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Big Blue River at Blue Rapids

Highest listed crest 63.30 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft86 crests since 1961

The Big Blue River at Blue Rapids crested above flood stage 86 times among the 86 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1961 to 2024. The highest, 63.30 ft on July 22, 1993, was moderate flooding, 37.30 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Big Blue River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
63.30 ft
July 22, 1993
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 68.0 ft
Crests at major
0
86 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 16, 2024
26.01 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marshall County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Blue River at Blue Rapids
Action stage21.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.083Jun 16, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage52.03May 31, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage68.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

86 crests from 1961 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Blue River at Blue Rapids, 1961 to 2024 203040506070ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 68.0 ft Sep 13, 1961: 27.52 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1962: 26.57 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 1962: 28.40 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 1965: 29.83 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 1965: 31.00 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 1965: 27.64 ft, minor floodingJun 12, 1967: 31.10 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1967: 29.70 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 1968: 27.57 ft, minor floodingFeb 27, 1969: 30.50 ft, minor floodingMar 22, 1969: 27.31 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1970: 27.74 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 1971: 32.17 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1973: 26.87 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1973: 29.66 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1973: 31.28 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1973: 29.38 ft, minor floodingSep 28, 1973: 37.58 ft, minor floodingOct 18, 1973: 53.19 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1977: 30.47 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1978: 33.10 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 1978: 29.31 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1993: 31.02 ft, minor floodingJul 22, 1993: 63.30 ft, moderate floodingAug 5, 1993: 50.20 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1995: 34.65 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1995: 26.90 ft, minor floodingMay 23, 1996: 30.04 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1996: 34.70 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1996: 26.10 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 1997: 35.59 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 1997: 26.20 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 1998: 35.47 ft, minor floodingApr 15, 1999: 31.97 ft, minor floodingMay 22, 1999: 32.07 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 1999: 30.69 ft, minor floodingJul 5, 2000: 30.67 ft, minor floodingFeb 25, 2001: 27.80 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 2001: 30.87 ft, minor floodingMay 6, 2001: 32.74 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2001: 32.22 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 2001: 31.22 ft, minor floodingJul 29, 2001: 28.80 ft, minor floodingSep 17, 2001: 28.47 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2002: 29.26 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2003: 33.85 ft, minor floodingMar 5, 2004: 29.28 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2004: 31.36 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 2007: 37.68 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 2007: 28.14 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 2007: 28.21 ft, minor floodingAug 3, 2007: 28.85 ft, minor floodingOct 15, 2007: 30.99 ft, minor floodingApr 26, 2008: 31.16 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 2008: 26.63 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2008: 29.79 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2008: 31.05 ft, minor floodingJun 13, 2008: 26.53 ft, minor floodingJul 19, 2008: 33.70 ft, minor floodingOct 24, 2008: 30.55 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2009: 27.40 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2010: 31.06 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2010: 35.55 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2015: 40.72 ft, minor floodingJun 7, 2015: 40.96 ft, minor floodingDec 14, 2015: 34.28 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2016: 29.29 ft, minor floodingMay 11, 2016: 32.15 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2016: 34.70 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2017: 26.75 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 2017: 35.24 ft, minor floodingOct 7, 2017: 29.73 ft, minor floodingJun 21, 2018: 28.49 ft, minor floodingSep 6, 2018: 39.83 ft, minor floodingDec 2, 2018: 36.39 ft, minor floodingDec 28, 2018: 27.99 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2019: 61.32 ft, moderate floodingMay 26, 2020: 31.31 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2020: 32.33 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 2020: 27.03 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 2020: 34.96 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2021: 28.96 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 2021: 26.20 ft, minor floodingMay 26, 2022: 33.39 ft, minor floodingJul 7, 2022: 31.35 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 2024: 26.01 ft, minor flooding Highest, 63.30 ft, Jul 22, 1993 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River at Blue Rapids 1960s: 11 1970s: 11 1980s: 0 1990s: 14 2000s: 25 25 2010s: 16 2020s: 9 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 86 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Blue River at Blue Rapids
1Jul 22, 199363.30+37.30Moderate—
2May 31, 201961.32+35.32Moderate—
3Oct 18, 197353.19+27.19Moderate—
4Aug 5, 199350.20+24.20Minor—
5Jun 7, 201540.96+14.96Minor—
6May 9, 201540.72+14.72Minor—
7Sep 6, 201839.83+13.83Minor—
8May 8, 200737.68+11.68Minor—
9Sep 28, 197337.58+11.58Minor—
10Dec 2, 201836.39+10.39Minor—
11Jun 26, 199735.59+9.59Minor—
12Jun 22, 201035.55+9.55Minor—
13Jun 29, 199835.47+9.47Minor—
14May 21, 201735.24+9.24Minor—
15Jul 30, 202034.96+8.96Minor—
16May 27, 199634.70+8.70Minor—
17May 28, 201634.70+8.70Minor—
18May 8, 199534.65+8.65Minor—
19Dec 14, 201534.28+8.28Minor—
20Jun 26, 200333.85+7.85Minor—
21Jul 19, 200833.70+7.70Minor—
22May 26, 202233.39+7.39Minor—
23May 8, 197833.10+7.10Minor—
24May 6, 200132.74+6.74Minor—
25Jun 20, 202032.33+6.33Minor—
26Jun 6, 200132.22+6.22Minor—
27May 22, 197132.17+6.17Minor—
28May 11, 201632.15+6.15Minor—
29May 22, 199932.07+6.07Minor—
30Apr 15, 199931.97+5.97Minor—
31May 31, 200431.36+5.36Minor—
32Jul 7, 202231.35+5.35Minor—
33May 26, 202031.31+5.31Minor—
34Apr 2, 197331.28+5.28Minor—
35Jun 15, 200131.22+5.22Minor—
36Apr 26, 200831.16+5.16Minor—
37Jun 12, 196731.10+5.10Minor—
38Jun 3, 201031.06+5.06Minor—
39Jun 6, 200831.05+5.05Minor—
40May 8, 199331.02+5.02Minor—
41Jul 2, 196531.00+5.00Minor—
42Oct 15, 200730.99+4.99Minor—
43Mar 12, 200130.87+4.87Minor—
44May 31, 199930.69+4.69Minor—
45Jul 5, 200030.67+4.67Minor—
46Oct 24, 200830.55+4.55Minor—
47Feb 27, 196930.50+4.50Minor—
48Sep 13, 197730.47+4.47Minor—
49May 23, 199630.04+4.04Minor—
50May 1, 196529.83+3.83Minor—

