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Current River at Van Buren

Highest listed crest 37.20 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft19 crests since 1904

The Current River at Van Buren crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2025. The highest, 37.20 ft on May 1, 2017, was major flooding, 17.20 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
37.20 ft
May 1, 2017; 163,640 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
3
69th of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
April 6, 2025
21.00 ft, minor flooding
Location
Carter 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 Van Buren
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.09Apr 6, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage23.07Dec 29, 2015Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.03May 1, 2017Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

19 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 Van Buren, 1904 to 2025 2025303540ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Mar 26, 1904: 29.00 ft, major floodingAug 21, 1915: 25.90 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1916: 21.60 ft, minor flooding; 85,000 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1935: 22.84 ft, minor flooding; 86,600 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 1942: 21.66 ft, minor flooding; 77,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1945: 20.00 ft, minor floodingFeb 10, 1966: 23.10 ft, moderate flooding; 88,100 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1969: 22.72 ft, minor flooding; 82,900 cubic feet per secondDec 3, 1982: 23.89 ft, moderate flooding; 89,200 cubic feet per secondFeb 24, 1985: 24.85 ft, moderate flooding; 76,400 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1985: 26.53 ft, moderate floodingNov 15, 1993: 27.39 ft, major floodingMay 9, 2002: 22.80 ft, minor flooding; 67,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2008: 25.71 ft, moderate flooding; 82,559 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2011: 21.14 ft, minor flooding; 59,956 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2015: 23.12 ft, moderate flooding; 71,051 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 37.20 ft, major flooding; 163,640 cubic feet per secondNov 6, 2024: 22.08 ft, minor flooding; 72,126 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 2025: 21.00 ft, minor flooding; 65,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 37.20 ft, May 1, 2017 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Current River at Van Buren 1900s: 1 1910s: 2 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 2 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 Van Buren
1May 1, 201737.20+17.20Major163,640
2Mar 26, 190429.00+9.00Major—
3Nov 15, 199327.39+7.39Major—
4Nov 19, 198526.53+6.53Moderate—
5Aug 21, 191525.90+5.90Moderate—
6Mar 20, 200825.71+5.71Moderate82,559
7Feb 24, 198524.85+4.85Moderate76,400
8Dec 3, 198223.89+3.89Moderate89,200
9Dec 29, 201523.12+3.12Moderate71,051
10Feb 10, 196623.10+3.10Moderate88,100
11Mar 11, 193522.84+2.84Minor86,600
12May 9, 200222.80+2.80Minor67,000
13Jan 30, 196922.72+2.72Minor82,900
14Nov 6, 202422.08+2.08Minor72,126
15Dec 28, 194221.66+1.66Minor77,000
16Jan 31, 191621.60+1.60Minor85,000
17Apr 26, 201121.14+1.14Minor59,956
18Apr 6, 202521.00+1.00Minor65,800
19Apr 18, 194520.000.00Minor—

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: 37.20 ft here, major flooding

  • Powder MillMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 41.73 ft · Major · its highest
  • DoniphanMO · May 1, 2017 · 33.13 ft · Major · its highest
  • AkersMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 26.08 ft · Major
  • Montauk State ParkMO · Apr 30, 2017 · 13.83 ft · Minor

November 15, 1993: 27.39 ft here, major flooding

  • DoniphanMO · Nov 15, 1993 · 23.63 ft · Major

November 19, 1985: 26.53 ft here, moderate flooding

  • DoniphanMO · Nov 20, 1985 · 21.88 ft · Moderate

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 Buren this gaugeMO20.037.20 ft, May 1, 20173
DoniphanMO13.033.13 ft, May 1, 201710

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VNBM7, 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.