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Root River (MN) at Houston

Highest listed crest 19.28 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft24 crests since 1950

The Root River (MN) at Houston crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 24 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1950 to 2026. The highest, 19.28 ft on March 15, 2019, was major flooding, 4.28 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Root River (MN) crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
19.28 ft
March 15, 2019; 76,194 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
3
42nd of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
July 4, 2026
15.81 ft, minor flooding
Location
Houston County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Root River (MN) at Houston
Action stage12.05Mar 24, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.014Jul 4, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.02Sep 24, 2016Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.03Mar 15, 2019Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

24 crests from 1950 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Root River (MN) at Houston, 1950 to 2026 1214161820ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Mar 27, 1950: 16.56 ft, minor flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1952: 13.90 ft, action stage; 37,000 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1961: 15.10 ft, minor flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1962: 14.36 ft, action stage; 29,500 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 1965: 18.32 ft, major flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1980: 15.29 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJul 13, 1981: 13.99 ft, action stage; 12,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1985: 16.50 ft, minor floodingSep 23, 1986: 14.73 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 16.14 ft, minor flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 2000: 17.59 ft, moderate flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 2000: 16.00 ft, minor floodingApr 13, 2001: 15.51 ft, minor flooding; 16,700 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 16.56 ft, minor flooding; 23,800 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2007: 16.18 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2007: 18.15 ft, major flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2008: 16.13 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2010: 15.54 ft, minor flooding; 13,900 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2011: 14.85 ft, action stage; 12,000 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2013: 16.37 ft, minor flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 2016: 17.01 ft, moderate flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 19.28 ft, major flooding; 76,194 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 2024: 16.57 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 2026: 15.81 ft, minor flooding; 15,213 cubic feet per second Highest, 19.28 ft, Mar 15, 2019 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Root River (MN) at Houston 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 4 2020s: 2 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Root River (MN) at Houston
1Mar 15, 201919.28+4.28Major76,194
2Mar 2, 196518.32+3.32Major31,000
3Aug 19, 200718.15+3.15Major46,000
4Jun 2, 200017.59+2.59Moderate34,600
5Sep 24, 201617.01+2.01Moderate22,200
6Jun 24, 202416.57+1.57Minor—
7Mar 27, 195016.56+1.56Minor31,000
8Sep 17, 200416.56+1.56Minor23,800
9Feb 23, 198516.50+1.50Minor—
10May 21, 201316.37+1.37Minor22,800
11Mar 15, 200716.18+1.18Minor20,800
12Apr 2, 199316.14+1.14Minor15,800
13Jun 10, 200816.13+1.13Minor16,100
14Jul 12, 200016.00+1.00Minor—
15Jul 4, 202615.81+0.81Minor15,213
16Sep 27, 201015.54+0.54Minor13,900
17Apr 13, 200115.51+0.51Minor16,700
18Sep 21, 198015.29+0.29Minor16,400
19Mar 27, 196115.10+0.10Minor31,400
20Mar 24, 201114.85−0.15Action12,000
21Sep 23, 198614.73−0.27Action13,600
22Mar 30, 196214.36−0.64Action29,500
23Jul 13, 198113.99−1.01Action12,600
24Apr 1, 195213.90−1.10Action37,000

The worst floods along the Root River (MN)

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

March 15, 2019: 19.28 ft here, major flooding

  • RushfordMN · Mar 15, 2019 · 23.21 ft · Minor

August 19, 2007: 18.15 ft here, major flooding

  • RushfordMN · Aug 19, 2007 · 28.98 ft · Major · its highest
  • Pilot MoundMN · Aug 19, 2007 · 19.42 ft · Minor

June 2, 2000: 17.59 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RushfordMN · Jun 2, 2000 · 26.35 ft · Major
  • Pilot MoundMN · Jun 1, 2000 · 25.90 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Root River (MN)

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

Flood gauges on the Root River (MN)
Pilot MoundMN19.025.90 ft, Jun 1, 20001
RushfordMN21.028.98 ft, Aug 19, 20078
Houston this gaugeMN15.019.28 ft, Mar 15, 20193

Other gauges in Houston County

Flood gauges in Houston County
Freeburg13.020.26 ft, Jun 8, 20087
Brownsville635.0640.20 ft, Apr 22, 19650
Mound Prairie665.0680.70 ft, Oct 1, 20191
Houston10.014.90 ft, Jun 2, 20003

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HOUM5, 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.