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Little Platte River at Smithville

Highest listed crest 46.49 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft76 crests since 1947

The Little Platte River at Smithville crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 76 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1947 to 2026. The highest, 46.49 ft on July 20, 1965, was major flooding, 19.49 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
46.49 ft
July 20, 1965
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 35.0 ft
Crests at major
5
41st of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
April 27, 2026
29.09 ft, minor flooding
Location
Clay County
Near Smithville (0.7 mi), Kearney (12.0 mi), Gladstone (12.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Platte River at Smithville
Action stage21.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.049Apr 27, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.522Aug 22, 2017Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage35.05Aug 13, 1982Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

76 crests from 1947 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Platte River at Smithville, 1947 to 2026 253035404550ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 35.0 ft Jun 1, 1947: 37.38 ft, major floodingJun 30, 1965: 31.70 ft, moderate floodingJul 20, 1965: 46.49 ft, major floodingSep 17, 1965: 28.80 ft, minor floodingSep 21, 1965: 31.46 ft, moderate floodingJun 12, 1967: 29.13 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 1967: 28.83 ft, minor floodingAug 10, 1968: 28.42 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 1969: 29.45 ft, minor floodingSep 22, 1970: 33.31 ft, moderate floodingJul 11, 1971: 31.88 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 1973: 31.01 ft, moderate floodingMay 2, 1973: 32.09 ft, moderate floodingMay 7, 1973: 31.60 ft, moderate floodingOct 11, 1973: 36.39 ft, major floodingMay 18, 1974: 39.72 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1975: 34.12 ft, moderate floodingSep 13, 1977: 33.74 ft, moderate floodingOct 24, 1977: 30.63 ft, moderate floodingMay 27, 1978: 27.76 ft, minor floodingJun 29, 1981: 29.04 ft, minor floodingJul 27, 1981: 34.87 ft, moderate floodingJul 31, 1981: 27.85 ft, minor floodingAug 13, 1982: 36.44 ft, major floodingJul 4, 1984: 27.11 ft, minor floodingSep 27, 1986: 28.45 ft, minor floodingSep 9, 1989: 30.29 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 1990: 30.99 ft, moderate floodingJul 10, 1992: 29.93 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 1993: 30.43 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 1994: 28.82 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 1995: 27.40 ft, minor floodingMay 27, 1996: 28.30 ft, minor floodingJun 17, 1996: 29.88 ft, minor floodingOct 5, 1998: 32.90 ft, moderate floodingOct 17, 1998: 27.85 ft, minor floodingNov 2, 1998: 28.37 ft, minor floodingApr 22, 1999: 28.98 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 1999: 28.51 ft, minor floodingMay 4, 1999: 27.07 ft, minor floodingJun 28, 1999: 27.51 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 2001: 27.47 ft, minor floodingJun 4, 2001: 30.34 ft, minor floodingJun 20, 2001: 31.35 ft, moderate floodingJul 12, 2001: 30.69 ft, moderate floodingSep 17, 2001: 31.87 ft, moderate floodingMay 6, 2002: 27.00 ft, minor floodingMay 19, 2004: 28.20 ft, minor floodingJul 16, 2004: 27.24 ft, minor floodingOct 2, 2004: 27.96 ft, minor floodingJun 5, 2005: 28.17 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2007: 28.27 ft, minor flooding; 5,030 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2008: 27.61 ft, minor floodingSep 13, 2008: 31.66 ft, moderate floodingMar 8, 2009: 27.22 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2009: 29.96 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 2009: 32.84 ft, moderate floodingMay 13, 2010: 28.85 ft, minor floodingJul 11, 2010: 29.55 ft, minor floodingJul 24, 2010: 27.21 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 2015: 30.49 ft, minor floodingMay 24, 2015: 28.88 ft, minor floodingJun 3, 2015: 28.88 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2015: 29.86 ft, minor floodingJul 6, 2015: 27.79 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2016: 31.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 26, 2016: 33.73 ft, moderate floodingJul 3, 2016: 27.04 ft, minor floodingAug 26, 2016: 31.17 ft, moderate floodingAug 22, 2017: 34.06 ft, moderate floodingMay 21, 2019: 28.28 ft, minor floodingMay 29, 2019: 29.06 ft, minor floodingJun 23, 2019: 28.21 ft, minor floodingMay 31, 2022: 27.93 ft, minor floodingApr 28, 2024: 27.52 ft, minor floodingApr 27, 2026: 29.09 ft, minor flooding Highest, 46.49 ft, Jul 20, 1965 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Platte River at Smithville 1940s: 1 1950s: 0 1960s: 8 1970s: 11 1980s: 7 1990s: 14 2000s: 16 16 2010s: 16 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 76 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Little Platte River at Smithville
1Jul 20, 196546.49+19.49Major—
2May 18, 197439.72+12.72Major—
3Jun 1, 194737.38+10.38Major—
4Aug 13, 198236.44+9.44Major—
5Oct 11, 197336.39+9.39Major—
6Jul 27, 198134.87+7.87Moderate—
7Apr 24, 197534.12+7.12Moderate—
8Aug 22, 201734.06+7.06Moderate—
9Sep 13, 197733.74+6.74Moderate—
10May 26, 201633.73+6.73Moderate—
11Sep 22, 197033.31+6.31Moderate—
12Oct 5, 199832.90+5.90Moderate—
13May 15, 200932.84+5.84Moderate—
14May 2, 197332.09+5.09Moderate—
15Jul 11, 197131.88+4.88Moderate—
16Sep 17, 200131.87+4.87Moderate—
17Jun 30, 196531.70+4.70Moderate—
18Sep 13, 200831.66+4.66Moderate—
19May 7, 197331.60+4.60Moderate—
20Apr 27, 201631.60+4.60Moderate—
21Sep 21, 196531.46+4.46Moderate—
22Jun 20, 200131.35+4.35Moderate—
23Aug 26, 201631.17+4.17Moderate—
24Mar 31, 197331.01+4.01Moderate—
25May 15, 199030.99+3.99Moderate—
26Jul 12, 200130.69+3.69Moderate—
27Oct 24, 197730.63+3.63Moderate—
28May 17, 201530.49+3.49Minor—
29May 7, 199330.43+3.43Minor—
30Jun 4, 200130.34+3.34Minor—
31Sep 9, 198930.29+3.29Minor—
32Apr 27, 200929.96+2.96Minor—
33Jul 10, 199229.93+2.93Minor—
34Jun 17, 199629.88+2.88Minor—
35Jun 26, 201529.86+2.86Minor—
36Jul 11, 201029.55+2.55Minor—
37Jul 2, 196929.45+2.45Minor—
38Jun 12, 196729.13+2.13Minor—
39Apr 27, 202629.09+2.09Minor—
40May 29, 201929.06+2.06Minor—
41Jun 29, 198129.04+2.04Minor—
42Apr 22, 199928.98+1.98Minor—
43May 24, 201528.88+1.88Minor—
44Jun 3, 201528.88+1.88Minor—
45May 13, 201028.85+1.85Minor—
46Jun 28, 196728.83+1.83Minor—
47Apr 28, 199428.82+1.82Minor—
48Sep 17, 196528.80+1.80Minor—
49Apr 27, 199928.51+1.51Minor—
50Sep 27, 198628.45+1.45Minor—

Other gauges in Clay County

Flood gauges in Clay County
Mosby18.033.80 ft, Jul 19, 19656

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMHM7, 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.