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Current River at Doniphan

Highest listed crest 33.13 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft34 crests since 1904

The Current River at Doniphan crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 34 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2025. The highest, 33.13 ft on May 1, 2017, was major flooding, 20.13 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Current River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
33.13 ft
May 1, 2017; 168,386 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
10
15th of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
22.82 ft, major flooding
Location
Ripley County
Missouri

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Current River at Doniphan
Action stage10.04Apr 15, 1991The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.08Mar 21, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.012Nov 7, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.010Apr 6, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

34 crests from 1904 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Current River at Doniphan, 1904 to 2025 101520253035ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Mar 1, 1904: 26.80 ft, major floodingAug 1, 1915: 23.80 ft, major flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1933: 19.93 ft, moderate flooding; 49,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1935: 22.00 ft, major floodingDec 29, 1942: 19.05 ft, moderate flooding; 62,800 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1949: 18.30 ft, moderate flooding; 57,000 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1950: 18.20 ft, moderate floodingFeb 11, 1966: 19.27 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1969: 18.73 ft, moderate flooding; 60,300 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1979: 17.00 ft, minor floodingDec 3, 1982: 25.49 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1985: 21.10 ft, moderate floodingNov 20, 1985: 21.88 ft, moderate floodingDec 14, 1987: 11.24 ft, action stageFeb 15, 1989: 11.58 ft, action stageMay 5, 1990: 12.22 ft, action stageApr 15, 1991: 12.76 ft, action stageApr 21, 1992: 15.03 ft, minor floodingNov 15, 1993: 23.63 ft, major flooding; 92,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 9, 1999: 15.10 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 2002: 20.58 ft, moderate flooding; 70,400 cubic feet per secondNov 20, 2003: 13.39 ft, minor floodingMar 19, 2008: 24.11 ft, major flooding; 95,223 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2009: 18.92 ft, moderate flooding; 59,700 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 23.76 ft, major flooding; 92,573 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2013: 13.77 ft, minor flooding; 33,213 cubic feet per secondDec 30, 2015: 22.69 ft, major flooding; 81,400 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 33.13 ft, major flooding; 168,386 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2018: 13.33 ft, minor flooding; 31,367 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 2019: 15.20 ft, minor flooding; 39,768 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2020: 15.64 ft, minor flooding; 41,915 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2023: 19.08 ft, moderate flooding; 60,722 cubic feet per secondNov 7, 2024: 21.00 ft, moderate flooding; 66,189 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 22.82 ft, major flooding; 78,300 cubic feet per second Highest, 33.13 ft, May 1, 2017 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Current River at Doniphan 1900s: 1 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 3 1990s: 3 2000s: 4 2010s: 6 6 2020s: 4 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Current River at Doniphan
1May 1, 201733.13+20.13Major168,386
2Mar 1, 190426.80+13.80Major—
3Dec 3, 198225.49+12.49Major122,000
4Mar 19, 200824.11+11.11Major95,223
5Aug 1, 191523.80+10.80Major105,000
6Apr 26, 201123.76+10.76Major92,573
7Nov 15, 199323.63+10.63Major92,300
8Apr 6, 202522.82+9.82Major78,300
9Dec 30, 201522.69+9.69Major81,400
10Mar 12, 193522.00+9.00Major—
11Nov 20, 198521.88+8.88Moderate—
12Feb 25, 198521.10+8.10Moderate—
13Nov 7, 202421.00+8.00Moderate66,189
14May 10, 200220.58+7.58Moderate70,400
15May 15, 193319.93+6.93Moderate49,000
16Feb 11, 196619.27+6.27Moderate—
17Mar 26, 202319.08+6.08Moderate60,722
18Dec 29, 194219.05+6.05Moderate62,800
19Oct 31, 200918.92+5.92Moderate59,700
20Jan 31, 196918.73+5.73Moderate60,300
21Jan 26, 194918.30+5.30Moderate57,000
22May 11, 195018.20+5.20Moderate—
23Apr 13, 197917.00+4.00Minor—
24Mar 21, 202015.64+2.64Minor41,915
25May 3, 201915.20+2.20Minor39,768
26Feb 9, 199915.10+2.10Minor—
27Apr 21, 199215.03+2.03Minor—
28Jun 3, 201313.77+0.77Minor33,213
29Nov 20, 200313.39+0.39Minor—
30Feb 26, 201813.33+0.33Minor31,367
31Apr 15, 199112.76−0.24Action—
32May 5, 199012.22−0.78Action—
33Feb 15, 198911.58−1.42Action—
34Dec 14, 198711.24−1.76Action—

The worst floods along the Current River

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

May 1, 2017: 33.13 ft here, major flooding

  • Powder MillMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 41.73 ft · Major · its highest
  • Van BurenMO · May 1, 2017 · 37.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • AkersMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 26.08 ft · Major
  • Montauk State ParkMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 13.83 ft · Minor

December 3, 1982: 25.49 ft here, major flooding

  • Van BurenMO · Dec 3, 1982 · 23.89 ft · Moderate

March 19, 2008: 24.11 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Current River

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

Flood gauges on the Current River
Montauk State ParkMO7.019.58 ft, Nov 5, 20240
AkersMO7.032.36 ft, Nov 5, 20242
Powder MillMO8.041.73 ft, Apr 30, 20171
Van BurenMO20.037.20 ft, May 1, 20173
Doniphan this gaugeMO13.033.13 ft, May 1, 201710

Ripley County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Missouri

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DNZM7, 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.