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Rock River at Moline

Highest listed crest 16.53 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft95 crests since 1929

The Rock River at Moline crested at major flood stage 34 times among the 95 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2026. The highest, 16.53 ft on April 22, 2013, was major flooding, 4.53 feet above flood stage. 13 other gauges on the Rock River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.53 ft
April 22, 2013; 50,907 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
34
3rd of 177 gauges in Illinois
Most recent flood crest
April 22, 2026
14.18 ft, major flooding
Location
Rock Island County
Near Moline (1.4 mi), Rock Island (4.4 mi), East Moline (7.0 mi)
Identifiers
NWS MLII2
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, Rock River at Moline
Action stage11.06Feb 17, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.017Jan 1, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.022May 21, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.034Apr 22, 2026Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

95 crests from 1929 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rock River at Moline, 1929 to 2026 81012141618ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Mar 11, 1929: 14.90 ft, major floodingMar 6, 1937: 14.70 ft, major floodingJan 30, 1938: 13.80 ft, moderate floodingDec 29, 1942: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingMar 20, 1943: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 3, 1944: 13.50 ft, moderate floodingJan 7, 1946: 13.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 23, 1948: 14.46 ft, major floodingMar 2, 1949: 12.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 1951: 14.58 ft, major floodingMar 16, 1952: 13.00 ft, moderate floodingFeb 10, 1953: 12.71 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 1954: 9.80 ft, below flood stageOct 15, 1954: 12.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 23, 1955: 13.14 ft, moderate floodingFeb 27, 1956: 9.80 ft, below flood stageFeb 16, 1957: 9.70 ft, below flood stageMar 1, 1958: 13.15 ft, moderate floodingFeb 28, 1959: 14.70 ft, major floodingJan 30, 1960: 14.30 ft, major floodingSep 16, 1961: 10.60 ft, below flood stageNov 21, 1961: 12.00 ft, minor floodingMar 23, 1962: 13.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 15, 1963: 11.20 ft, action stageApr 8, 1964: 9.60 ft, below flood stageFeb 12, 1965: 13.70 ft, moderate floodingFeb 12, 1966: 13.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 15, 1967: 10.60 ft, below flood stageJul 4, 1968: 10.10 ft, below flood stageJan 27, 1969: 12.60 ft, minor floodingSep 24, 1970: 11.70 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1971: 15.20 ft, major floodingAug 30, 1972: 12.10 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1973: 16.15 ft, major flooding; 52,500 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1974: 15.70 ft, major flooding; 49,400 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1975: 14.00 ft, major floodingMar 9, 1976: 12.70 ft, minor floodingFeb 28, 1977: 8.90 ft, below flood stageNov 4, 1977: 10.20 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 1978: 13.40 ft, moderate floodingMar 25, 1979: 15.10 ft, major floodingFeb 25, 1980: 10.10 ft, below flood stageJun 16, 1981: 10.70 ft, below flood stageMar 22, 1982: 12.80 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1983: 13.90 ft, moderate floodingFeb 19, 1984: 12.10 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1985: 14.80 ft, major floodingOct 5, 1986: 12.40 ft, minor floodingDec 16, 1986: 14.06 ft, major floodingAug 29, 1987: 12.98 ft, minor floodingJan 23, 1988: 12.60 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1989: 10.20 ft, below flood stageJul 2, 1990: 13.90 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1991: 11.90 ft, action stageDec 11, 1991: 10.10 ft, below flood stageJun 12, 1993: 14.93 ft, major floodingFeb 23, 1994: 14.54 ft, major floodingMay 12, 1995: 11.66 ft, action stageJun 1, 1996: 15.25 ft, major floodingJul 22, 1996: 14.28 ft, major floodingFeb 24, 1997: 15.31 ft, major floodingApr 19, 1998: 11.88 ft, action stageOct 20, 1998: 12.29 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 1999: 13.55 ft, moderate floodingJun 18, 1999: 13.46 ft, moderate floodingJun 17, 2000: 15.01 ft, major floodingMar 1, 2001: 12.77 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 2002: 15.79 ft, major floodingMay 13, 2003: 9.87 ft, below flood stageJun 4, 2004: 13.41 ft, moderate floodingFeb 17, 2005: 11.14 ft, action stageMar 16, 2006: 9.83 ft, below flood stageAug 29, 2007: 14.48 ft, major floodingMar 6, 2008: 16.38 ft, major floodingApr 14, 2008: 14.33 ft, major floodingJun 17, 2008: 14.91 ft, major floodingMar 11, 2009: 14.99 ft, major floodingMay 16, 2010: 13.37 ft, moderate floodingJul 28, 2010: 14.24 ft, major floodingMay 31, 2011: 12.83 ft, minor flooding; 28,273 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 2012: 10.18 ft, below flood stageApr 22, 2013: 16.53 ft, major flooding; 50,907 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2014: 13.89 ft, moderate flooding; 34,992 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2015: 13.45 ft, moderate flooding; 31,751 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2015: 12.27 ft, minor flooding; 25,156 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2016: 13.56 ft, moderate flooding; 32,378 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 2017: 15.10 ft, major floodingJul 26, 2017: 15.40 ft, major floodingFeb 24, 2018: 15.32 ft, major floodingMar 17, 2019: 15.57 ft, major flooding; 44,155 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 15.36 ft, major flooding; 42,901 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2019: 16.21 ft, major flooding; 47,963 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2020: 13.97 ft, moderate flooding; 34,596 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2026: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 25,066 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2026: 14.18 ft, major flooding; 35,966 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.53 ft, Apr 22, 2013 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rock River at Moline 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 6 1950s: 7 1960s: 6 1970s: 8 1980s: 8 1990s: 9 2000s: 9 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 3 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 95 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Rock River at Moline
1Apr 22, 201316.53+4.53Major50,907
2Mar 6, 200816.38+4.38Major—
3Jun 2, 201916.21+4.21Major47,963
4Apr 27, 197316.15+4.15Major52,500
5Jun 8, 200215.79+3.79Major—
6May 21, 197415.70+3.70Major49,400
7Mar 17, 201915.57+3.57Major44,155
8Jul 26, 201715.40+3.40Major—
9May 3, 201915.36+3.36Major42,901
10Feb 24, 201815.32+3.32Major—
11Feb 24, 199715.31+3.31Major—
12Jun 1, 199615.25+3.25Major—
13Feb 24, 197115.20+3.20Major—
14Mar 25, 197915.10+3.10Major—
15Jan 20, 201715.10+3.10Major—
16Jun 17, 200015.01+3.01Major—
17Mar 11, 200914.99+2.99Major—
18Jun 12, 199314.93+2.93Major—
19Jun 17, 200814.91+2.91Major—
20Mar 11, 192914.90+2.90Major—
21Feb 27, 198514.80+2.80Major—
22Mar 6, 193714.70+2.70Major—
23Feb 28, 195914.70+2.70Major—
24Feb 25, 195114.58+2.58Major—
25Feb 23, 199414.54+2.54Major—
26Aug 29, 200714.48+2.48Major—
27Mar 23, 194814.46+2.46Major—
28Apr 14, 200814.33+2.33Major—
29Jan 30, 196014.30+2.30Major—
30Jul 22, 199614.28+2.28Major—
31Jul 28, 201014.24+2.24Major—
32Apr 22, 202614.18+2.18Major35,966
33Dec 16, 198614.06+2.06Major—
34Mar 29, 197514.00+2.00Major—
35May 21, 202013.97+1.97Moderate34,596
36Apr 7, 198313.90+1.90Moderate—
37Jul 2, 199013.90+1.90Moderate—
38Jul 4, 201413.89+1.89Moderate34,992
39Jan 30, 193813.80+1.80Moderate—
40Jan 7, 194613.80+1.80Moderate—
41Mar 23, 196213.80+1.80Moderate—
42Feb 12, 196513.70+1.70Moderate—
43Feb 12, 196613.60+1.60Moderate—
44Jan 26, 201613.56+1.56Moderate32,378
45Apr 26, 199913.55+1.55Moderate—
46Mar 3, 194413.50+1.50Moderate—
47Jun 18, 199913.46+1.46Moderate—
48Jun 18, 201513.45+1.45Moderate31,751
49Jun 4, 200413.41+1.41Moderate—
50Mar 20, 194313.40+1.40Moderate—

