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West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville

Highest listed crest 17.94 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft54 crests since 1952

The West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 54 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1952 to 2025. The highest, 17.94 ft on June 24, 2024, was major flooding, 7.94 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 4 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.94 ft
June 24, 2024
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.5 ft
Crests at major
7
35th of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
June 24, 2024
17.94 ft, major flooding
Location
Emmet County
Iowa

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville
Action stage6.017Apr 21, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.012Mar 9, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.01Apr 14, 1984Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.57Jun 24, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

54 crests from 1952 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville, 1952 to 2025 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.5 ft Apr 6, 1952: 11.82 ft, minor flooding; 4,880 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1953: 15.53 ft, major flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1954: 5.67 ft, below flood stage; 1,380 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1955: 4.37 ft, below flood stage; 752 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1956: 3.42 ft, below flood stage; 370 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1957: 5.33 ft, below flood stage; 1,200 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1958: 3.51 ft, below flood stage; 404 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1959: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 3,040 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1960: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 4,040 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1961: 12.03 ft, minor flooding; 5,350 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1962: 12.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,610 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1963: 7.35 ft, action stage; 2,090 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1964: 6.24 ft, action stage; 1,660 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1965: 15.61 ft, major flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 6.18 ft, action stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1967: 5.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,320 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 1968: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 676 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1969: 17.68 ft, major flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1970: 6.08 ft, action stage; 1,500 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1971: 10.54 ft, minor flooding; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1972: 6.22 ft, action stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1973: 7.06 ft, action stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1974: 5.87 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1975: 8.01 ft, action stage; 2,320 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1976: 5.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,060 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1977: 3.37 ft, below flood stageMar 19, 1977: 3.35 ft, below flood stage; 380 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1978: 7.58 ft, action stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondAug 27, 1979: 10.99 ft, minor flooding; 4,000 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1979: 9.21 ft, action stage; 2,920 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1981: 6.23 ft, action stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1982: 5.86 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1983: 12.66 ft, minor flooding; 5,970 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1984: 14.30 ft, moderate flooding; 8,570 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1985: 8.77 ft, action stage; 2,930 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1986: 11.27 ft, minor flooding; 4,570 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1987: 7.70 ft, action stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1988: 4.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1989: 4.50 ft, below flood stage; 915 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1990: 5.28 ft, below flood stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1991: 11.11 ft, minor flooding; 4,120 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1992: 8.59 ft, action stage; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1993: 15.38 ft, major flooding; 9,330 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 10.10 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1994: 9.95 ft, action stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2017: 8.01 ft, action stageJul 9, 2018: 14.89 ft, major floodingMar 25, 2019: 15.24 ft, major floodingMar 9, 2020: 10.78 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2021: 3.80 ft, below flood stageJun 15, 2022: 7.84 ft, action stageApr 21, 2023: 9.04 ft, action stageJun 24, 2024: 17.94 ft, major floodingJul 5, 2025: 5.31 ft, below flood stage Highest, 17.94 ft, Jun 24, 2024 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville 1950s: 3 1960s: 5 5 1970s: 2 1980s: 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 54 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, West Fork Des Moines River at Estherville
1Jun 24, 202417.94+7.94Major—
2Apr 12, 196917.68+7.68Major16,000
3Apr 10, 196515.61+5.61Major10,200
4Jun 8, 195315.53+5.53Major10,800
5Jun 30, 199315.38+5.38Major9,330
6Mar 25, 201915.24+5.24Major—
7Jul 9, 201814.89+4.89Major—
8Apr 14, 198414.30+4.30Moderate8,570
9Jul 6, 198312.66+2.66Minor5,970
10Apr 6, 196212.22+2.22Minor5,610
11Mar 25, 196112.03+2.03Minor5,350
12Apr 6, 195211.82+1.82Minor4,880
13Sep 28, 198611.27+1.27Minor4,570
14Jun 11, 199111.11+1.11Minor4,120
15Aug 27, 197910.99+0.99Minor4,000
16Apr 5, 196010.79+0.79Minor4,040
17Mar 9, 202010.78+0.78Minor—
18Apr 1, 197110.54+0.54Minor3,780
19Mar 6, 199410.10+0.10Minor—
20Jun 1, 195910.04+0.04Minor3,040
21Jun 19, 19949.95−0.05Action3,370
22Nov 9, 19799.21−0.79Action2,920
23Apr 21, 20239.04−0.96Action—
24Apr 30, 19858.77−1.23Action2,930
25Mar 7, 19928.59−1.41Action2,790
26Apr 26, 19758.01−1.99Action2,320
27May 23, 20178.01−1.99Action—
28Jun 15, 20227.84−2.16Action—
29Apr 2, 19877.70−2.30Action2,370
30Apr 24, 19787.58−2.42Action2,140
31Jul 19, 19637.35−2.65Action2,090
32Mar 14, 19737.06−2.94Action1,800
33May 7, 19646.24−3.76Action1,660
34Jun 15, 19816.23−3.77Action1,530
35Mar 19, 19726.22−3.78Action1,520
36Feb 10, 19666.18−3.82Action1,400
37Apr 8, 19706.08−3.92Action1,500
38Jun 10, 19745.87−4.13Below flood stage1,390
39Mar 23, 19825.86−4.14Below flood stage1,410
40Apr 4, 19675.69−4.31Below flood stage1,320
41Mar 19, 19545.67−4.33Below flood stage1,380
42Mar 13, 19765.43−4.57Below flood stage1,060
43Jun 24, 19575.33−4.67Below flood stage1,200
44Jul 5, 20255.31−4.69Below flood stage—
45Jun 19, 19905.28−4.72Below flood stage1,290
46Apr 28, 19884.72−5.28Below flood stage1,020
47Mar 29, 19894.50−5.50Below flood stage915
48Mar 12, 19554.37−5.63Below flood stage752
49Jul 28, 19684.09−5.91Below flood stage676
50Apr 13, 20213.80−6.20Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the West Fork Des Moines River

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

June 24, 2024: 17.94 ft here, major flooding

  • AvocaMN · Jun 24, 2024 · 1,429.64 ft · Major
  • WindomMN · Jun 25, 2024 · 25.01 ft · Major · its highest
  • HumboldtIA · Jun 27, 2024 · 16.82 ft · Major · its highest
  • JacksonMN · Jun 26, 2024 · 16.04 ft · Major · its highest
  • EmmetsburgIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 15.47 ft · Major · its highest

April 12, 1969: 17.68 ft here, major flooding

  • HumboldtIA · Apr 14, 1969 · 15.40 ft · Major
  • WindomMN · Apr 11, 1969 · 24.70 ft · Moderate
  • EmmetsburgIA · Apr 12, 1969 · 14.75 ft · Moderate

April 10, 1965: 15.61 ft here, major flooding

  • HumboldtIA · Apr 8, 1965 · 13.90 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River

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

Flood gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River
WindomMN19.025.01 ft, Jun 25, 20241
EmmetsburgIA11.015.47 ft, Jun 24, 20241
Estherville this gaugeIA10.017.94 ft, Jun 24, 20247
HumboldtIA10.016.82 ft, Jun 27, 20244
JacksonMN12.016.04 ft, Jun 26, 20242
AvocaMN1,425.01,430.20 ft, Jul 5, 20183

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ESVI4, 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.