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North Raccoon River near Jefferson

Highest listed crest 22.30 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft91 crests since 1940

The North Raccoon River near Jefferson crested above flood stage 5 times among the 91 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1940 to 2025. The highest, 22.30 ft on June 23, 1947, was moderate flooding, 3.30 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.30 ft
June 23, 1947; 29,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
19.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
0
5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 15, 2019
19.74 ft, minor flooding
Location
Greene County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Raccoon River near Jefferson
Action stage17.010Dec 17, 2015The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)19.04Mar 15, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.01Jun 23, 1947Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.00—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 North Raccoon River near Jefferson, 1940 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 19.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Aug 28, 1940: 10.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1941: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,420 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1942: 10.00 ft, below flood stage; 3,590 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1943: 15.00 ft, below flood stage; 9,480 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1944: 15.70 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1945: 13.80 ft, below flood stage; 8,780 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1946: 13.40 ft, below flood stage; 7,310 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1947: 22.30 ft, moderate flooding; 29,100 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 13.80 ft, below flood stage; 8,630 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1949: 14.80 ft, below flood stage; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1950: 12.00 ft, below flood stage; 6,050 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1951: 17.39 ft, action stage; 16,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 12.80 ft, below flood stage; 6,580 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1953: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 3,490 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1954: 19.52 ft, minor flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1955: 9.78 ft, below flood stage; 3,580 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1956: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 650 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1957: 13.49 ft, below flood stage; 7,800 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1958: 11.70 ft, below flood stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1959: 15.06 ft, below flood stage; 9,800 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1960: 19.43 ft, minor flooding; 18,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1961: 13.19 ft, below flood stage; 6,680 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 17.60 ft, action stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1963: 12.34 ft, below flood stage; 5,510 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1964: 8.61 ft, below flood stage; 2,280 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1965: 15.29 ft, below flood stage; 9,890 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1966: 14.11 ft, below flood stage; 7,980 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1967: 15.61 ft, below flood stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1968: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1969: 15.85 ft, below flood stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1970: 11.64 ft, below flood stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1971: 15.75 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 1971: 13.70 ft, below flood stage; 7,160 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1972: 12.25 ft, below flood stage; 5,550 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1973: 15.97 ft, below flood stage; 10,400 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 1973: 14.06 ft, below flood stage; 7,240 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1974: 15.11 ft, below flood stageMay 1, 1975: 13.82 ft, below flood stage; 7,190 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1976: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1977: 5.71 ft, below flood stageAug 26, 1977: 5.29 ft, below flood stage; 404 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1978: 14.67 ft, below flood stage; 8,200 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1979: 17.84 ft, action stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1980: 8.93 ft, below flood stage; 2,550 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1981: 7.35 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1982: 12.91 ft, below flood stage; 6,540 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1983: 17.38 ft, action stage; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1984: 17.86 ft, action stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1984: 13.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,800 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1986: 14.01 ft, below flood stage; 8,260 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1986: 14.03 ft, below flood stage; 8,840 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1988: 7.08 ft, below flood stageMay 10, 1988: 6.78 ft, below flood stage; 1,470 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1989: 8.