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Rock River at Rock Valley

Highest listed crest 27.70 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft51 crests since 1936

The Rock River at Rock Valley crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2025. The highest, 27.70 ft on June 22, 2024, was major flooding, 11.70 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Rock River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.70 ft
June 22, 2024; 157,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 19.0 ft
Crests at major
6
41st of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2024
27.70 ft, major flooding
Location
Sioux County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rock River at Rock Valley
Action stage14.06Jun 6, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.04Apr 9, 2006Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.08Mar 15, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage19.06Jun 22, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1936 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rock River at Rock Valley, 1936 to 2025 51015202530ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 19.0 ft Apr 7, 1936: 17.32 ft, moderate flooding; 40,400 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1953: 15.99 ft, action stage; 18,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1954: 15.86 ft, action stage; 19,200 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 16.91 ft, minor flooding; 28,400 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1977: 10.86 ft, below flood stage; 2,980 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1978: 15.32 ft, action stage; 7,990 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 18.91 ft, moderate flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1981: 11.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1982: 14.61 ft, action stage; 7,070 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1983: 18.85 ft, moderate flooding; 19,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1984: 18.06 ft, moderate flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1985: 16.07 ft, minor flooding; 12,500 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1986: 16.88 ft, minor flooding; 11,500 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1987: 13.59 ft, below flood stage; 4,990 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1988: 8.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1989: 11.39 ft, below flood stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1990: 11.43 ft, below flood stage; 3,360 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1991: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1992: 13.12 ft, below flood stage; 5,470 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 19.97 ft, major flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1994: 18.27 ft, moderate flooding; 23,100 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1995: 12.27 ft, below flood stage; 6,740 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1996: 12.41 ft, below flood stage; 6,980 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 1997: 17.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 1997: 15.17 ft, action stage; 14,600 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1998: 8.71 ft, below flood stage; 2,580 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1999: 10.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2000: 8.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,900 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2001: 17.74 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2002: 6.06 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2003: 6.24 ft, below flood stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2004: 12.24 ft, below flood stage; 8,380 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2005: 9.68 ft, below flood stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2006: 16.44 ft, minor flooding; 17,900 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 17.96 ft, moderate flooding; 15,600 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 14.54 ft, action stage; 13,100 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 2009: 12.06 ft, below flood stage; 49,100 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 2010: 20.24 ft, major flooding; 24,200 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2011: 13.76 ft, below flood stage; 7,440 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2012: 13.89 ft, below flood stage; 7,380 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2013: 12.01 ft, below flood stage; 5,590 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2014: 22.72 ft, major flooding; 60,600 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 2015: 8.83 ft, below flood stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 2016: 11.44 ft, below flood stage; 5,030 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2018: 21.20 ft, major flooding; 34,800 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 20.61 ft, major flooding; 37,800 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2020: 11.63 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 2021: 6.72 ft, below flood stage; 815 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2022: 9.56 ft, below flood stage; 2,500 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 2024: 27.70 ft, major flooding; 157,000 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2025: 7.63 ft, below flood stage; 1,360 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.70 ft, Jun 22, 2024 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rock River at Rock Valley 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 4 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Rock River at Rock Valley
1Jun 22, 202427.70+11.70Major157,000
2Jun 17, 201422.72+6.72Major60,600
3Jun 22, 201821.20+5.20Major34,800
4Mar 15, 201920.61+4.61Major37,800
5Sep 26, 201020.24+4.24Major24,200
6May 9, 199319.97+3.97Major29,300
7Mar 23, 197918.91+2.91Moderate19,300
8Jun 20, 198318.85+2.85Moderate19,000
9Jun 14, 199418.27+2.27Moderate23,100
10Jun 18, 198418.06+2.06Moderate16,300
11Mar 15, 200717.96+1.96Moderate15,600
12Apr 24, 200117.74+1.74Moderate21,600
13Apr 7, 193617.32+1.32Moderate40,400
14Jan 1, 199717.00+1.00Moderate—
15Mar 30, 196216.91+0.91Minor28,400
16Mar 19, 198616.88+0.88Minor11,500
17Apr 9, 200616.44+0.44Minor17,900
18Apr 24, 198516.07+0.07Minor12,500
19Jun 8, 195315.99−0.01Action18,900
20Jun 21, 195415.86−0.14Action19,200
21Mar 21, 197815.32−0.68Action7,990
22Mar 29, 199715.17−0.83Action14,600
23Feb 24, 198214.61−1.39Action7,070
24Jun 6, 200814.54−1.46Action13,100
25May 29, 201213.89−2.11Below flood stage7,380
26Mar 18, 201113.76−2.24Below flood stage7,440
27Mar 25, 198713.59−2.41Below flood stage4,990
28Jul 13, 199213.12−2.88Below flood stage5,470
29Jun 22, 199612.41−3.59Below flood stage6,980
30May 29, 199512.27−3.73Below flood stage6,740
31Mar 2, 200412.24−3.76Below flood stage8,380
32Feb 11, 200912.06−3.94Below flood stage49,100
33May 26, 201312.01−3.99Below flood stage5,590
34Jul 8, 202011.63−4.37Below flood stage—
35May 2, 201611.44−4.56Below flood stage5,030
36Jun 28, 199011.43−4.57Below flood stage3,360
37Mar 12, 198911.39−4.61Below flood stage3,340
38Jun 16, 198111.20−4.80Below flood stage3,200
39Mar 11, 197710.86−5.14Below flood stage2,980
40Apr 10, 199910.10−5.90Below flood stage5,000
41Sep 27, 20059.68−6.32Below flood stage4,460
42Jun 1, 20229.56−6.44Below flood stage2,500
43Aug 21, 20158.83−7.17Below flood stage2,220
44Mar 29, 19988.71−7.29Below flood stage2,580
45Mar 12, 19888.62−7.38Below flood stage1,810
46May 20, 20008.31−7.69Below flood stage2,900
47Jun 6, 19917.72−8.28Below flood stage1,390
48Jul 2, 20257.63−8.37Below flood stage1,360
49Apr 10, 20216.72−9.28Below flood stage815
50May 13, 20036.24−9.76Below flood stage1,230

The worst floods along the Rock River

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

June 22, 2024: 27.70 ft here, major flooding

  • Rock RapidsIA · Jun 22, 2024 · 28.65 ft · Major · its highest
  • HardwickMN · Jun 22, 2024 · 19.89 ft · Moderate
  • LuverneMN · Jun 22, 2024 · 13.61 ft · Moderate

June 17, 2014: 22.72 ft here, major flooding

  • Rock RapidsIA · Jun 17, 2014 · 26.98 ft · Major
  • LuverneMN · Jun 17, 2014 · 14.86 ft · Major · its highest
  • HardwickMN · Jun 17, 2014 · 21.18 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 22, 2018: 21.20 ft here, major flooding

  • Rock RapidsIA · Jun 22, 2018 · 20.80 ft · Major
  • HardwickMN · Jun 21, 2018 · 17.10 ft · Moderate
  • LuverneMN · Jun 22, 2018 · 11.70 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Rock River

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

Flood gauges on the Rock River
LuverneMN10.014.86 ft, Jun 17, 20142
Rock RapidsIA13.028.65 ft, Jun 22, 20247
Rock Valley this gaugeIA16.027.70 ft, Jun 22, 20246
HardwickMN14.021.18 ft, Jun 17, 20140

Other gauges in Sioux County

Flood gauges in Sioux County
Perkins16.023.06 ft, Jun 22, 20241
Alton12.026.81 ft, Jun 22, 20241
Struble14.018.47 ft, Jun 22, 20241

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RKVI4, 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.