Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Iowa River at Steamboat Rock

Highest listed crest 17.86 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft31 crests since 1965

The Iowa River at Steamboat Rock crested above flood stage 13 times among the 31 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2025. The highest, 17.86 ft on June 8, 2008, was minor flooding, 6.86 feet above flood stage. 10 other gauges on the Iowa River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.86 ft
June 8, 2008
Flood stage
11.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 26, 2018
12.24 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hardin County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Iowa River at Steamboat Rock
Action stage10.07May 21, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.013Sep 26, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

31 crests from 1965 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Iowa River at Steamboat Rock, 1965 to 2025 681012141618ft Flood stage 11.0 ft Mar 8, 1965: 16.42 ft, minor floodingApr 4, 1993: 13.64 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 1994: 7.93 ft, below flood stageMar 3, 1995: 7.42 ft, below flood stageMar 7, 1996: 16.22 ft, minor floodingDec 18, 1996: 15.79 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 1998: 10.37 ft, action stageMay 19, 1999: 13.34 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 2000: 8.23 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 2001: 10.19 ft, action stageAug 31, 2002: 9.68 ft, below flood stageJul 11, 2003: 10.44 ft, action stageMay 27, 2004: 12.65 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2005: 10.64 ft, action stageJul 12, 2006: 8.19 ft, below flood stageAug 23, 2007: 9.78 ft, below flood stageJun 8, 2008: 17.86 ft, minor floodingFeb 15, 2009: 8.79 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 2010: 13.75 ft, minor floodingFeb 24, 2011: 8.33 ft, below flood stageMay 4, 2012: 6.59 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 2013: 13.94 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2014: 13.46 ft, minor floodingAug 29, 2015: 7.96 ft, below flood stageJan 2, 2016: 16.09 ft, minor floodingDec 18, 2016: 15.20 ft, minor floodingSep 26, 2018: 12.24 ft, minor floodingMar 20, 2019: 10.89 ft, action stageOct 13, 2019: 10.39 ft, action stageMay 21, 2024: 10.73 ft, action stage; 5,430 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2025: 9.34 ft, below flood stage; 4,260 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.86 ft, Jun 8, 2008 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Iowa River at Steamboat Rock 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 2000s: 2 2010s: 6 6 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

Highest listed crests, Iowa River at Steamboat Rock
1Jun 8, 200817.86+6.86Minor—
2Mar 8, 196516.42+5.42Minor—
3Mar 7, 199616.22+5.22Minor—
4Jan 2, 201616.09+5.09Minor—
5Dec 18, 199615.79+4.79Minor—
6Dec 18, 201615.20+4.20Minor—
7May 30, 201313.94+2.94Minor—
8Jun 26, 201013.75+2.75Minor—
9Apr 4, 199313.64+2.64Minor—
10Jun 23, 201413.46+2.46Minor—
11May 19, 199913.34+2.34Minor—
12May 27, 200412.65+1.65Minor—
13Sep 26, 201812.24+1.24Minor—
14Mar 20, 201910.89−0.11Action—
15May 21, 202410.73−0.27Action5,430
16Jun 29, 200510.64−0.36Action—
17Jul 11, 200310.44−0.56Action—
18Oct 13, 201910.39−0.61Action—
19Jun 21, 199810.37−0.63Action—
20May 7, 200110.19−0.81Action—
21Aug 23, 20079.78−1.22Below flood stage—
22Aug 31, 20029.68−1.32Below flood stage—
23Jul 24, 20259.34−1.66Below flood stage4,260
24Feb 15, 20098.79−2.21Below flood stage—
25Feb 24, 20118.33−2.67Below flood stage—
26Jun 17, 20008.23−2.77Below flood stage—
27Jul 12, 20068.19−2.81Below flood stage—
28Aug 29, 20157.96−3.04Below flood stage—
29Aug 30, 19947.93−3.07Below flood stage—
30Mar 3, 19957.42−3.58Below flood stage—
31May 4, 20126.59−4.41Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Iowa River

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

June 8, 2008: 17.86 ft here, minor flooding

  • Columbus JctIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 32.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • WapelloIA · Jun 14, 2008 · 32.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • Iowa CityIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 31.53 ft · Major · its highest
  • OakvilleIA · Jun 14, 2008 · 23.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • Lone Tree (Tri-County Bridge)IA · Jun 15, 2008 · 23.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • MarengoIA · Jun 12, 2008 · 21.38 ft · Major · its highest
  • RowanIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 15.89 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • MarshalltownIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.79 ft · Minor
  • Tama US 63IA · Jun 13, 2008 · 21.31 ft · Minor
  • Belle PlaineIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 19.86 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Iowa River

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

Flood gauges on the Iowa River
Belle PlaineIA15.019.86 ft, Jun 13, 20080
Columbus JctIA23.032.30 ft, Jun 15, 20083
Iowa CityIA23.531.53 ft, Jun 15, 20082
MarengoIA15.021.38 ft, Jun 12, 200810
MarshalltownIA19.022.25 ft, Jul 2, 20140
OakvilleIA11.023.22 ft, Jun 14, 20081
Steamboat Rock this gaugeIA11.017.86 ft, Jun 8, 20080
WapelloIA21.032.15 ft, Jun 14, 20087
Lone Tree (Tri-County Bridge)IA16.023.10 ft, Jun 15, 20083
RowanIA12.515.89 ft, Jun 9, 20080
Tama Hwy E49IA12.515.20 ft, May 28, 20133
Tama US 63IA20.022.31 ft, Apr 28, 20070

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge STBI4, 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.