Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Des Moines River near Stratford

Highest listed crest 28.42 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft61 crests since 1968

The Des Moines River near Stratford crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 61 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2025. The highest, 28.42 ft on June 28, 2010, was major flooding, 9.42 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Des Moines River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.42 ft
June 28, 2010; 58,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
2
70th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 27, 2024
21.31 ft, minor flooding
Location
Webster County
Iowa

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 near Stratford
Action stage14.024Aug 1, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.018Jun 27, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.01Apr 2, 1993Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.02Jun 28, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

61 crests from 1968 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Des Moines River near Stratford, 1968 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 19.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Jul 19, 1968: 8.51 ft, below flood stage; 3,910 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1969: 20.22 ft, minor flooding; 24,600 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1970: 16.39 ft, action stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1971: 15.98 ft, action stage; 14,800 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 1972: 16.30 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1973: 18.76 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1974: 15.38 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1975: 19.36 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1976: 10.22 ft, below flood stage; 5,810 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1977: 9.02 ft, below flood stage; 4,240 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1977: 9.28 ft, below flood stageJul 9, 1978: 13.86 ft, below flood stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1979: 23.22 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1980: 16.36 ft, action stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1981: 18.32 ft, action stage; 19,000 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1982: 16.89 ft, action stage; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1983: 22.22 ft, minor flooding; 29,200 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1984: 24.08 ft, minor flooding; 36,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1985: 12.91 ft, below flood stage; 9,560 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1986: 17.84 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 1986: 18.16 ft, action stage; 19,400 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1988: 9.68 ft, below flood stageMay 9, 1988: 9.60 ft, below flood stage; 5,010 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1989: 10.46 ft, below flood stage; 5,930 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1990: 19.01 ft, minor flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1991: 23.31 ft, minor flooding; 33,800 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1992: 16.63 ft, action stage; 16,300 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 25.68 ft, moderate flooding; 42,300 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1994: 19.12 ft, minor flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 15.84 ft, action stage; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1996: 14.88 ft, action stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1997: 15.28 ft, action stage; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1998: 17.44 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 18.35 ft, action stage; 23,100 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2000: 13.45 ft, below flood stage; 12,100 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2001: 21.25 ft, minor flooding; 33,200 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2002: 11.14 ft, below flood stage; 7,900 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2003: 18.65 ft, action stage; 21,200 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 21.21 ft, minor flooding; 28,600 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2005: 21.21 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2006: 15.78 ft, action stage; 17,000 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2007: 22.89 ft, minor flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 27.32 ft, major flooding; 50,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 14.12 ft, action stageMar 25, 2009: 11.58 ft, below flood stage; 8,700 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2010: 28.42 ft, major flooding; 58,300 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 2011: 17.29 ft, action stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2012: 9.48 ft, below flood stage; 5,850 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2013: 20.68 ft, minor flooding; 30,900 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 22.57 ft, minor flooding; 36,800 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2015: 17.52 ft, action stage; 22,100 cubic feet per secondDec 16, 2015: 19.02 ft, minor flooding; 26,100 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2017: 15.26 ft, action stage; 16,500 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2018: 23.08 ft, minor flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2019: 22.26 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2020: 15.90 ft, action stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2021: 6.94 ft, below flood stage; 2,390 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2022: 10.78 ft, below flood stage; 8,000 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 2023: 13.94 ft, below flood stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2024: 21.31 ft, minor flooding; 34,100 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2025: 15.87 ft, action stage; 18,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.42 ft, Jun 28, 2010 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Des Moines River near Stratford 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 4 2000s: 5 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 1 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 61 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Des Moines River near Stratford
1Jun 28, 201028.42+9.42Major58,300
2Jun 9, 200827.32+8.32Major50,300
3Apr 2, 199325.68+6.68Moderate42,300
4Jun 19, 198424.08+5.08Minor36,300
5Jun 5, 199123.31+4.31Minor33,800
6Aug 26, 197923.22+4.22Minor29,600
7Sep 24, 201823.08+4.08Minor38,400
8Aug 23, 200722.89+3.89Minor35,800
9Jun 20, 201422.57+3.57Minor36,800
10Mar 18, 201922.26+3.26Minor—
11Jul 3, 198322.22+3.22Minor29,200
12Jun 27, 202421.31+2.31Minor34,100
13May 5, 200121.25+2.25Minor33,200
14May 25, 200421.21+2.21Minor28,600
15Jun 27, 200521.21+2.21Minor30,900
16May 29, 201320.68+1.68Minor30,900
17Apr 16, 196920.22+1.22Minor24,600
18Jun 25, 197519.36+0.36Minor22,400
19Jun 26, 199419.12+0.12Minor21,700
20Dec 16, 201519.02+0.02Minor26,100
21Jun 18, 199019.01+0.01Minor18,600
22Mar 15, 197318.76−0.24Action20,200
23Jul 10, 200318.65−0.35Action21,200
24Apr 24, 199918.35−0.65Action23,100
25Jun 27, 198118.32−0.68Action19,000
26Oct 13, 198618.16−0.84Action19,400
27Mar 20, 198617.84−1.16Action18,700
28Aug 28, 201517.52−1.48Action22,100
29Jun 30, 199817.44−1.56Action18,700
30Jun 28, 201117.29−1.71Action21,600
31May 27, 198216.89−2.11Action15,500
32Mar 11, 199216.63−2.37Action16,300
33May 16, 197016.39−2.61Action15,500
34Jun 16, 198016.36−2.64Action14,500
35Aug 7, 197216.30−2.70Action15,000
36Mar 18, 197115.98−3.02Action14,800
37Mar 21, 202015.90−3.10Action18,900
38Aug 1, 202515.87−3.13Action18,800
39May 30, 199515.84−3.16Action15,100
40May 9, 200615.78−3.22Action17,000
41Jun 23, 197415.38−3.62Action13,800
42Mar 14, 199715.28−3.72Action15,000
43May 23, 201715.26−3.74Action16,500
44Jun 22, 199614.88−4.12Action13,300
45Feb 11, 200914.12−4.88Action—
46May 16, 202313.94−5.06Below flood stage14,300
47Jul 9, 197813.86−5.14Below flood stage10,700
48Jul 12, 200013.45−5.55Below flood stage12,100
49Apr 28, 198512.91−6.09Below flood stage9,560
50Mar 25, 200911.58−7.42Below flood stage8,700

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 28, 2010: 28.42 ft here, major flooding

June 9, 2008: 27.32 ft here, major flooding

April 2, 1993: 25.68 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Fort DodgeIA · Apr 1, 1993 · 16.47 ft · Moderate

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 AveIA23.031.57 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
Stratford this gaugeIA19.028.42 ft, Jun 28, 20102
TracyIA14.026.50 ft, Jun 14, 19476

Other gauges in Webster County

Flood gauges in Webster County
Fort Dodge10.520.28 ft, Jun 23, 19474

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STRI4, 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.