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Mississippi River at Burlington

Highest listed crest 25.73 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft137 crests since 1880

The Mississippi River at Burlington crested at major flood stage 36 times among the 137 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1880 to 2024. The highest, 25.73 ft on June 17, 2008, was major flooding, 10.73 feet above flood stage. 23 other gauges on the Mississippi River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.73 ft
June 17, 2008
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
36
2nd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
July 12, 2024
20.48 ft, major flooding
Location
Henderson County
Near Burlington (1.8 mi)
Identifiers
NWS BRLI4
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Mississippi River at Burlington
Action stage14.010Apr 16, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.024Mar 7, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.527Jun 1, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.036Jul 12, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

137 crests from 1880 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Mississippi River at Burlington, 1880 to 2024 51015202530ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Jun 28, 1880: 15.80 ft, minor floodingOct 31, 1881: 16.53 ft, moderate floodingJun 8, 1892: 17.50 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 1917: 11.62 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 1918: 12.95 ft, below flood stageMay 8, 1919: 13.79 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 1920: 14.79 ft, action stageMay 13, 1921: 9.42 ft, below flood stageApr 24, 1922: 15.42 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 1923: 11.18 ft, below flood stageAug 25, 1924: 12.16 ft, below flood stageJun 23, 1925: 9.40 ft, below flood stageSep 28, 1926: 11.88 ft, below flood stageApr 3, 1927: 13.50 ft, below flood stageFeb 21, 1928: 13.25 ft, below flood stageDec 28, 1928: 14.71 ft, action stageMar 13, 1929: 14.71 ft, action stageMay 23, 1929: 15.82 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1930: 11.80 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 1931: 7.70 ft, below flood stageMar 9, 1932: 11.40 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 1933: 12.40 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 1934: 9.10 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1935: 11.70 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 1936: 12.60 ft, below flood stageMar 10, 1937: 13.80 ft, below flood stageSep 25, 1938: 15.00 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 1938: 13.50 ft, below flood stageApr 11, 1939: 13.10 ft, below flood stageApr 19, 1940: 9.30 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 1941: 13.00 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1942: 15.50 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 1943: 14.10 ft, action stageJun 17, 1943: 14.10 ft, action stageMay 27, 1944: 17.10 ft, moderate floodingApr 1, 1945: 15.40 ft, minor floodingJan 11, 1946: 17.10 ft, moderate floodingJun 20, 1947: 17.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 1948: 16.40 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1949: 12.60 ft, below flood stageApr 26, 1950: 13.80 ft, below flood stageApr 29, 1951: 18.10 ft, major floodingApr 28, 1952: 17.85 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 1953: 12.30 ft, below flood stageMay 16, 1954: 14.80 ft, action stageApr 27, 1955: 13.20 ft, below flood stageApr 21, 1956: 12.20 ft, below flood stageJul 15, 1957: 11.10 ft, below flood stageJun 13, 1958: 9.80 ft, below flood stageApr 5, 1959: 14.50 ft, action stageApr 4, 1960: 18.70 ft, major floodingApr 5, 1961: 16.30 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1962: 16.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 22, 1963: 12.10 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 1965: 21.00 ft, major floodingFeb 14, 1966: 15.20 ft, minor floodingApr 17, 1967: 17.00 ft, moderate floodingJul 10, 1968: 13.50 ft, below flood stageApr 30, 1969: 18.40 ft, major floodingMay 17, 1970: 13.00 ft, below flood stageFeb 24, 1971: 16.00 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 1971: 15.40 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 1972: 15.80 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1973: 21.50 ft, major floodingMay 22, 1974: 18.50 ft, major floodingJun 26, 1974: 18.50 ft, major floodingMay 9, 1975: 18.60 ft, major floodingApr 29, 1976: 16.00 ft, minor floodingAug 9, 1977: 9.30 ft, below flood stageApr 23, 1978: 14.80 ft, action stageApr 6, 1979: 18.50 ft, major floodingApr 20, 1980: 13.10 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 1981: 13.60 ft, below flood stageApr 17, 1982: 16.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 21, 1983: 17.00 ft, moderate floodingJun 29, 1984: 16.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1985: 16.