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1990: 18.61 ft, action stage; 18,400 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1991: 16.60 ft, below flood stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1992: 12.25 ft, below flood stage; 6,400 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1993: 19.20 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 1994: 11.93 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 1995: 12.53 ft, below flood stage; 7,210 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1996: 16.16 ft, below flood stage; 11,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 22, 1997: 14.61 ft, below flood stageApr 8, 1997: 9.87 ft, below flood stage; 3,970 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1998: 15.68 ft, below flood stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1999: 14.92 ft, below flood stage; 10,500 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2000: 6.64 ft, below flood stage; 918 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2001: 16.33 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2002: 10.81 ft, below flood stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2003: 16.24 ft, below flood stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 2005: 15.76 ft, below flood stage; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2006: 10.84 ft, below flood stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2007: 16.98 ft, below flood stage; 13,500 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 18.41 ft, action stage; 18,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 2009: 17.94 ft, action stageMar 18, 2010: 18.16 ft, action stage; 18,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 2011: 15.96 ft, below flood stageJun 30, 2011: 12.52 ft, below flood stage; 7,640 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2012: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 16.53 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2014: 14.44 ft, below flood stageJun 26, 2015: 15.18 ft, below flood stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 2015: 18.21 ft, action stageMay 23, 2017: 13.89 ft, below flood stage; 9,370 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2018: 15.25 ft, below flood stage; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 19.74 ft, minor floodingMar 21, 2020: 11.66 ft, below flood stage; 6,520 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 758 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2022: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 2,210 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2023: 10.83 ft, below flood stage; 5,530 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2024: 12.33 ft, below flood stage; 7,110 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 2025: 11.17 ft, below flood stage; 6,310 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.30 ft, Jun 23, 1947 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Raccoon River near Jefferson 1940s: 1 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 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, North Raccoon River near Jefferson
1Jun 23, 194722.30+3.30Moderate29,100
2Mar 15, 201919.74+0.74Minor—
3Jun 22, 195419.52+0.52Minor21,300
4Mar 31, 196019.43+0.43Minor18,600
5Jul 10, 199319.20+0.20Minor16,900
6Jun 19, 199018.61−0.39Action18,400
7Jun 9, 200818.41−0.59Action18,300
8Dec 17, 201518.21−0.79Action—
9Mar 18, 201018.16−0.84Action18,700
10Feb 12, 200917.94−1.06Action—
11Jun 21, 198417.86−1.14Action15,600
12Mar 25, 197917.84−1.16Action15,300
13Mar 30, 196217.60−1.40Action14,300
14Mar 29, 195117.39−1.61Action16,000
15Jul 2, 198317.38−1.62Action14,500
16Apr 27, 200716.98−2.02Below flood stage13,500
17Jun 6, 199116.60−2.40Below flood stage13,600
18May 30, 201316.53−2.47Below flood stage12,800
19May 4, 200116.33−2.67Below flood stage12,500
20Jul 11, 200316.24−2.76Below flood stage12,400
21Jun 24, 199616.16−2.84Below flood stage11,900
22Sep 29, 197315.97−3.03Below flood stage10,400
23Feb 19, 201115.96−3.04Below flood stage—
24Mar 26, 196915.85−3.15Below flood stage10,800
25Jun 30, 200515.76−3.24Below flood stage11,700
26Feb 21, 197115.75−3.25Below flood stage—
27Jun 14, 194415.70−3.30Below flood stage11,900
28Jun 27, 199815.68−3.32Below flood stage11,600
29Jun 11, 196715.61−3.39Below flood stage10,400
30Apr 5, 196515.29−3.71Below flood stage9,890
31Jun 23, 201815.25−3.75Below flood stage11,500
32Jun 26, 201515.18−3.82Below flood stage10,900
33Feb 20, 197415.11−3.89Below flood stage—
34Jun 3, 195915.06−3.94Below flood stage9,800
35Aug 13, 194315.00−4.00Below flood stage9,480
36Apr 24, 199914.92−4.08Below flood stage10,500
37Mar 7, 194914.80−4.20Below flood stage10,100
38Sep 17, 197814.67−4.33Below flood stage8,200
39Feb 22, 199714.61−4.39Below flood stage—
40Jul 3, 201414.44−4.56Below flood stage—
41Jun 12, 196614.11−4.89Below flood stage7,980
42Oct 14, 197314.06−4.94Below flood stage7,240
43Oct 15, 198614.03−4.97Below flood stage8,840
44Mar 21, 198614.01−4.99Below flood stage8,260
45May 23, 201713.89−5.11Below flood stage9,370
46May 1, 197513.82−5.18Below flood stage7,190
47Jun 3, 194513.80−5.20Below flood stage8,780
48Mar 20, 194813.80−5.20Below flood stage8,630
49Mar 15, 197113.70−5.30Below flood stage7,160
50Jun 16, 195713.49−5.51Below flood stage7,800

The worst floods along the North Raccoon River

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

March 15, 2019: 19.74 ft here, minor flooding

  • PerryIA · Mar 16, 2019 · 21.15 ft · Major

July 10, 1993: 19.20 ft here, minor flooding

  • PerryIA · Jul 10, 1993 · 23.00 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the North Raccoon River

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

Flood gauges on the North Raccoon River
Jefferson this gaugeIA19.022.30 ft, Jun 23, 19470
PerryIA15.023.00 ft, Jul 10, 19938

Other gauges in Greene County

Flood gauges in Greene County
Grand Junction13.034.84 ft, Jun 23, 19980

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge EFWI4, 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.