Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Cottonwood River near Florence

Highest listed crest 28.81 ftFlood stage 22.0 ft84 crests since 1961

The Cottonwood River near Florence crested above flood stage 60 times among the 84 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1961 to 2025. The highest, 28.81 ft on November 2, 1998, was moderate flooding, 6.81 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Cottonwood River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.81 ft
November 2, 1998; 73,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
22.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
0
60 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 18, 2025
22.98 ft, minor flooding
Location
Marion County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cottonwood River near Florence
Action stage20.09Aug 31, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)22.053Jun 18, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.07Jul 5, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

84 crests from 1961 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cottonwood River near Florence, 1961 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 22.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Sep 13, 1961: 24.70 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1962: 23.61 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1962: 23.71 ft, minor flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1963: 21.71 ft, action stage; 8,430 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1964: 10.09 ft, below flood stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1965: 25.38 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1965: 27.57 ft, moderate flooding; 46,400 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1965: 22.28 ft, minor flooding; 8,780 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1966: 10.66 ft, below flood stage; 3,790 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1967: 26.33 ft, minor flooding; 19,400 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 1967: 24.02 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1969: 24.30 ft, minor floodingJun 19, 1970: 20.17 ft, action stage; 7,880 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1971: 24.79 ft, minor flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1971: 20.56 ft, action stage; 8,050 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1973: 24.67 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1974: 26.61 ft, minor flooding; 28,600 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1975: 28.03 ft, moderate flooding; 56,000 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1975: 22.60 ft, minor floodingApr 29, 1976: 23.90 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1977: 23.20 ft, minor flooding; 8,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1978: 11.10 ft, below flood stage; 3,440 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1979: 16.33 ft, below flood stage; 6,410 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1979: 22.77 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1981: 10.82 ft, below flood stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondNov 1, 1981: 21.39 ft, action stage; 9,070 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1983: 19.12 ft, below flood stage; 7,530 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1984: 23.47 ft, minor floodingSep 22, 1985: 25.37 ft, minor flooding; 14,300 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1985: 26.92 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1987: 23.00 ft, minor floodingMar 18, 1987: 23.20 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 1988: 15.61 ft, below flood stage; 4,900 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1989: 22.60 ft, minor floodingJun 8, 1990: 21.98 ft, action stage; 7,520 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1991: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 2,300 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1992: 21.49 ft, action stage; 7,330 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1993: 27.85 ft, moderate flooding; 52,800 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1993: 24.49 ft, minor floodingJul 15, 1993: 26.23 ft, minor floodingJul 22, 1993: 23.94 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 1994: 6.24 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1995: 24.96 ft, minor floodingAug 16, 1995: 22.12 ft, minor flooding; 8,143 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1996: 16.09 ft, below flood stage; 5,300 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 1998: 28.81 ft, moderate flooding; 73,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2001: 22.45 ft, minor flooding; 8,630 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2004: 24.35 ft, minor flooding; 13,566 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2004: 24.90 ft, minor flooding; 15,700 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2005: 24.81 ft, minor flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2005: 25.13 ft, minor flooding; 17,350 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 2005: 24.21 ft, minor flooding; 13,106 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 24.76 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2007: 22.35 ft, minor flooding; 8,370 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 