The worst floods along the Rock River

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

April 22, 2013: 16.53 ft here, major flooding

  • JoslinIL · Apr 21, 2013 · 19.11 ft · Major
  • Fort AtkinsonWI · Apr 22, 2013 · 18.12 ft · Major
  • ByronIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 17.08 ft · Major
  • Lake KoshkonongWI · Apr 22, 2013 · 12.35 ft · Major
  • NewvilleWI · Apr 23, 2013 · 8.51 ft · Major · its highest
  • DixonIL · Apr 20, 2013 · 18.16 ft · Moderate
  • RocktonIL · Apr 21, 2013 · 13.46 ft · Moderate
  • Latham ParkIL · Apr 22, 2013 · 12.82 ft · Moderate
  • Lebanon-3 E-Hwy MM bridgeWI · Apr 21, 2013 · 12.54 ft · Moderate
  • JeffersonWI · Apr 20, 2013 · 12.31 ft · Moderate

March 6, 2008: 16.38 ft here, major flooding

  • JoslinIL · Mar 6, 2008 · 17.39 ft · Major

June 2, 2019: 16.21 ft here, major flooding

  • JoslinIL · Jun 1, 2019 · 17.32 ft · Major
  • ByronIL · May 31, 2019 · 13.00 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Rock River

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

Flood gauges on the Rock River
AftonWI9.013.51 ft, Jun 21, 20083
ByronIL13.017.80 ft, Apr 20, 19735
ComoIL12.515.64 ft, Jul 23, 20170
DixonIL16.020.50 ft, Apr 20, 19731
Fort AtkinsonWI16.020.90 ft, Jun 15, 20082
JeffersonWI10.015.64 ft, Jun 19, 20081
Lake KoshkonongWI10.015.13 ft, Jun 21, 20086
Latham ParkIL9.014.70 ft, Mar 26, 19753
Lebanon-3 E-Hwy MM bridgeWI10.014.01 ft, Jun 15, 20081
Moline this gaugeIL12.016.53 ft, Apr 22, 201334
NewvilleWI6.58.51 ft, Apr 23, 20131
Rockford (Auburn Street)IL6.010.00 ft, Apr 20, 18811
Rockford (Fordam Dam)IL4.06.50 ft, Apr 20, 18811
RocktonIL10.015.54 ft, Mar 25, 19754
WatertownWI5.57.81 ft, Jun 13, 20082
JoslinIL12.019.24 ft, Jun 7, 200224

Other gauges in Rock Island County

Flood gauges in Rock Island County
Rock Island15.022.70 ft, May 2, 201920
Joslin12.019.24 ft, Jun 7, 200224

Rock Island County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Illinois

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MLII2, 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.