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Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum

Highest listed crest 33.85 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft84 crests since 1944

The Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 84 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1944 to 2026. The highest, 33.85 ft on April 18, 1997, was major flooding, 13.85 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.85 ft
April 18, 1997; 10,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 32.0 ft
Crests at major
6
25th of 120 gauges in Minnesota
Most recent flood crest
April 19, 2023
28.42 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Norman County
Minnesota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum
Action stage18.03Jun 18, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.028May 3, 2022Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage28.013Apr 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage32.06Apr 12, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

84 crests from 1944 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum, 1944 to 2026 010203040ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 32.0 ft Jul 15, 1944: 16.07 ft, below flood stage; 2,260 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1945: 19.04 ft, action stageApr 15, 1947: 27.70 ft, minor flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1948: 20.13 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1949: 10.15 ft, below flood stageApr 8, 1950: 25.09 ft, minor floodingApr 8, 1951: 20.10 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1952: 22.35 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 1953: 16.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1954: 15.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1955: 15.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,850 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1956: 24.26 ft, minor flooding; 4,660 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1957: 12.39 ft, below flood stageJul 7, 1958: 8.16 ft, below flood stage; 633 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1959: 8.92 ft, below flood stage; 540 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1960: 16.48 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1961: 10.66 ft, below flood stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 13, 1962: 22.26 ft, minor flooding; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1963: 13.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1964: 17.55 ft, below flood stage; 2,690 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1965: 29.52 ft, moderate floodingMar 26, 1966: 29.12 ft, moderate floodingApr 22, 1967: 21.29 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 1968: 11.26 ft, below flood stage; 726 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1969: 31.42 ft, moderate flooding; 8,300 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1970: 22.41 ft, minor flooding; 3,940 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1971: 13.76 ft, below flood stageMar 22, 1972: 24.50 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 1973: 15.26 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 1974: 26.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1975: 32.05 ft, major floodingMar 30, 1976: 20.22 ft, minor flooding; 2,120 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1977: 6.74 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 1978: 31.42 ft, moderate flooding; 9,350 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1979: 32.30 ft, major flooding; 8,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1980: 17.36 ft, below flood stage; 1,800 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1981: 14.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1982: 22.51 ft, minor flooding; 3,280 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 1983: 16.18 ft, below flood stageJul 5, 1983: 15.12 ft, below flood stage; 2,290 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1984: 25.00 ft, minor flooding; 5,400 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1985: 25.14 ft, minor flooding; 5,230 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1986: 23.10 ft, minor flooding; 3,850 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1987: 17.00 ft, below flood stageMar 13, 1988: 12.59 ft, below flood stageApr 7, 1989: 29.60 ft, moderate flooding; 5,480 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1990: 14.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1991: 10.27 ft, below flood stage; 952 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1992: 14.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1993: 27.15 ft, minor floodingMar 24, 1994: 21.22 ft, minor floodingMar 30, 1995: 25.30 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1996: 28.82 ft, moderate flooding; 5,750 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1997: 33.85 ft, major flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1998: 26.91 ft, minor flooding; 6,550 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1999: 22.75 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2000: 29.56 ft, moderate flooding; 8,040 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 31.62 ft, moderate floodingJun 13, 2002: 28.02 ft, moderate floodingJun 28, 2003: 17.84 ft, below flood stage; 3,060 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2004: 22.75 ft, minor flooding; 4,800 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2005: 23.63 ft, minor floodingApr 5, 2006: 32.41 ft, major floodingJun 20, 2007: 26.64 ft, minor flooding; 4,990 cubic feet per secondSep 13, 2008: 18.39 ft, action stage; 3,370 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 2009: 33.56 ft, major floodingMar 19, 2010: 31.76 ft, moderate flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 2011: 33.06 ft, major floodingMar 19, 2012: 10.96 ft, below flood stage; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2013: 27.35 ft, minor floodingJun 18, 2014: 18.68 ft, action stage; 3,330 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2015: 12.16 ft, below flood stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2016: 13.80 ft, below flood stage; 1,880 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 2017: 21.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,950 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 2018: 17.40 ft, below flood stageApr 10, 2019: 31.95 ft, moderate flooding; 7,090 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2019: 23.49 ft, minor flooding; 3,430 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 2020: 30.62 ft, moderate floodingMar 11, 2021: 10.77 ft, below flood stageMay 3, 2022: 27.01 ft, minor flooding; 5,550 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2023: 28.42 ft, moderate flooding; 7,370 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2024: 15.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,490 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2025: 12.26 ft, below flood stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2026: 14.65 ft, below flood stage Highest, 33.85 ft, Apr 18, 1997 1960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum 1940s: 2 1950s: 4 1960s: 5 1970s: 7 1980s: 5 1990s: 7 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 6 2020s: 3 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

