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Middle River near Indianola

Highest listed crest 25.55 ftFlood stage 23.0 ft91 crests since 1940

The Middle River near Indianola crested above flood stage 13 times among the 91 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2025. The highest, 25.55 ft on June 6, 2008, was minor flooding, 2.55 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.55 ft
June 6, 2008; 19,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
23.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 13, 2019
25.19 ft, minor flooding
Location
Warren County
Near Indianola (4.4 mi), Norwalk (6.9 mi), Des Moines (10.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Middle River near Indianola
Action stage19.026Aug 7, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)23.013Mar 13, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage26.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

91 crests from 1940 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Middle River near Indianola, 1940 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 23.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Jul 31, 1940: 9.59 ft, below flood stage; 2,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1941: 16.92 ft, below flood stage; 8,240 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1941: 16.69 ft, below flood stage; 7,960 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1943: 12.73 ft, below flood stage; 4,150 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1944: 17.51 ft, below flood stage; 9,490 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1945: 16.55 ft, below flood stage; 7,860 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1946: 16.09 ft, below flood stage; 7,190 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1947: 23.59 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1948: 14.59 ft, below flood stage; 5,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1949: 14.47 ft, below flood stageJun 25, 1949: 12.86 ft, below flood stage; 4,670 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1950: 13.66 ft, below flood stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1951: 16.56 ft, below flood stage; 8,520 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1952: 19.39 ft, action stage; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1953: 14.72 ft, below flood stage; 6,450 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1954: 14.74 ft, below flood stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1955: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 2,850 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1956: 8.67 ft, below flood stage; 2,650 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1957: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,350 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1958: 16.41 ft, below flood stage; 8,260 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1959: 16.71 ft, below flood stage; 8,650 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 17.62 ft, below flood stage; 9,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 1961: 15.79 ft, below flood stage; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1962: 16.61 ft, below flood stage; 8,520 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1963: 19.61 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1964: 18.13 ft, below flood stage; 5,960 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1965: 20.45 ft, action stage; 9,700 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1966: 17.56 ft, below flood stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1967: 17.69 ft, below flood stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1968: 9.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1969: 20.84 ft, action stage; 9,280 cubic feet per secondAug 8, 1970: 20.62 ft, action stage; 8,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 18.62 ft, below flood stageMay 24, 1971: 16.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,800 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1972: 21.46 ft, action stage; 9,150 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1973: 22.77 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1974: 25.33 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1975: 20.43 ft, action stage; 7,890 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1976: 22.46 ft, action stage; 9,900 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1977: 23.04 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1978: 21.46 ft, action stage; 9,190 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1979: 18.32 ft, below flood stage; 6,100 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1980: 16.08 ft, below flood stage; 4,260 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1981: 22.78 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 1982: 22.21 ft, action stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1982: 18.34 ft, below flood stage; 6,710 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1984: 21.65 ft, action stage; 9,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1985: 15.97 ft, below flood stageJun 24, 1985: 15.09 ft, below flood stage; 3,470 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1986: 17.74 ft, below flood stage; 5,400 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1987: 23.79 ft, minor flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondNov 