Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Mississippi River at Grafton

Highest listed crest 38.17 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft110 crests since 1916

The Mississippi River at Grafton crested at major flood stage 15 times among the 110 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2024. The highest, 38.17 ft on August 1, 1993, was major flooding, 18.17 feet above flood stage. 10 other gauges on the Mississippi River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 8 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
38.17 ft
August 1, 1993; 598,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 29.0 ft
Crests at major
15
17th of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
May 16, 2024
20.13 ft, minor flooding
Location
Jersey County
Near Godfrey (11.1 mi), Hazelwood (12.1 mi), St. Charles (12.8 mi)

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 Grafton
Action stage18.029Jul 3, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.042May 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.024Oct 17, 2018Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage29.015Jun 7, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

110 crests from 1916 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Mississippi River at Grafton, 1916 to 2024 152025303540ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 29.0 ft May 19, 1916: 20.70 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1943: 29.00 ft, major floodingApr 30, 1944: 28.60 ft, moderate floodingJul 2, 1947: 28.65 ft, moderate floodingJul 21, 1951: 27.50 ft, moderate floodingJul 13, 1969: 26.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 19, 1970: 22.57 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1973: 33.12 ft, major floodingJun 3, 1974: 25.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1975: 20.86 ft, minor floodingMay 12, 1975: 22.41 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1978: 21.20 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1979: 29.38 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1981: 21.40 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 1981: 21.40 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1982: 23.20 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1982: 21.20 ft, minor floodingDec 8, 1982: 27.70 ft, moderate floodingApr 10, 1983: 28.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 24, 1984: 23.30 ft, minor floodingJul 1, 1984: 20.80 ft, minor floodingMar 8, 1985: 26.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 5, 1985: 27.55 ft, moderate floodingNov 22, 1985: 23.40 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1986: 22.70 ft, minor floodingOct 9, 1986: 29.67 ft, major flooding; 423,000 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1990: 24.46 ft, moderate flooding; 340,000 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1991: 21.52 ft, minor flooding; 294,000 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1993: 28.20 ft, moderate floodingAug 1, 1993: 38.17 ft, major flooding; 598,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1995: 30.40 ft, major flooding; 419,000 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1996: 26.70 ft, moderate flooding; 336,000 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 23.86 ft, minor flooding; 305,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1997: 22.70 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1998: 25.81 ft, moderate flooding; 358,000 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1998: 21.70 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1999: 23.05 ft, minor flooding; 296,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2000: 20.37 ft, minor flooding; 291,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 2001: 19.70 ft, action stageMar 19, 2001: 19.10 ft, action stageMay 19, 2001: 25.19 ft, moderate flooding; 367,000 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2001: 24.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 16, 2002: 28.10 ft, moderate flooding; 383,000 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2003: 18.74 ft, action stage; 249,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2004: 19.90 ft, action stage; 249,000 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2004: 21.41 ft, minor flooding; 307,000 cubic feet per secondJan 7, 2005: 18.53 ft, action stageMar 31, 2007: 18.97 ft, action stageApr 16, 2007: 19.83 ft, action stage; 269,000 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2007: 18.90 ft, action stageAug 30, 2007: 18.47 ft, action stageMar 20, 2008: 20.55 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2008: 23.65 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2008: 30.80 ft, major flooding; 440,000 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 2008: 20.39 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2008: 25.57 ft, moderate floodingJan 18, 2009: 18.18 ft, action stage; 244,500 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2009: 23.10 ft, minor flooding; 318,949 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2009: 20.49 ft, minor flooding; 279,000 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2009: 24.92 ft, moderate flooding; 347,000 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2009: 18.26 ft, action stage; 256,000 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 2009: 23.96 ft, minor floodingNov 20, 2009: 20.75 ft, minor floodingDec 29, 2009: 18.26 ft, action stageJan 6, 2010: 19.51 ft, action stageJan 26, 2010: 18.92 ft, action