The worst floods along the Big Blue River

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

July 22, 1993: 63.30 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ManhattanKS · Jul 23, 1993 · 32.71 ft · Major
  • BeatriceNE · Jul 26, 1993 · 28.77 ft · Moderate
  • BarnestonNE · Jul 27, 1993 · 27.87 ft · Moderate
  • Tuttle Creek LakeKS · Jul 23, 1993 · 1,137.76 ft · Minor · its highest
  • MarysvilleKS · Jul 28, 1993 · 36.10 ft · Minor

May 31, 2019: 61.32 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ManhattanKS · Jun 1, 2019 · 22.41 ft · Minor

October 18, 1973: 53.19 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MarysvilleKS · Oct 13, 1973 · 43.86 ft · Major
  • BeatriceNE · Oct 12, 1973 · 33.02 ft · Major · its highest
  • CreteNE · Oct 11, 1973 · 23.11 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Big Blue River

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

Flood gauges on the Big Blue River
SurpriseNE7.011.52 ft, Jul 19, 19650
SewardNE18.024.11 ft, Mar 14, 20190
CreteNE21.030.64 ft, Mar 15, 20190
BeatriceNE18.033.02 ft, Oct 12, 19731
BarnestonNE20.030.21 ft, Jun 14, 19840
MarysvilleKS35.045.39 ft, Jun 9, 19413
Blue Rapids this gaugeKS26.063.30 ft, Jul 22, 19930
Tuttle Creek LakeKS1,136.01,137.76 ft, Jul 23, 19930
ManhattanKS19.036.04 ft, Jul 12, 19512

Other gauges in Marshall County

Flood gauges in Marshall County
Marysville35.045.39 ft, Jun 9, 19413
Frankfort19.032.72 ft, Jun 29, 20190
Barnes16.028.02 ft, May 8, 20150

Marshall County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Kansas

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BLRK1, 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.