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 15, 1986: 17.90 ft, moderate floodingOct 6, 1986: 19.02 ft, major floodingApr 3, 1987: 10.80 ft, below flood stageFeb 4, 1988: 11.66 ft, below flood stageApr 9, 1989: 12.08 ft, below flood stageJun 21, 1990: 17.82 ft, moderate floodingMay 28, 1991: 15.90 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 1992: 15.70 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1993: 20.40 ft, major floodingJul 10, 1993: 25.10 ft, major floodingSep 3, 1993: 17.07 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1994: 14.35 ft, action stageMay 14, 1995: 16.54 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 1996: 18.11 ft, major floodingFeb 24, 1997: 16.35 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1997: 18.94 ft, major floodingApr 15, 1998: 18.71 ft, major floodingJul 9, 1998: 16.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1999: 17.20 ft, moderate floodingJun 18, 2000: 16.49 ft, minor floodingMay 14, 2001: 21.82 ft, major floodingApr 29, 2002: 16.10 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 2002: 16.75 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 2003: 15.92 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 2004: 18.32 ft, major floodingApr 15, 2005: 13.70 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 2006: 14.51 ft, action stageApr 12, 2007: 15.96 ft, minor floodingAug 28, 2007: 16.31 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 2008: 21.18 ft, major floodingJun 17, 2008: 25.73 ft, major floodingMar 12, 2009: 17.15 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 2010: 17.02 ft, moderate floodingJul 29, 2010: 18.25 ft, major floodingOct 8, 2010: 17.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 2011: 20.24 ft, major flooding; 297,028 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2011: 16.63 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 2012: 12.63 ft, below flood stageJun 6, 2013: 20.35 ft, major floodingJul 3, 2013: 19.92 ft, major flooding; 268,799 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2014: 17.30 ft, moderate flooding; 208,364 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2014: 23.65 ft, major flooding; 368,006 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2015: 16.31 ft, minor flooding; 195,967 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2015: 17.00 ft, moderate flooding; 216,016 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2016: 16.53 ft, moderate flooding; 205,320 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2016: 18.93 ft, major flooding; 260,542 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2017: 18.31 ft, major floodingMar 7, 2017: 16.17 ft, minor flooding; 203,751 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2018: 18.14 ft, major floodingJul 3, 2018: 17.73 ft, moderate floodingSep 11, 2018: 18.65 ft, major floodingMar 25, 2019: 20.51 ft, major floodingApr 10, 2019: 20.41 ft, major floodingMay 3, 2019: 23.54 ft, major floodingJun 2, 2019: 24.47 ft, major flooding; 398,110 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2019: 18.36 ft, major floodingApr 13, 2020: 18.21 ft, major floodingMay 4, 2023: 20.00 ft, major floodingJun 1, 2024: 16.57 ft, moderate flooding; 212,692 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2024: 20.48 ft, major flooding; 302,079 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.73 ft, Jun 17, 2008 18801900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Mississippi River at Burlington 1880s: 2 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 6 1950s: 2 1960s: 7 1970s: 9 1980s: 6 1990s: 13 2000s: 11 2010s: 23 23 2020s: 4 1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
  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 137 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Mississippi River at Burlington
1Jun 17, 200825.73+10.73Major—
2Jul 10, 199325.10+10.10Major—
3Jun 2, 201924.47+9.47Major398,110
4Jul 6, 201423.65+8.65Major368,006
5May 3, 201923.54+8.54Major—
6May 14, 200121.82+6.82Major—
7Apr 25, 197321.50+6.50Major—
8May 2, 200821.18+6.18Major—
9Apr 30, 196521.00+6.00Major—
10Mar 25, 201920.51+5.51Major—
11Jul 12, 202420.48+5.48Major302,079
12Apr 10, 201920.41+5.41Major—
13Apr 25, 199320.40+5.40Major—
14Jun 6, 201320.35+5.35Major—
15Apr 24, 201120.24+5.24Major297,028
16May 4, 202320.00+5.00Major—
17Jul 3, 201319.92+4.92Major268,799
18Oct 6, 198619.02+4.02Major—
19Apr 21, 199718.94+3.94Major—
20Oct 3, 201618.93+3.93Major260,542
21Apr 15, 199818.71+3.71Major—
22Apr 4, 196018.70+3.70Major—
23Sep 11, 201818.65+3.65Major—
24May 9, 197518.60+3.60Major—
25May 22, 197418.50+3.50Major—
26Jun 26, 197418.50+3.50Major—
27Apr 6, 197918.50+3.50Major—
28Apr 30, 196918.40+3.40Major—
29Oct 15, 201918.36+3.36Major—
30Jun 2, 200418.32+3.32Major—
31Jan 20, 201718.31+3.31Major—
32Jul 29, 201018.25+3.25Major—
33Apr 13, 202018.21+3.21Major—
34May 13, 201818.14+3.14Major—
35May 13, 199618.11+3.11Major—
36Apr 29, 195118.10+3.10Major—
37Apr 15, 198617.90+2.90Moderate—
38Apr 28, 195217.85+2.85Moderate—
39Jun 21, 199017.82+2.82Moderate—
40Jul 3, 201817.73+2.73Moderate—
41Jun 8, 189217.50+2.50Moderate—
42May 15, 201417.30+2.30Moderate208,364
43May 27, 199917.20+2.20Moderate—
44Mar 12, 200917.15+2.15Moderate—
45May 27, 194417.10+2.10Moderate—
46Jan 11, 194617.10+2.10Moderate—
47Sep 3, 199317.07+2.07Moderate—
48Mar 23, 201017.02+2.02Moderate—
49Jun 20, 194717.00+2.00Moderate—
50Apr 17, 196717.00+2.00Moderate—

