIA884.0892.03 ft, Jul 11, 19930
St. FrancisvilleIA18.032.02 ft, Jul 15, 199313
EddyvilleIA63.072.00 ft, Jul 12, 19932
StratfordIA19.028.42 ft, Jun 28, 20102
TracyIA14.026.50 ft, Jun 14, 19476

Other gauges in Polk County

Flood gauges in Polk County
Grimes14.016.58 ft, Jul 10, 19930
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 DMOI4, 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.