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Red River of the North at Drayton

Highest listed crest 45.55 ftFlood stage 32.0 ft92 crests since 1897

The Red River of the North at Drayton crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 92 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1897 to 2026. The highest, 45.55 ft on April 24, 1997, was major flooding, 13.55 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Red River of the North crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
45.55 ft
April 24, 1997; 124,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
32.0 ft
Major flooding from 42.0 ft
Crests at major
11
8th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
May 1, 2023
40.40 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Kittson County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Red River of the North at Drayton
Action stage28.012Apr 17, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)32.024Apr 28, 2018Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage38.017May 1, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage42.011May 4, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

92 crests from 1897 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red River of the North at Drayton, 1897 to 2026 1020304050ft Flood stage 32.0 ftMajor 42.0 ft Apr 1, 1897: 41.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 20, 1936: 24.26 ft, below flood stageMay 6, 1937: 10.26 ft, below flood stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1941: 32.00 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1942: 31.56 ft, action stageApr 17, 1943: 33.66 ft, minor flooding; 28,700 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1944: 21.05 ft, below flood stage; 12,300 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1945: 31.70 ft, action stage; 24,600 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1946: 29.71 ft, action stageApr 28, 1947: 33.12 ft, minor flooding; 29,300 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1948: 40.05 ft, moderate floodingApr 15, 1949: 31.65 ft, action stageMay 12, 1950: 41.58 ft, moderate flooding; 86,500 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1951: 30.25 ft, action stageApr 26, 1952: 28.83 ft, action stageJun 27, 1953: 20.17 ft, below flood stageApr 15, 1954: 16.38 ft, below flood stage; 11,100 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1955: 27.42 ft, below flood stageApr 27, 1956: 35.16 ft, minor flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1957: 22.33 ft, below flood stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1958: 14.53 ft, below flood stage; 7,850 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1959: 23.78 ft, below flood stage; 11,200 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1960: 33.71 ft, minor flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1961: 12.98 ft, below flood stage; 3,600 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1962: 36.26 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1963: 20.42 ft, below flood stage; 12,900 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 1964: 23.60 ft, below flood stage; 15,600 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1965: 40.43 ft, moderate flooding; 47,200 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1966: 42.15 ft, major flooding; 67,500 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1967: 36.70 ft, minor flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 1968: 20.41 ft, below flood stage; 12,500 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1969: 41.35 ft, moderate floodingApr 29, 1970: 38.20 ft, moderate flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1971: 31.75 ft, action stageApr 23, 1972: 35.73 ft, minor floodingMar 25, 1973: 24.49 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1974: 39.85 ft, moderate floodingMay 4, 1975: 39.80 ft, moderate flooding; 44,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1976: 35.00 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1977: 12.12 ft, below flood stage; 3,400 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1978: 41.19 ft, moderate flooding; 56,200 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1979: 43.66 ft, major flooding; 92,900 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1980: 29.00 ft, action stage; 22,400 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1981: 13.96 ft, below flood stage; 7,520 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1982: 36.78 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1983: 30.88 ft, action stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1984: 35.33 ft, minor floodingMay 21, 1985: 28.12 ft, action stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1986: 36.59 ft, minor flooding; 29,700 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1987: 36.61 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1988: 22.12 ft, below flood stage; 13,900 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1989: 39.70 ft, moderate floodingApr 7, 1990: 15.54 ft, below flood stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1991: 13.26 ft, below flood stage; 4,940 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1992: 23.28 ft, below flood stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1993: 36.48 ft, minor flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1994: 33.57 ft, minor flooding; 27,900 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1995: 39.73 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 1996: 42.41 ft, major flooding; 61,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1997: 45.55 ft, major flooding; 124,000 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1998: 36.00 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1998: 30.78 ft, action stage; 28,400 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1999: 41.66 ft, moderate flooding; 59,500 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2000: 33.68 ft, minor floodingApr 19, 2001: 41.33 ft, moderate flooding; 55,300 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2002: 35.86 ft, minor flooding; 34,800 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2003: 21.12 ft, below flood stage; 15,300 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2004: 39.55 ft, moderate floodingJun 24, 2005: 37.16 ft, minor floodingApr 10, 2006: 42.89 ft, major flooding; 78,800 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2007: 36.26 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2007: 33.01 ft, minor flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 24.99 ft, below flood stageApr 6, 2009: 43.82 ft, major floodingMar 28, 2010: 42.18 ft, major flooding; 65,700 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2011: 43.17 ft, major flooding; 83,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2012: 22.26 ft, below flood stage; 15,900 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 39.91 ft, moderate flooding; 42,600 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2014: 37.23 ft, minor flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2015: 23.69 ft, below flood stage; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2016: 24.21 ft, below flood stage; 14,700 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2017: 35.68 ft, minor flooding; 25,300 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2018: 34.53 ft, minor flooding; 30,800 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2019: 42.48 ft, major floodingOct 24, 2019: 39.85 ft, moderate flooding; 39,400 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2020: 43.33 ft, major flooding; 72,800 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2021: 16.45 ft, below flood stage; 5,880 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2022: 43.19 ft, major flooding; 80,400 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2023: 40.40 ft, moderate flooding; 48,800 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 2024: 26.66 ft, below flood stage; 21,600 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2025: 16.93 ft, below flood stage; 9,800 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2026: 29.57 ft, action stage Highest, 45.55 ft, Apr 24, 1997 1900192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red River of the North at Drayton 1890s: 1 1900s: 0 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 4 1950s: 2 1960s: 6 1970s: 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 2000s: 9 9 2010s: 8 2020s: 3 1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 92 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Red River of the North at Drayton
1Apr 24, 199745.55+13.55Major124,000
2Apr 6, 200943.82+11.82Major—
3Apr 28, 197943.66+11.66Major92,900
4Apr 15, 202043.33+11.33Major72,800
5May 4, 202243.19+11.19Major80,400
6Apr 19, 201143.17+11.17Major83,000
7Apr 10, 200642.89+10.89Major78,800
8Apr 21, 201942.48+10.48Major—
9Apr 25, 199642.41+10.41Major61,300
10Mar 28, 201042.18+10.18Major65,700
11Apr 8, 196642.15+10.15Major67,500
12Apr 9, 199941.66+9.66Moderate59,500
13May 12, 195041.58+9.58Moderate86,500
14Apr 23, 196941.35+9.35Moderate—
15Apr 19, 200141.33+9.33Moderate55,300
16Apr 16, 197841.19+9.19Moderate56,200
17Apr 1, 189741.00+9.00Moderate—
18Apr 22, 196540.43+8.43Moderate47,200
19May 1, 202340.40+8.40Moderate48,800
20Apr 22, 194840.05+8.05Moderate—
21May 6, 201339.91+7.91Moderate42,600
22Apr 27, 197439.85+7.85Moderate—
23Oct 24, 201939.85+7.85Moderate39,400
24May 4, 197539.80+7.80Moderate44,000
25Apr 3, 199539.73+7.73Moderate—
26Apr 21, 198939.70+7.70Moderate—
27Apr 5, 200439.55+7.55Moderate—
28Apr 29, 197038.20+6.20Moderate31,700
29Apr 17, 201437.23+5.23Minor31,400
30Jun 24, 200537.16+5.16Minor—
31Apr 17, 198236.78+4.78Minor35,500
32Apr 8, 196736.70+4.70Minor32,200
33Apr 7, 198736.61+4.61Minor27,600
34Apr 7, 198636.59+4.59Minor29,700
35Aug 14, 199336.48+4.48Minor27,600
36Apr 24, 196236.26+4.26Minor32,300
37Apr 6, 200736.26+4.26Minor—
38Mar 10, 199836.00+4.00Minor—
39Jun 18, 200235.86+3.86Minor34,800
40Apr 23, 197235.73+3.73Minor—
41Apr 3, 201735.68+3.68Minor25,300
42Apr 7, 198435.33+3.33Minor—
43Apr 27, 195635.16+3.16Minor28,000
44Apr 7, 197635.00+3.00Minor27,600
45Apr 28, 201834.53+2.53Minor30,800
46Apr 14, 196033.71+1.71Minor24,700
47Jul 3, 200033.68+1.68Minor—
48Apr 17, 194333.66+1.66Minor28,700
49Apr 6, 199433.57+1.57Minor27,900
50Apr 28, 194733.12+1.12Minor29,300