29, 1987: 9.00 ft, below flood stage; 874 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1989: 16.22 ft, below flood stage; 4,340 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1990: 23.03 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1991: 22.27 ft, action stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1992: 23.23 ft, minor flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1993: 21.62 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1994: 14.91 ft, below flood stageMar 5, 1994: 14.77 ft, below flood stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1995: 18.52 ft, below flood stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1996: 22.71 ft, action stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1997: 20.35 ft, action stageMay 8, 1997: 18.98 ft, below flood stage; 7,690 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1998: 22.27 ft, action stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1999: 18.73 ft, below flood stage; 7,420 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2000: 16.41 ft, below flood stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2001: 17.04 ft, below flood stage; 5,770 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2002: 10.22 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2003: 15.21 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 21.03 ft, action stage; 9,990 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 21.66 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2006: 9.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 22.44 ft, action stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 25.55 ft, minor flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 22.64 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 2010: 23.01 ft, minor flooding; 12,700 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2011: 24.08 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2012: 20.75 ft, action stage; 9,650 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2013: 22.76 ft, action stage; 12,200 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2014: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2015: 24.90 ft, minor flooding; 15,900 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2015: 23.49 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2017: 16.49 ft, below flood stage; 5,140 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2018: 18.10 ft, below flood stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2019: 25.19 ft, minor floodingOct 2, 2019: 21.94 ft, action stage; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2021: 15.86 ft, below flood stage; 3,950 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 16.54 ft, below flood stage; 4,640 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2023: 12.09 ft, below flood stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2024: 18.80 ft, below flood stage; 6,660 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 2025: 20.54 ft, action stage; 8,640 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.55 ft, Jun 6, 2008 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Middle River near Indianola 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 91 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Middle River near Indianola
1Jun 6, 200825.55+2.55Minor19,000
2Jun 9, 197425.33+2.33Minor12,600
3Mar 13, 201925.19+2.19Minor—
4Jul 29, 201524.90+1.90Minor15,900
5Sep 10, 201424.60+1.60Minor15,100
6Jun 10, 201124.08+1.08Minor15,100
7Aug 27, 198723.79+0.79Minor15,500
8Jun 13, 194723.59+0.59Minor34,000
9Dec 14, 201523.49+0.49Minor13,000
10Sep 16, 199223.23+0.23Minor13,500
11Aug 26, 197723.04+0.04Minor12,800
12Jun 17, 199023.03+0.03Minor12,800
13Jul 20, 201023.01+0.01Minor12,700
14Jul 4, 198122.78−0.22Action12,300
15Feb 2, 197322.77−0.23Action11,100
16Apr 18, 201322.76−0.24Action12,200
17May 10, 199622.71−0.29Action12,300
18Apr 27, 200922.64−0.36Action12,000
19Apr 24, 197622.46−0.54Action9,900
20May 7, 200722.44−0.56Action12,600
21Apr 19, 199122.27−0.73Action11,300
22Jul 7, 199822.27−0.73Action11,500
23Jul 16, 198222.21−0.79Action11,100
24Oct 2, 201921.94−1.06Action10,700
25May 13, 200521.66−1.34Action10,800
26May 25, 198421.65−1.35Action9,800
27Jul 5, 199321.62−1.38Action10,000
28Sep 14, 197221.46−1.54Action9,150
29Apr 18, 197821.46−1.54Action9,190
30May 25, 200421.03−1.97Action9,990
31Jul 19, 196920.84−2.16Action9,280
32Apr 15, 201220.75−2.25Action9,650
33Aug 8, 197020.62−2.38Action8,970
34Aug 7, 202520.54−2.46Action8,640
35Mar 17, 196520.45−2.55Action9,700
36Jun 25, 197520.43−2.57Action7,890
37Feb 19, 199720.35−2.65Action—
38Mar 4, 196319.61−3.39Action4,500
39Jun 22, 195219.39−3.61Action14,400
40May 8, 199718.98−4.02Below flood stage7,690
41May 22, 202418.80−4.20Below flood stage6,660
42Apr 16, 199918.73−4.27Below flood stage7,420
43Feb 19, 197118.62−4.38Below flood stage—
44Apr 27, 199518.52−4.48Below flood stage7,230
45Dec 28, 198218.34−4.66Below flood stage6,710
46Mar 19, 197918.32−4.68Below flood stage6,100
47Sep 7, 196418.13−4.87Below flood stage5,960
48Sep 4, 201818.10−4.90Below flood stage6,540
49Apr 3, 198617.74−5.26Below flood stage5,400
50Jun 12, 196717.69−5.31Below flood stage5,680

Other gauges in Warren County

Flood gauges in Warren County
Norwalk22.025.33 ft, Jun 17, 19900
Ackworth29.032.85 ft, Jul 5, 19812

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge IDNI4, 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.