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Smoky Hill River near Abilene

Highest listed crest 32.10 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft11 crests since 1993

The Smoky Hill River near Abilene crested above flood stage 10 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1993 to 2019. The highest, 32.10 ft on July 22, 1993, was moderate flooding, 5.10 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Smoky Hill River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
32.10 ft
July 22, 1993
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.0 ft
Crests at major
0
10 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 5, 2019
30.00 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Dickinson County
Kansas
Identifiers
NWS ABIK1
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, Smoky Hill River near Abilene
Action stage22.01Oct 22, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.06May 23, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.04Jul 5, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1993 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Smoky Hill River near Abilene, 1993 to 2019 2628303234ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 33.0 ft May 13, 1993: 28.47 ft, minor floodingJun 25, 1993: 27.27 ft, minor floodingJul 16, 1993: 30.94 ft, moderate floodingJul 22, 1993: 32.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 25, 1995: 28.10 ft, minor floodingMay 30, 1995: 29.85 ft, minor floodingOct 22, 1998: 26.80 ft, action stageMay 9, 2007: 29.30 ft, minor flooding; 26,249 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2007: 30.35 ft, moderate floodingMay 23, 2019: 29.75 ft, minor floodingJul 5, 2019: 30.00 ft, moderate flooding Highest, 32.10 ft, Jul 22, 1993 199520002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Smoky Hill River near Abilene 1990s: 6 6 2000s: 2 2010s: 2 1990s2000s2010s
  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. 39 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 32.30 ft on May 29, 1903; 29.00 ft on Jul 11, 1904; 28.70 ft on Jul 11, 1908; 28.00 ft on Jun 25, 1915; 26.90 ft on Aug 5, 1915; 28.20 ft on Aug 21, 1927; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Smoky Hill River near Abilene
1Jul 22, 199332.10+5.10Moderate—
2Jul 16, 199330.94+3.94Moderate—
3May 26, 200730.35+3.35Moderate—
4Jul 5, 201930.00+3.00Moderate—
5May 30, 199529.85+2.85Minor—
6May 23, 201929.75+2.75Minor—
7May 9, 200729.30+2.30Minor26,249
8May 13, 199328.47+1.47Minor—
9May 25, 199528.10+1.10Minor—
10Jun 25, 199327.27+0.27Minor—
11Oct 22, 199826.80−0.20Action—

The worst floods along the Smoky Hill River

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

July 22, 1993: 32.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 30.07 ft · Major · its highest
  • SchoenchenKS · Jul 21, 1993 · 17.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • EnterpriseKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 33.95 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • New CambriaKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 31.60 ft · Moderate
  • LindsborgKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 25.63 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 ft · Minor

July 16, 1993: 30.94 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EllsworthKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 30.07 ft · Major · its highest
  • SchoenchenKS · Jul 21, 1993 · 17.60 ft · Major · its highest
  • EnterpriseKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 33.95 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • New CambriaKS · Jul 22, 1993 · 31.60 ft · Moderate
  • LindsborgKS · Jul 14, 1993 · 25.71 ft · Minor
  • ArnoldKS · Jul 20, 1993 · 7.95 ft · Minor

May 26, 2007: 30.35 ft here, moderate flooding

  • New CambriaKS · May 25, 2007 · 31.42 ft · Moderate
  • EnterpriseKS · May 26, 2007 · 29.91 ft · Moderate
  • LindsborgKS · May 25, 2007 · 23.37 ft · Minor
  • SchoenchenKS · Jun 1, 2007 · 12.42 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Smoky Hill River

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

Flood gauges on the Smoky Hill River
EllsworthKS20.030.07 ft, Jul 22, 19932
EnterpriseKS26.033.95 ft, Jul 22, 19930
LindsborgKS21.033.90 ft, May 28, 19031
RussellKS18.020.43 ft, May 25, 20190
SchoenchenKS11.017.60 ft, Jul 21, 19931
Abilene this gaugeKS27.032.10 ft, Jul 22, 19930
ArnoldKS7.019.00 ft, May 30, 19381
Junction CityKS22.035.90 ft, Jul 12, 19510
MentorKS20.024.65 ft, Jun 24, 20190
New CambriaKS27.031.72 ft, Jun 25, 19930
OakleyKS9.015.20 ft, May 30, 19381

Other gauges in Dickinson County

Flood gauges in Dickinson County
Chapman19.025.50 ft, Jul 12, 19510
Abilene15.019.50 ft, May 24, 20070
Enterprise26.033.95 ft, Jul 22, 19930

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ABIK1, 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.