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Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City

Highest listed crest 27.94 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft51 crests since 1948

The Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2024. The highest, 27.94 ft on September 14, 1961, was major flooding, 9.94 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
27.94 ft
September 14, 1961
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
2
81st of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
July 4, 2024
20.94 ft, minor flooding
Location
Jackson County
Near Independence (3.0 mi), Blue Springs (6.4 mi), Grain Valley (7.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.043Jul 4, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.06May 18, 1974Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.02Aug 13, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 crests from 1948 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City, 1948 to 2024 182022242628ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft May 20, 1948: 24.97 ft, minor floodingOct 17, 1949: 24.70 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 1951: 26.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 6, 1961: 24.30 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 1961: 27.94 ft, major floodingNov 3, 1961: 24.18 ft, minor floodingJul 20, 1965: 25.03 ft, moderate floodingJun 13, 1966: 25.43 ft, moderate floodingJun 22, 1967: 24.90 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 1969: 24.97 ft, minor floodingOct 13, 1969: 25.05 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 1970: 24.23 ft, minor floodingSep 23, 1970: 26.10 ft, moderate floodingDec 16, 1971: 24.47 ft, minor floodingMay 18, 1974: 26.09 ft, moderate floodingSep 11, 1975: 23.01 ft, minor floodingJun 24, 1976: 20.10 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 1977: 23.30 ft, minor floodingAug 13, 1982: 27.06 ft, major floodingMay 1, 1983: 19.57 ft, minor floodingJun 9, 1984: 18.37 ft, minor floodingSep 23, 1986: 18.31 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 1990: 24.07 ft, minor floodingMay 8, 1995: 19.00 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1995: 19.90 ft, minor floodingJul 26, 1998: 21.00 ft, minor floodingJul 30, 1998: 20.00 ft, minor floodingSep 14, 1998: 20.74 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 1998: 21.16 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1999: 18.22 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 1999: 21.52 ft, minor floodingJun 6, 2001: 18.45 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2004: 22.24 ft, minor floodingAug 28, 2004: 19.80 ft, minor floodingSep 18, 2004: 18.66 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2007: 23.84 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2008: 20.14 ft, minor flooding; 8,490 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2010: 20.40 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 2010: 22.89 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2016: 18.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,360 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 2017: 21.14 ft, minor floodingAug 6, 2017: 20.42 ft, minor floodingAug 22, 2017: 22.45 ft, minor flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2018: 21.92 ft, minor flooding; 9,620 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2019: 20.67 ft, minor floodingMay 25, 2019: 18.90 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2019: 18.02 ft, minor floodingMay 28, 2020: 23.87 ft, minor floodingJul 31, 2020: 18.32 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2024: 18.53 ft, minor floodingJul 4, 2024: 20.94 ft, minor flooding Highest, 27.94 ft, Sep 14, 1961 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City 1940s: 2 1950s: 1 1960s: 8 1970s: 7 1980s: 4 1990s: 9 2000s: 6 2010s: 10 10 2020s: 4 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 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Blue River (MO) near Lake City
1Sep 14, 196127.94+9.94Major—
2Aug 13, 198227.06+9.06Major—
3Jul 11, 195126.10+8.10Moderate—
4Sep 23, 197026.10+8.10Moderate—
5May 18, 197426.09+8.09Moderate—
6Jun 13, 196625.43+7.43Moderate—
7Oct 13, 196925.05+7.05Moderate—
8Jul 20, 196525.03+7.03Moderate—
9May 20, 194824.97+6.97Minor—
10Jun 28, 196924.97+6.97Minor—
11Jun 22, 196724.90+6.90Minor—
12Oct 17, 194924.70+6.70Minor—
13Dec 16, 197124.47+6.47Minor—
14May 6, 196124.30+6.30Minor—
15Apr 19, 197024.23+6.23Minor—
16Nov 3, 196124.18+6.18Minor—
17May 15, 199024.07+6.07Minor—
18May 28, 202023.87+5.87Minor—
19May 7, 200723.84+5.84Minor14,100
20Sep 13, 197723.30+5.30Minor—
21Sep 11, 197523.01+5.01Minor—
22Sep 19, 201022.89+4.89Minor11,700
23Aug 22, 201722.45+4.45Minor10,700
24May 19, 200422.24+4.24Minor—
25Oct 8, 201821.92+3.92Minor9,620
26Jun 28, 199921.52+3.52Minor—
27Oct 5, 199821.16+3.16Minor—
28Jul 27, 201721.14+3.14Minor—
29Jul 26, 199821.00+3.00Minor—
30Jul 4, 202420.94+2.94Minor—
31Sep 14, 199820.74+2.74Minor—
32May 21, 201920.67+2.67Minor—
33Aug 6, 201720.42+2.42Minor—
34Jun 14, 201020.40+2.40Minor—
35Jul 30, 200820.14+2.14Minor8,490
36Jun 24, 197620.10+2.10Minor—
37Jul 30, 199820.00+2.00Minor—
38May 17, 199519.90+1.90Minor—
39Aug 28, 200419.80+1.80Minor—
40May 1, 198319.57+1.57Minor—
41May 8, 199519.00+1.00Minor—
42May 25, 201918.90+0.90Minor—
43May 26, 201618.67+0.67Minor6,360
44Sep 18, 200418.66+0.66Minor—
45Apr 28, 202418.53+0.53Minor—
46Jun 6, 200118.45+0.45Minor—
47Jun 9, 198418.37+0.37Minor—
48Jul 31, 202018.32+0.32Minor—
49Sep 23, 198618.31+0.31Minor—
50May 4, 199918.22+0.22Minor—

Gauges on the Little Blue River (MO)

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Little Blue River (MO)
KnobtownMO27.036.50 ft, Oct 2, 19861
Lees Summit Road - IndependenceMO21.027.82 ft, Aug 22, 20170
Lake City this gaugeMO18.027.94 ft, Sep 14, 19612

Other gauges in Jackson County

Flood gauges in Jackson County
12th Street30.038.00 ft, Sep 13, 19610
63rd Street26.027.22 ft, Jul 2, 20240
71 Highway27.035.82 ft, Jul 1, 20240
Bannister Road34.044.46 ft, Sep 13, 19612
Blue Ridge Blvd Ext35.044.50 ft, Sep 13, 19610
Stadium Drive33.046.96 ft, May 15, 19901
Ward Parkway - Kansas City46.053.00 ft, Sep 12, 19772
State Line Rd.20.028.26 ft, Aug 22, 20172
Knobtown27.036.50 ft, Oct 2, 19861
Lees Summit Road - Independence21.027.82 ft, Aug 22, 20170
Kansas City32.048.87 ft, Jul 27, 19930

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LKCM7, 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.