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Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa

Highest listed crest 15.50 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft71 crests since 1938

The Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 71 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2019. The highest, 15.50 ft on June 15, 1957, was major flooding, 5.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.50 ft
June 15, 1957
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
1
51st of 171 gauges in Kansas
Most recent flood crest
May 27, 2019
11.67 ft, minor flooding
Location
Barber County
Kansas

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa
Action stage9.015Jul 2, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.015May 27, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.02May 10, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.01Jun 15, 1957Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

71 crests from 1938 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa, 1938 to 2019 05101520ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft May 5, 1938: 11.05 ft, minor flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1938: 7.87 ft, below flood stage; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1940: 8.10 ft, below flood stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1941: 8.72 ft, below flood stage; 6,360 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1941: 11.75 ft, minor flooding; 16,000 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1942: 9.48 ft, action stage; 8,190 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1944: 9.52 ft, action stage; 7,900 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1945: 9.82 ft, action stage; 9,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1946: 7.80 ft, below flood stage; 5,070 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1947: 8.75 ft, below flood stage; 7,210 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1948: 9.54 ft, action stage; 8,700 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1949: 10.19 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1950: 7.30 ft, below flood stage; 2,460 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1955: 8.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,340 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1957: 15.50 ft, major floodingAug 26, 1960: 9.04 ft, action stage; 3,870 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1961: 9.20 ft, action stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1962: 9.20 ft, action stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondJun 22, 1963: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 3,130 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1964: 4.73 ft, below flood stage; 376 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1965: 11.07 ft, minor flooding; 6,420 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1965: 6.59 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondFeb 8, 1966: 6.61 ft, below flood stageApr 14, 1967: 6.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1968: 7.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondOct 17, 1968: 11.16 ft, minor flooding; 6,730 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1970: 8.59 ft, below flood stage; 3,150 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1971: 9.31 ft, action stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 1971: 6.59 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1973: 11.14 ft, minor flooding; 6,920 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1973: 9.60 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1973: 12.10 ft, moderate flooding; 12,000 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1974: 9.60 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1975: 6.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,740 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1976: 8.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,960 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1977: 7.62 ft, below flood stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1978: 9.45 ft, action stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 1979: 11.30 ft, minor flooding; 7,100 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1981: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 1,140 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1982: 10.33 ft, minor flooding; 4,900 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1983: 7.48 ft, below flood stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1984: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 1,400 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1985: 8.63 ft, below flood stage; 3,980 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1985: 10.02 ft, minor flooding; 5,460 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1987: 10.22 ft, minor flooding; 6,480 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1988: 5.45 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1989: 7.92 ft, below flood stage; 3,200 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1990: 6.53 ft, below flood stage; 2,030 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1991: 6.68 ft, below flood stage; 2,140 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1992: 5.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1993: 8.41 ft, below flood stage; 3,760 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1993: 8.47 ft, below flood stage; 3,850 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1994: 2.73 ft, below flood stage; 273 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1995: 10.40 ft, minor flooding; 9,100 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1995: 9.39 ft, action stage; 5,460 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1996: 10.81 ft, minor floodingNov 18, 1996: 9.26 ft, action stage; 5,020 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1997: 9.16 ft, action stage; 5,130 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1998: 5.83 ft, below flood stage; 2,160 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1999: 9.76 ft, action stage; 5,370 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2000: 10.48 ft, minor flooding; 6,080 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2000: 6.89 ft, below flood stage; 2,950 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2002: 5.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondOct 3, 2002: 8.12 ft, below flood stage; 3,930 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 2004: 6.60 ft, below flood stage; 2,730 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2006: 4.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2009: 6.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,820 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2015: 6.70 ft, below flood stage; 2,710 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2019: 12.14 ft, moderate flooding; 7,350 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2019: 10.67 ft, minor flooding; 5,830 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2019: 11.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,840 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.50 ft, Jun 15, 1957 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 3 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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 71 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Medicine Lodge River near Kiowa
1Jun 15, 195715.50+5.50Major—
2May 10, 201912.14+2.14Moderate7,350
3Oct 12, 197312.10+2.10Moderate12,000
4Oct 22, 194111.75+1.75Minor16,000
5May 27, 201911.67+1.67Minor6,840
6Oct 31, 197911.30+1.30Minor7,100
7Oct 17, 196811.16+1.16Minor6,730
8Mar 31, 197311.14+1.14Minor6,920
9Jun 6, 196511.07+1.07Minor6,420
10May 5, 193811.05+1.05Minor13,000
11Aug 3, 199610.81+0.81Minor—
12May 22, 201910.67+0.67Minor5,830
13Mar 24, 200010.48+0.48Minor6,080
14May 27, 199510.40+0.40Minor9,100
15Jul 10, 198210.33+0.33Minor4,900
16Mar 24, 198710.22+0.22Minor6,480
17Sep 5, 194910.19+0.19Minor13,100
18Oct 11, 198510.02+0.02Minor5,460
19Sep 28, 19459.82−0.18Action9,600
20Jul 2, 19999.76−0.24Action5,370
21Sep 28, 19739.60−0.40Action3,900
22Apr 22, 19749.60−0.40Action3,900
23Jun 28, 19489.54−0.46Action8,700
24Apr 22, 19449.52−0.48Action7,900
25Oct 4, 19429.48−0.52Action8,190
26May 28, 19789.45−0.55Action3,750
27Jul 1, 19959.39−0.61Action5,460
28Jun 3, 19719.31−0.69Action3,610
29Nov 18, 19969.26−0.74Action5,020
30Aug 20, 19619.20−0.80Action4,060
31Jun 1, 19629.20−0.80Action4,060
32Apr 12, 19979.16−0.84Action5,130
33Aug 26, 19609.04−0.96Action3,870
34Apr 10, 19478.75−1.25Below flood stage7,210
35Jun 9, 19418.72−1.28Below flood stage6,360
36May 1, 19858.63−1.37Below flood stage3,980
37Jun 22, 19638.60−1.40Below flood stage3,130
38Apr 30, 19768.60−1.40Below flood stage2,960
39Jun 12, 19708.59−1.41Below flood stage3,150
40Aug 6, 19938.47−1.53Below flood stage3,850
41May 10, 19938.41−1.59Below flood stage3,760
42Oct 3, 20028.12−1.88Below flood stage3,930
43Jun 7, 19408.10−1.90Below flood stage5,020
44May 26, 19558.07−1.93Below flood stage3,340
45Jun 13, 19897.92−2.08Below flood stage3,200
46Nov 3, 19387.87−2.13Below flood stage2,740
47Apr 15, 19467.80−2.20Below flood stage5,070
48May 23, 19777.62−2.38Below flood stage2,190
49Jun 12, 19837.48−2.52Below flood stage2,100
50Aug 1, 19507.30−2.70Below flood stage2,460

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KIOK1, 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.