The 50 highest of 84 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Wild Rice River (MN) at Hendrum
1Apr 18, 199733.85+13.85Major10,600
2Mar 29, 200933.56+13.56Major—
3Apr 12, 201133.06+13.06Major—
4Apr 5, 200632.41+12.41Major—
5Apr 21, 197932.30+12.30Major8,800
6Jul 9, 197532.05+12.05Major—
7Apr 10, 201931.95+11.95Moderate7,090
8Mar 19, 201031.76+11.76Moderate6,360
9Apr 14, 200131.62+11.62Moderate—
10Apr 15, 196931.42+11.42Moderate8,300
11Apr 10, 197831.42+11.42Moderate9,350
12Apr 9, 202030.62+10.62Moderate—
13Apr 7, 198929.60+9.60Moderate5,480
14Jun 26, 200029.56+9.56Moderate8,040
15Apr 15, 196529.52+9.52Moderate—
16Mar 26, 196629.12+9.12Moderate—
17Apr 14, 199628.82+8.82Moderate5,750
18Apr 19, 202328.42+8.42Moderate7,370
19Jun 13, 200228.02+8.02Moderate—
20Apr 15, 194727.70+7.70Minor4,200
21May 1, 201327.35+7.35Minor—
22Aug 2, 199327.15+7.15Minor—
23May 3, 202227.01+7.01Minor5,550
24May 19, 199826.91+6.91Minor6,550
25Jun 20, 200726.64+6.64Minor4,990
26Apr 16, 197426.21+6.21Minor5,590
27Mar 30, 199525.30+5.30Minor—
28May 16, 198525.14+5.14Minor5,230
29Apr 8, 195025.09+5.09Minor—
30Jun 11, 198425.00+5.00Minor5,400
31Mar 22, 197224.50+4.50Minor—
32Apr 14, 195624.26+4.26Minor4,660
33Jun 16, 200523.63+3.63Minor—
34Oct 15, 201923.49+3.49Minor3,430
35Mar 31, 198623.10+3.10Minor3,850
36Mar 30, 199922.75+2.75Minor—
37Mar 29, 200422.75+2.75Minor4,800
38Apr 3, 198222.51+2.51Minor3,280
39Jun 20, 197022.41+2.41Minor3,940
40Apr 18, 195222.35+2.35Minor—
41Jun 13, 196222.26+2.26Minor3,680
42Apr 22, 196721.29+1.29Minor—
43Mar 24, 199421.22+1.22Minor—
44Feb 25, 201721.09+1.09Minor2,950
45Mar 30, 197620.22+0.22Minor2,120
46Apr 8, 194820.13+0.13Minor2,200
47Apr 8, 195120.10+0.10Minor—
48Mar 22, 194519.04−0.96Action—
49Jun 18, 201418.68−1.32Action3,330
50Sep 13, 200818.39−1.61Action3,370

The worst floods along the Wild Rice River (MN)

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

April 5, 2006: 32.41 ft here, major flooding

April 21, 1979: 32.30 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Wild Rice River (MN)

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

Flood gauges on the Wild Rice River (MN)
Twin ValleyMN10.017.96 ft, Jun 24, 20022
Hendrum this gaugeMN20.033.85 ft, Apr 18, 19976

Other gauges in Norman County

Flood gauges in Norman County
Shelly14.025.45 ft, Apr 18, 19975
Halstad26.040.74 ft, Apr 19, 199711
Twin Valley10.017.96 ft, Jun 24, 20022

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HNDM5, 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.