25.28 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2009: 22.51 ft, minor flooding; 8,553 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2009: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2010: 27.16 ft, moderate flooding; 33,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2011: 14.30 ft, below flood stage; 4,610 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2013: 27.21 ft, moderate flooding; 33,051 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2014: 16.16 ft, below flood stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2015: 23.06 ft, minor flooding; 9,715 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2015: 21.25 ft, action stage; 7,542 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2015: 24.39 ft, minor flooding; 14,800 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2015: 19.60 ft, below flood stageMay 28, 2016: 24.26 ft, minor flooding; 13,107 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2016: 22.86 ft, minor flooding; 10,545 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2017: 23.38 ft, minor flooding; 11,226 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2017: 21.52 ft, action stage; 9,405 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 6.38 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 2018: 24.04 ft, minor flooding; 12,048 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2019: 26.95 ft, minor flooding; 30,913 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 26.11 ft, minor flooding; 19,603 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2019: 24.52 ft, minor flooding; 12,312 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 2019: 27.21 ft, moderate flooding; 29,782 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 2020: 17.03 ft, below flood stage; 6,470 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2021: 24.60 ft, minor flooding; 14,343 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2021: 25.93 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2022: 23.23 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2022: 22.14 ft, minor flooding; 8,850 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2024: 22.08 ft, minor flooding; 8,050 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2025: 25.15 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2025: 22.98 ft, minor flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2025: 20.89 ft, action stage; 8,250 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.81 ft, Nov 2, 1998 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cottonwood River near Florence 1960s: 9 1970s: 8 1980s: 6 1990s: 7 2000s: 11 2010s: 12 12 2020s: 7 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 84 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Cottonwood River near Florence
1Nov 2, 199828.81+6.81Moderate73,700
2Jun 17, 197528.03+6.03Moderate56,000
3May 9, 199327.85+5.85Moderate52,800
4Jun 10, 196527.57+5.57Moderate46,400
5Jul 31, 201327.21+5.21Moderate33,051
6Jul 5, 201927.21+5.21Moderate29,782
7Jun 14, 201027.16+5.16Moderate33,000
8May 8, 201926.95+4.95Minor30,913
9Oct 10, 198526.92+4.92Minor29,400
10Apr 21, 197426.61+4.61Minor28,600
11Jun 21, 196726.33+4.33Minor19,400
12Jul 15, 199326.23+4.23Minor—
13May 22, 201926.11+4.11Minor19,603
14Jun 26, 202125.93+3.93Minor19,300
15Jun 5, 196525.38+3.38Minor15,300
16Sep 22, 198525.37+3.37Minor14,300
17Sep 13, 200825.28+3.28Minor18,400
18Jun 3, 202525.15+3.15Minor16,400
19Jun 12, 200525.13+3.13Minor17,350
20May 27, 199524.96+2.96Minor—
21Jul 26, 200424.90+2.90Minor15,700
22Jun 5, 200524.81+2.81Minor15,200
23May 23, 197124.79+2.79Minor12,600
24May 7, 200724.76+2.76Minor15,000
25Sep 13, 196124.70+2.70Minor15,300
26Mar 11, 197324.67+2.67Minor12,300
27May 28, 202124.60+2.60Minor14,343
28Jun 23, 201924.52+2.52Minor12,312
29Jul 7, 199324.49+2.49Minor—
30Jun 16, 201524.39+2.39Minor14,800
31Mar 5, 200424.35+2.35Minor13,566
32Apr 27, 196924.30+2.30Minor—
33May 28, 201624.26+2.26Minor13,107
34Aug 25, 200524.21+2.21Minor13,106
35Oct 10, 201824.04+2.04Minor12,048
36Oct 8, 196724.02+2.02Minor11,000
37Jul 22, 199323.94+1.94Minor—
38Apr 29, 197623.90+1.90Minor10,800
39Sep 23, 196223.71+1.71Minor11,400
40Jun 3, 196223.61+1.61Minor11,100
41May 9, 200923.57+1.57Minor11,000
42Mar 19, 198423.47+1.47Minor—
43Mar 30, 201723.38+1.38Minor11,226
44May 26, 202223.23+1.23Minor11,000
45Jun 20, 197723.20+1.20Minor8,600
46Mar 18, 198723.20+1.20Minor—
47May 17, 201523.06+1.06Minor9,715
48Mar 1, 198723.00+1.00Minor—
49Jun 18, 202522.98+0.98Minor10,800
50Jul 3, 201622.86+0.86Minor10,545

The worst floods along the Cottonwood River

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

November 2, 1998: 28.81 ft here, moderate flooding

  • PlymouthKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 36.78 ft · Moderate
  • EmporiaKS · Nov 2, 1998 · 29.50 ft · Moderate
  • Cottonwood FallsKS · Nov 1, 1998 · 17.20 ft · Moderate · its highest

June 17, 1975: 28.03 ft here, moderate flooding

May 9, 1993: 27.85 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Cottonwood River

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

Flood gauges on the Cottonwood River
Cottonwood FallsKS9.017.20 ft, Nov 1, 19980
EmporiaKS20.033.40 ft, Jul 11, 19511
Florence this gaugeKS22.028.81 ft, Nov 2, 19980
PlymouthKS32.037.80 ft, Jul 11, 19511

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FLRK1, 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.