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West Nishnabotna River near Hancock

Highest listed crest 23.52 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft70 crests since 1960

The West Nishnabotna River near Hancock crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 70 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1960 to 2025. The highest, 23.52 ft on July 10, 1993, was major flooding, 9.52 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
23.52 ft
July 10, 1993; 30,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 23.0 ft
Crests at major
1
93rd of 203 gauges in Iowa
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2019
22.36 ft, moderate flooding

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, West Nishnabotna River near Hancock
Action stage12.010May 21, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.023Dec 14, 2015Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage19.06Mar 14, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage23.01Jul 10, 1993Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

70 crests from 1960 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the West Nishnabotna River near Hancock, 1960 to 2025 0510152025ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 23.0 ft Mar 29, 1960: 13.64 ft, action stage; 9,320 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1961: 10.31 ft, below flood stage; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1962: 13.50 ft, action stage; 9,240 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1963: 9.75 ft, below flood stage; 4,860 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1964: 14.50 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1965: 20.44 ft, moderate flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1965: 15.39 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1966: 9.07 ft, below flood stage; 4,170 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 14.16 ft, minor flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1968: 6.41 ft, below flood stage; 2,380 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1969: 15.02 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1970: 9.89 ft, below flood stage; 4,930 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1971: 18.56 ft, minor flooding; 17,700 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1972: 22.12 ft, moderate flooding; 26,400 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1973: 16.54 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1974: 12.81 ft, action stage; 8,950 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1975: 14.13 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1976: 12.70 ft, action stage; 8,810 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 1977: 4.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 1978: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 16,800 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1979: 19.54 ft, moderate flooding; 18,300 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1980: 14.01 ft, minor flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1981: 6.75 ft, below flood stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondFeb 21, 1982: 15.84 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1983: 11.70 ft, below flood stage; 8,310 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1984: 14.52 ft, minor flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1984: 9.48 ft, below flood stage; 5,610 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1986: 15.19 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1986: 12.39 ft, action stage; 7,510 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1987: 9.97 ft, below flood stage; 4,870 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1988: 7.45 ft, below flood stage; 2,730 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 1989: 19.44 ft, moderate flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1990: 18.33 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1991: 12.68 ft, action stage; 7,870 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1992: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 1,620 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1993: 23.52 ft, major flooding; 30,100 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1994: 12.58 ft, action stage; 7,750 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1995: 8.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,300 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1996: 17.00 ft, minor floodingJul 17, 1996: 17.91 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1996: 17.71 ft, minor floodingFeb 18, 1997: 17.00 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 17.53 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1999: 12.18 ft, action stage; 7,260 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2000: 3.18 ft, below flood stage; 389 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2001: 11.34 ft, below flood stage; 8,230 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 2002: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2003: 11.92 ft, below flood stage; 6,960 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2004: 17.19 ft, minor flooding; 14,400 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 2005: 10.45 ft, below flood stage; 5,350 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2006: 3.41 ft, below flood stage; 555 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2007: 20.53 ft, moderate flooding; 19,800 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 18.47 ft, minor flooding; 16,600 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2009: 10.35 ft, below flood stage; 5,250 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2010: 14.36 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2011: 11.20 ft, below flood stage; 6,150 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2012: 5.91 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2013: 9.55 ft, below flood stage; 4,460 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2014: 16.44 ft, minor flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2015: 14.32 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 2016: 12.95 ft, action stage; 9,090 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2017: 9.05 ft, below flood stage; 4,010 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2018: 9.12 ft, below flood stage; 4,080 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 22.36 ft, moderate flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 18, 2020: 7.74 ft, below flood stageMar 4, 2021: 4.42 ft, below flood stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2022: 5.46 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2023: 11.39 ft, below flood stage; 6,350 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2024: 13.03 ft, action stage; 7,770 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2025: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,340 cubic feet per second Highest, 23.52 ft, Jul 10, 1993 1960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, West Nishnabotna River near Hancock 1960s: 5 1970s: 6 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 7 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 70 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, West Nishnabotna River near Hancock
1Jul 10, 199323.52+9.52Major30,100
2Mar 14, 201922.36+8.36Moderate29,600
3Sep 13, 197222.12+8.12Moderate26,400
4May 6, 200720.53+6.53Moderate19,800
5Mar 1, 196520.44+6.44Moderate18,000
6Mar 18, 197919.54+5.54Moderate18,300
7Sep 8, 198919.44+5.44Moderate17,600
8Feb 19, 197118.56+4.56Minor17,700
9Jun 12, 200818.47+4.47Minor16,600
10Jun 17, 199018.33+4.33Minor16,400
11Jul 17, 199617.91+3.91Minor15,700
12Sep 13, 197817.85+3.85Minor16,800
13Aug 5, 199617.71+3.71Minor—
14Jun 15, 199817.53+3.53Minor15,000
15May 25, 200417.19+3.19Minor14,400
16Jun 21, 199617.00+3.00Minor—
17Feb 18, 199717.00+3.00Minor11,200
18Sep 26, 197316.54+2.54Minor14,300
19Sep 1, 201416.44+2.44Minor13,200
20Feb 21, 198215.84+1.84Minor13,900
21Mar 17, 196515.39+1.39Minor12,000
22May 10, 198615.19+1.19Minor13,000
23Mar 18, 196915.02+1.02Minor12,600
24Jun 15, 198414.52+0.52Minor12,000
25May 26, 196414.50+0.50Minor10,500
26Jun 27, 201014.36+0.36Minor10,100
27Dec 14, 201514.32+0.32Minor—
28Jun 16, 196714.16+0.16Minor10,900
29Apr 28, 197514.13+0.13Minor10,700
30Jun 15, 198014.01+0.01Minor9,880
31Mar 29, 196013.64−0.36Action9,320
32May 29, 196213.50−0.50Action9,240
33May 21, 202413.03−0.97Action7,770
34May 10, 201612.95−1.05Action9,090
35May 19, 197412.81−1.19Action8,950
36Jun 13, 197612.70−1.30Action8,810
37Jun 14, 199112.68−1.32Action7,870
38Jun 12, 199412.58−1.42Action7,750
39Oct 11, 198612.39−1.61Action7,510
40Jul 3, 199912.18−1.82Action7,260
41May 4, 200311.92−2.08Below flood stage6,960
42Feb 20, 198311.70−2.30Below flood stage8,310
43Feb 27, 202311.39−2.61Below flood stage6,350
44Mar 15, 200111.34−2.66Below flood stage8,230
45Jun 21, 201111.20−2.80Below flood stage6,150
46Jun 11, 200510.45−3.55Below flood stage5,350
47Jul 4, 200910.35−3.65Below flood stage5,250
48Mar 14, 196110.31−3.69Below flood stage5,430
49Aug 26, 19879.97−4.03Below flood stage4,870
50May 13, 19709.89−4.11Below flood stage4,930

The worst floods along the West Nishnabotna River

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

March 14, 2019: 22.36 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RandolphIA · Mar 14, 2019 · 24.87 ft · Moderate · its highest

September 13, 1972: 22.12 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RandolphIA · Sep 14, 1972 · 21.71 ft · Minor

May 6, 2007: 20.53 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RandolphIA · May 7, 2007 · 24.16 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the West Nishnabotna River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the West Nishnabotna River
Hancock this gaugeIA14.023.52 ft, Jul 10, 19931
RandolphIA19.024.87 ft, Mar 14, 20190

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HNKI4, 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.