The worst floods along the Mississippi River

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

June 17, 2008: 25.73 ft here, major flooding

July 10, 1993: 25.10 ft here, major flooding

  • QuincyIL · Jul 13, 1993 · 32.13 ft · Major · its highest
  • HannibalMO · Jul 15, 1993 · 31.80 ft · Major · its highest
  • Quincy Lock and Dam 21IL · Jul 13, 1993 · 31.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • LaGrangeMO · Jul 13, 1993 · 30.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • Gregory LandingMO · Jul 9, 1993 · 28.49 ft · Major · its highest
  • Canton Lock and Dam 20MO · Jul 9, 1993 · 27.88 ft · Major · its highest
  • KeokukIA · Jul 10, 1993 · 27.58 ft · Major · its highest
  • New BostonIL · Jul 9, 1993 · 25.90 ft · Major · its highest
  • MuscatineIA · Jul 9, 1993 · 25.61 ft · Major · its highest
  • KeithsburgIA · Jul 9, 1993 · 24.15 ft · Major

June 2, 2019: 24.47 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Mississippi River

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

Flood gauges on the Mississippi River
TiptonvilleMO37.048.35 ft, May 5, 20112
Alma - Pool 5MN672.0672.13 ft, Apr 16, 20010
AltonIL21.039.55 ft, Aug 1, 19937
Baton RougeLA35.047.28 ft, May 15, 192731
BellevueIL17.023.51 ft, Apr 26, 196511
BrainerdMN16.017.61 ft, Jun 28, 20120
BrownsvilleMN635.0640.20 ft, Apr 22, 19650
Burlington this gaugeIL15.025.73 ft, Jun 17, 200836
CamancheIA17.024.65 ft, Apr 28, 196520
Canton Lock and Dam 20MO15.027.88 ft, Jul 9, 19933
Cape GirardeauMO32.048.86 ft, Jan 2, 201615
CaruthersvilleMO32.047.61 ft, May 7, 20112
ChesterIL27.049.74 ft, Aug 7, 19939
Clarksville Lock and Dam 24MO25.037.73 ft, Jul 29, 199310
ClaytonIA620.0627.28 ft, Apr 24, 19650
DakotaMN644.0649.08 ft, Apr 21, 19650
DonaldsonvilleLA27.036.01 ft, May 15, 19273
Dubuque (LD11)IA16.025.69 ft, Apr 26, 196513
Dubuque (Railroad Bridge)IA17.026.81 ft, Apr 26, 196518
Fort RipleyMN10.514.15 ft, Apr 8, 19970
Fridley abv 37th Ave NEMN16.020.00 ft, Apr 17, 19656
FultonIL16.024.75 ft, Apr 28, 196513
GladstoneIL10.022.46 ft, Jun 17, 200824
GraftonIL20.038.17 ft, Aug 1, 199315
Gregory LandingMO15.028.49 ft, Jul 9, 19934
HannibalMO17.031.80 ft, Jul 15, 199310
HelenaAR44.060.21 ft, Feb 12, 19374
HerculaneumMO26.029.79 ft, Jul 10, 20240
HickmanKY34.054.29 ft, May 2, 20113
Hwy 169 at ChamplinMN12.017.96 ft, Apr 12, 19653
Hwy 610 in Brooklyn ParkMN12.019.53 ft, Apr 17, 19654