The worst floods along the Red River of the North

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

April 24, 1997: 45.55 ft here, major flooding

  • PembinaND · Apr 26, 1997 · 54.94 ft · Major · its highest
  • Grand ForksND · Apr 22, 1997 · 54.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • HalstadMN · Apr 19, 1997 · 40.74 ft · Major · its highest
  • FargoND · Apr 18, 1997 · 39.72 ft · Major
  • OsloMN · Apr 23, 1997 · 38.00 ft · Major

April 6, 2009: 43.82 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 1, 2009 · 49.33 ft · Major
  • HalstadMN · Mar 30, 2009 · 40.63 ft · Major
  • OsloMN · Apr 1, 2009 · 38.37 ft · Major · its highest

April 28, 1979: 43.66 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 26, 1979 · 48.81 ft · Major
  • HalstadMN · Apr 22, 1979 · 39.00 ft · Major

Gauges on the Red River of the North

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

Flood gauges on the Red River of the North
WahpetonND11.019.42 ft, Apr 6, 199711
HicksonMN30.039.04 ft, Mar 26, 20091
FargoND18.040.84 ft, Mar 28, 200917
HalstadMN26.040.74 ft, Apr 19, 199711
Grand ForksND28.054.35 ft, Apr 22, 199711
OsloMN26.038.37 ft, Apr 1, 200918
Drayton this gaugeMN32.045.55 ft, Apr 24, 199711
PembinaND39.054.94 ft, Apr 26, 199711

Other gauges in Kittson County

Flood gauges in Kittson County
Hallock802.0810.70 ft, Apr 21, 19972

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DRTN8, 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.