West Fork Des Moines River near Avoca
Highest listed crest 1,430.20 ftFlood stage 1,425.0 ft9 crests since 2017
The West Fork Des Moines River near Avoca crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 9 crests the National Weather Service lists from 2017 to 2025. The highest, 1,430.20 ft on July 5, 2018, was major flooding, 5.20 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River crested above flood stage within a week of it.
The gauge
- Highest listed crest
- 1,430.20 ft
- July 5, 2018
- Flood stage
- 1,425.0 ft
- Major flooding from 1,428.0 ft
- Crests at major
- 3
- 42nd of 120 gauges in Minnesota
- Most recent flood crest
- June 24, 2024
- 1,429.64 ft, major flooding
Flood stages
The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.
| Action stage | 1,423.0 | 3 | Jul 2, 2025 |
| Flood stage (minor) | 1,425.0 | 1 | Apr 15, 2023 |
| Moderate flood stage | 1,426.0 | 1 | Mar 6, 2020 |
| Major flood stage | 1,428.0 | 3 | Jun 24, 2024 |
Every listed crest
9 crests from 2017 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.
Crests at or above flood stage, by decade
- 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.
- 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
| 1 | Jul 5, 2018 | 1,430.20 | +5.20 | Major |
| 2 | Jun 24, 2024 | 1,429.64 | +4.64 | Major |
| 3 | Mar 25, 2019 | 1,428.56 | +3.56 | Major |
| 4 | Mar 6, 2020 | 1,426.71 | +1.71 | Moderate |
| 5 | Apr 15, 2023 | 1,425.67 | +0.67 | Minor |
| 6 | May 16, 2022 | 1,424.57 | −0.43 | Action |
| 7 | May 23, 2017 | 1,423.80 | −1.20 | Action |
| 8 | Jul 2, 2025 | 1,423.80 | −1.20 | Action |
| 9 | Oct 29, 2021 | 1,422.03 | −2.97 | Below flood stage |
The worst floods along the West Fork Des Moines River
For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River that crested above flood stage within a week.
July 5, 2018: 1,430.20 ft here, major flooding
- EsthervilleIA · Jul 9, 2018 · 14.89 ft · Major
- WindomMN · Jul 7, 2018 · 23.40 ft · Moderate
- JacksonMN · Jul 8, 2018 · 13.92 ft · Moderate
- HumboldtIA · Jul 6, 2018 · 13.50 ft · Moderate
- EmmetsburgIA · Jul 10, 2018 · 13.26 ft · Moderate
June 24, 2024: 1,429.64 ft here, major flooding
- WindomMN · Jun 25, 2024 · 25.01 ft · Major · its highest
- EsthervilleIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 17.94 ft · Major · its highest
- HumboldtIA · Jun 27, 2024 · 16.82 ft · Major · its highest
- JacksonMN · Jun 26, 2024 · 16.04 ft · Major · its highest
- EmmetsburgIA · Jun 24, 2024 · 15.47 ft · Major · its highest
March 25, 2019: 1,428.56 ft here, major flooding
- EsthervilleIA · Mar 25, 2019 · 15.24 ft · Major
- HumboldtIA · Mar 20, 2019 · 14.95 ft · Major
- JacksonMN · Mar 24, 2019 · 14.08 ft · Major
- WindomMN · Mar 23, 2019 · 23.01 ft · Moderate
- EmmetsburgIA · Mar 25, 2019 · 13.44 ft · Moderate
Gauges on the West Fork Des Moines River
Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.
| Windom | MN | 25.01 ft, Jun 25, 2024 | 1 |
| Emmetsburg | IA | 15.47 ft, Jun 24, 2024 | 1 |
| Estherville | IA | 17.94 ft, Jun 24, 2024 | 7 |
| Humboldt | IA | 16.82 ft, Jun 27, 2024 | 4 |
| Jackson | MN | 16.04 ft, Jun 26, 2024 | 2 |
| Avoca this gauge | MN | 1,430.20 ft, Jul 5, 2018 | 3 |
Murray County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Minnesota
NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AVOM5, 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.