Illinois CityIA15.024.10 ft, Jul 9, 199321
KeithsburgIA14.024.49 ft, Jun 17, 200822
KeokukIA16.027.58 ft, Jul 10, 199324
La Crosse - Pool 8WI12.017.89 ft, Apr 22, 19654
LaGrangeMO17.030.00 ft, Jul 13, 19934
Lake CityWI16.022.18 ft, Apr 19, 19653
Lansing - Pool 9IA17.022.50 ft, Apr 24, 19651
LeClaireIA11.017.75 ft, Apr 28, 196516
LouisianaMO15.028.40 ft, Jul 28, 19934
McGregorIA16.025.38 ft, Apr 24, 19653
Mel Price (Alton) Lock and DamIL21.042.72 ft, Aug 1, 19938
MemphisTN34.048.70 ft, Feb 10, 19372
MuscatineIA16.025.61 ft, Jul 9, 199321
NatchezMS48.061.95 ft, May 19, 20116
New BostonIL15.025.90 ft, Jul 9, 199322
New MadridMO34.048.35 ft, May 6, 20114
New OrleansLA17.021.27 ft, Apr 25, 19225
OsceolaAR28.050.90 ft, Feb 7, 193742
QuincyIL19.032.13 ft, Jul 13, 19937
Quincy Lock and Dam 21IL18.031.30 ft, Jul 13, 19937
Red River LandingLA48.063.39 ft, May 18, 20110
Red WingMN14.020.70 ft, Apr 18, 19659
ReserveLA22.026.00 ft, Jun 11, 19291
Rock IslandIL15.022.70 ft, May 2, 201920
Saverton Lock and Dam 22MO16.029.58 ft, Jul 25, 19939
St. CloudMN9.011.44 ft, Apr 8, 19971
St. LouisMO30.049.58 ft, Aug 1, 19939
St. PaulMN14.026.01 ft, Apr 16, 196516
ThebesIL33.047.74 ft, Jan 2, 201612
Tunica Mhoon LandingMS30.053.20 ft, Feb 10, 19375
VicksburgLA43.057.10 ft, May 19, 201112
Wabasha - Pool 4MN12.020.05 ft, Apr 19, 19657
Winfield Lock and Dam 25MO26.039.62 ft, Aug 1, 19939
Winona - Pool 6MN13.020.77 ft, Apr 19, 19655
Lock and Dam 10 - GuttenbergIA15.023.65 ft, Apr 24, 19652
Lock and Dam 2 - HastingsMN15.025.90 ft, Apr 17, 196512
Lock and Dam 3 - Red WingMN680.5687.77 ft, Apr 19, 19658
Lock and Dam 4 - AlmaWI16.019.78 ft, Apr 19, 19652
Lock and Dam 5 - Minnesota CityMN660.0667.85 ft, Apr 19, 19654
Lock and Dam 5a - WinonaMN655.0663.35 ft, Apr 19, 19654
Lock and Dam 6 - TrempealeauMN647.0653.02 ft, Apr 21, 19654
Lock and Dam 7 - La CrescentMN641.0647.38 ft, Apr 21, 19652
Lock and Dam 8 - GenoaWI631.0638.40 ft, Apr 22, 19653
Lock and Dam 9 - LynxvilleWI625.0633.16 ft, Apr 24, 19653
AitkinMN13.022.49 ft, May 20, 195011
Arkansas CityAR37.059.20 ft, Apr 21, 192715
GreenvilleAR48.065.40 ft, Apr 21, 192718

Other gauges in Henderson County

Flood gauges in Henderson County
Oquawka21.532.65 ft, Jul 25, 19930
Gladstone10.022.46 ft, Jun 17, 200824

Henderson County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BRLI4, 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.