stageMar 29, 2010: 24.03 ft, moderate floodingApr 28, 2010: 21.11 ft, minor floodingMay 20, 2010: 24.44 ft, moderate floodingJun 28, 2010: 26.70 ft, moderate flooding; 372,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 2011: 18.47 ft, action stageMar 2, 2011: 19.86 ft, action stageMar 6, 2011: 18.08 ft, action stageMay 1, 2011: 25.93 ft, moderate flooding; 362,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2013: 19.42 ft, action stageApr 25, 2013: 29.52 ft, major flooding; 453,000 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 2013: 30.94 ft, major floodingMay 19, 2014: 18.74 ft, action stageJun 11, 2014: 18.70 ft, action stageJul 11, 2014: 26.00 ft, moderate flooding; 376,000 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2014: 19.97 ft, action stageJun 10, 2015: 19.10 ft, action stageJun 30, 2015: 29.51 ft, major flooding; 409,000 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 2015: 19.33 ft, action stageDec 31, 2015: 30.91 ft, major flooding; 412,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2016: 18.29 ft, action stageOct 8, 2016: 19.34 ft, action stage; 266,800 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2017: 20.82 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 2017: 18.09 ft, action stageMay 6, 2017: 29.58 ft, major floodingMay 19, 2018: 19.78 ft, action stage; 269,000 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2018: 20.24 ft, minor flooding; 275,000 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2018: 20.93 ft, minor flooding; 286,000 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 2018: 25.13 ft, moderate flooding; 347,000 cubic feet per secondJan 2, 2019: 18.74 ft, action stage; 251,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2019: 29.03 ft, major flooding; 420,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2019: 32.10 ft, major flooding; 474,000 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2019: 35.17 ft, major flooding; 523,000 cubic feet per secondOct 13, 2019: 22.67 ft, minor floodingNov 2, 2019: 20.25 ft, minor floodingJan 13, 2020: 20.12 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2020: 22.38 ft, minor flooding; 304,000 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2020: 22.54 ft, minor flooding; 297,000 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2020: 19.48 ft, action stage; 271,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2021: 21.86 ft, minor flooding; 280,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2021: 20.66 ft, minor flooding; 282,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2022: 21.28 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 2023: 20.80 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 2024: 20.71 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2024: 20.13 ft, minor flooding Highest, 38.17 ft, Aug 1, 1993 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Mississippi River at Grafton 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 7 1980s: 13 1990s: 11 2000s: 15 2010s: 20 20 2020s: 9 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 4 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 32.13 ft on Jun 18, 1844; 30.70 ft on Jun 15, 1858; 25.73 ft on May 18, 1892; 28.70 ft on Jun 11, 1903.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 110 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Mississippi River at Grafton
1Aug 1, 199338.17+18.17Major598,000
2Jun 7, 201935.17+15.17Major523,000
3Apr 28, 197333.12+13.12Major—
4May 7, 201932.10+12.10Major474,000
5Jun 4, 201330.94+10.94Major—
6Dec 31, 201530.91+10.91Major412,000
7Jun 29, 200830.80+10.80Major440,000
8May 29, 199530.40+10.40Major419,000
9Oct 9, 198629.67+9.67Major423,000
10May 6, 201729.58+9.58Major—
11Apr 25, 201329.52+9.52Major453,000
12Jun 30, 201529.51+9.51Major409,000
13Apr 15, 197929.38+9.38Major—
14Apr 2, 201929.03+9.03Major420,000
15May 24, 194329.00+9.00Major—
16Jul 2, 194728.65+8.65Moderate—
17Apr 30, 194428.60+8.60Moderate—
18Apr 10, 198328.30+8.30Moderate—
19Apr 29, 199328.20+8.20Moderate—
20May 16, 200228.10+8.10Moderate383,000
21Dec 8, 198227.70+7.70Moderate—
22May 5, 198527.55+7.55Moderate—
23Jul 21, 195127.50+7.50Moderate—
24Jun 2, 199626.70+6.70Moderate336,000
25Jun 28, 201026.70+6.70Moderate372,000
26Mar 8, 198526.60+6.60Moderate—
27Jul 13, 196926.30+6.30Moderate—
28Jul 11, 201426.00+6.00Moderate376,000
29May 1, 201125.93+5.93Moderate362,000
30Apr 18, 199825.81+5.81Moderate358,000
31Jun 3, 197425.80+5.80Moderate—
32Sep 18, 200825.57+5.57Moderate—
33May 19, 200125.19+5.19Moderate367,000
34Oct 17, 201825.13+5.13Moderate347,000
35May 20, 200924.92+4.92Moderate347,000
36Jun 9, 200124.80+4.80Moderate—
37Jun 26, 199024.46+4.46Moderate340,000
38May 20, 201024.44+4.44Moderate—
39Mar 29, 201024.03+4.03Moderate—
40Nov 2, 200923.96+3.96Minor—
41Mar 1, 199723.86+3.86Minor305,000
42May 7, 200823.65+3.65Minor—
43Nov 22, 198523.40+3.40Minor—
44Apr 24, 198423.30+3.30Minor—
45Mar 24, 198223.20+3.20Minor—
46Mar 16, 200923.10+3.10Minor318,949
47May 4, 199923.05+3.05Minor296,000
48May 23, 198622.70+2.70Minor—
49Apr 22, 199722.70+2.70Minor—
50Oct 13, 201922.67+2.67Minor—

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.

August 1, 1993: 38.17 ft here, major flooding

June 7, 2019: 35.17 ft here, major flooding

April 28, 1973: 33.12 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
BurlingtonIL15.025.73 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
Grafton this gaugeIL20.038.17 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GRFI2, 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.