Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Volga River at Littleport

Highest listed crest 25.36 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft21 crests since 1961

The Volga River at Littleport crested at major flood stage 9 times among the 21 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1961 to 2024. The highest, 25.36 ft on May 17, 1999, was major flooding, 13.36 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.36 ft
May 17, 1999; 30,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
9
29th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
May 22, 2024
13.41 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clayton County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Volga River at Littleport
Action stage10.02Jul 28, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.05May 22, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.05Mar 15, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.09Jul 23, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

21 crests from 1961 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Volga River at Littleport, 1961 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Aug 1, 1961: 16.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 19, 1979: 18.04 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1990: 18.00 ft, major floodingJun 15, 1991: 18.51 ft, major flooding; 13,500 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1999: 25.36 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2002: 13.11 ft, minor flooding; 3,810 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2003: 12.99 ft, minor flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2004: 21.98 ft, major flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2007: 11.92 ft, action stage; 4,030 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2008: 19.40 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 20.41 ft, major flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2009: 14.32 ft, minor flooding; 5,420 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2010: 19.08 ft, major flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2011: 11.93 ft, action stage; 4,420 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 17.59 ft, moderate flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2014: 17.57 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2016: 16.58 ft, moderate flooding; 8,811 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2017: 14.40 ft, minor flooding; 5,926 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2017: 21.13 ft, major flooding; 20,700 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 17.33 ft, moderate flooding; 10,310 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2024: 13.41 ft, minor flooding Highest, 25.36 ft, May 17, 1999 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Volga River at Littleport 1960s: 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 3 2000s: 6 2010s: 7 7 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

Highest listed crests, Volga River at Littleport
1May 17, 199925.36+13.36Major30,000
2May 23, 200421.98+9.98Major21,000
3Jul 23, 201721.13+9.13Major20,700
4Jun 9, 200820.41+8.41Major18,900
5Apr 25, 200819.40+7.40Major16,000
6Jul 24, 201019.08+7.08Major14,500
7Jun 15, 199118.51+6.51Major13,500
8Mar 19, 197918.04+6.04Major12,600
9Aug 27, 199018.00+6.00Major—
10May 30, 201317.59+5.59Moderate10,900
11Jun 20, 201417.57+5.57Moderate10,800
12Mar 15, 201917.33+5.33Moderate10,310
13Sep 24, 201616.58+4.58Moderate8,811
14Aug 1, 196116.00+4.00Moderate—
15Jun 29, 201714.40+2.40Minor5,926
16Apr 27, 200914.32+2.32Minor5,420
17May 22, 202413.41+1.41Minor—
18Jun 4, 200213.11+1.11Minor3,810
19May 10, 200312.99+0.99Minor3,750
20Jul 28, 201111.93−0.07Action4,420
21Mar 14, 200711.92−0.08Action4,030

The worst floods along the Volga River

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

July 23, 2017: 21.13 ft here, major flooding

  • Wadena (IFC)IA · Jul 22, 2017 · 861.00 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Volga (IFC)IA · Jul 23, 2017 · 790.79 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • Randalia (IFC)IA · Jul 22, 2017 · 1,092.69 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Volga River

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

Flood gauges on the Volga River
Littleport this gaugeIA12.025.36 ft, May 17, 19999
Volga (IFC)IA784.5790.79 ft, Jul 23, 20170
Wadena (IFC)IA852.0861.00 ft, Jul 22, 20170
Randalia (IFC)IA1,090.51,092.75 ft, Jun 29, 20170

Other gauges in Clayton County

Flood gauges in Clayton County
Marquette7.012.38 ft, May 23, 20044
Clayton620.0627.28 ft, Apr 24, 19650
McGregor16.025.38 ft, Apr 24, 19653
Lock and Dam 10 - Guttenberg15.023.65 ft, Apr 24, 19652
Elkader (IFC)754.5755.15 ft, Sep 23, 20160
Elkader12.027.77 ft, Jun 10, 20086
Garber17.032.80 ft, May 23, 200428
Elgin (IFC)766.0775.60 ft, Aug 26, 20161
Volga (IFC)784.5790.79 ft, Jul 23, 20170

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VLPI4, 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.