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Cedar River at Austin

Highest listed crest 25.00 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft24 crests since 1945

The Cedar River at Austin crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 24 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1945 to 2024. The highest, 25.00 ft on September 16, 2004, was major flooding, 10.00 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Cedar River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.00 ft
September 16, 2004; 16,593 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
7
20th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
June 22, 2024
20.70 ft, major flooding
Location
Mower County
Near Austin (1.2 mi)
Identifiers
NWS ASTM5
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, Cedar River at Austin
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.014Jun 19, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.03Sep 23, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.07Jun 22, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

24 crests from 1945 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cedar River at Austin, 1945 to 2024 14161820222426ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Mar 15, 1945: 16.60 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1950: 17.80 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1951: 15.80 ft, minor floodingApr 7, 1951: 15.10 ft, minor floodingAug 3, 1953: 15.00 ft, minor floodingMar 26, 1961: 17.00 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1962: 17.20 ft, minor floodingMar 11, 1973: 16.10 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 1976: 19.10 ft, moderate floodingJul 17, 1978: 21.90 ft, major floodingJul 2, 1983: 18.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 4, 1990: 16.80 ft, minor floodingAug 15, 1993: 21.30 ft, major floodingMay 18, 2000: 17.40 ft, minor floodingJun 1, 2000: 17.50 ft, minor floodingJul 10, 2000: 23.40 ft, major floodingApr 7, 2001: 16.20 ft, minor floodingApr 12, 2001: 16.80 ft, minor floodingSep 16, 2004: 25.00 ft, major flooding; 16,593 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2008: 22.40 ft, major floodingSep 24, 2010: 20.60 ft, major floodingJun 19, 2014: 15.50 ft, minor flooding; 5,145 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2016: 19.80 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 2024: 20.70 ft, major flooding Highest, 25.00 ft, Sep 16, 2004 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cedar River at Austin 1940s: 1 1950s: 4 1960s: 2 1970s: 3 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

Highest listed crests, Cedar River at Austin
1Sep 16, 200425.00+10.00Major16,593
2Jul 10, 200023.40+8.40Major—
3Jun 12, 200822.40+7.40Major—
4Jul 17, 197821.90+6.90Major—
5Aug 15, 199321.30+6.30Major—
6Jun 22, 202420.70+5.70Major—
7Sep 24, 201020.60+5.60Major—
8Sep 23, 201619.80+4.80Moderate—
9Jun 17, 197619.10+4.10Moderate—
10Jul 2, 198318.20+3.20Moderate—
11Mar 26, 195017.80+2.80Minor—
12Jun 1, 200017.50+2.50Minor—
13May 18, 200017.40+2.40Minor—
14Mar 29, 196217.20+2.20Minor—
15Mar 26, 196117.00+2.00Minor—
16Apr 4, 199016.80+1.80Minor—
17Apr 12, 200116.80+1.80Minor—
18Mar 15, 194516.60+1.60Minor—
19Apr 7, 200116.20+1.20Minor—
20Mar 11, 197316.10+1.10Minor—
21Mar 31, 195115.80+0.80Minor—
22Jun 19, 201415.50+0.50Minor5,145
23Apr 7, 195115.10+0.10Minor—
24Aug 3, 195315.000.00Minor—

The worst floods along the Cedar River

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

September 16, 2004: 25.00 ft here, major flooding

  • LansingMN · Sep 15, 2004 · 22.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • Charles CityIA · Sep 17, 2004 · 20.33 ft · Major
  • AustinMN · Sep 16, 2004 · 23.26 ft · Minor · its highest
  • JanesvilleIA · Sep 18, 2004 · 13.40 ft · Minor
  • WaverlyIA · Sep 18, 2004 · 13.16 ft · Minor

July 10, 2000: 23.40 ft here, major flooding

  • LansingMN · Jul 10, 2000 · 21.07 ft · Moderate
  • Charles CityIA · Jul 12, 2000 · 17.58 ft · Moderate
  • AustinMN · Jul 10, 2000 · 21.49 ft · Minor

June 12, 2008: 22.40 ft here, major flooding

  • Cedar FallsIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 102.10 ft · Major · its highest
  • Cedar RapidsIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 31.12 ft · Major · its highest
  • WaterlooIA · Jun 11, 2008 · 27.01 ft · Major · its highest
  • Charles CityIA · Jun 9, 2008 · 25.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • VintonIA · Jun 12, 2008 · 24.70 ft · Major · its highest
  • ConesvilleIA · Jun 15, 2008 · 23.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • PaloIA · Jun 13, 2008 · 23.22 ft · Major · its highest
  • JanesvilleIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 19.45 ft · Major · its highest
  • WaverlyIA · Jun 10, 2008 · 19.33 ft · Major · its highest
  • LansingMN · Jun 12, 2008 · 20.55 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Cedar River

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

Flood gauges on the Cedar River
Austin this gaugeMN15.025.00 ft, Sep 16, 20047
Cedar BluffIA16.024.70 ft, Sep 28, 20160
Cedar FallsIA89.0102.10 ft, Jun 10, 20087
Cedar RapidsIA12.031.12 ft, Jun 13, 200827
Charles CityIA12.025.33 ft, Jun 9, 200816
JanesvilleIA13.019.45 ft, Jun 10, 20081
PaloIA12.523.22 ft, Jun 13, 20082
VintonIA15.024.70 ft, Jun 12, 20084
WaterlooIA13.027.01 ft, Jun 11, 20084
WaverlyIA12.019.33 ft, Jun 10, 20081
AustinMN10.023.26 ft, Sep 16, 20040
ConesvilleIA13.023.40 ft, Jun 15, 200812
LansingMN18.022.98 ft, Sep 15, 20041
Otranto (IFC)IA1,141.01,148.60 ft, Sep 23, 20160
St. Ansgar (IFC)IA1,104.01,109.48 ft, Jun 23, 20240

Other gauges in Mower County

Flood gauges in Mower County
Austin10.023.26 ft, Sep 16, 20040
Lansing18.022.98 ft, Sep 15, 20041
Austin11.519.18 ft, Jul 10, 20002
Austin10.514.77 ft, Sep 16, 20041

Mower County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ASTM5, 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.