Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Meramec River at Valley Park

Highest listed crest 44.11 ftFlood stage 18.0 ft128 crests since 1916

The Meramec River at Valley Park crested at major flood stage 28 times among the 128 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 2026. The highest, 44.11 ft on December 31, 2015, was major flooding, 26.11 feet above flood stage. 6 other gauges on the Meramec River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
44.11 ft
December 31, 2015
Flood stage
18.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
28
1st of 173 gauges in Missouri
Most recent flood crest
March 8, 2026
20.45 ft, minor flooding
Location
St. Louis County
Near Manchester (2.8 mi), Kirkwood (4.1 mi), Ballwin (4.8 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Meramec River at Valley Park
Action stage11.024Feb 20, 2022The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)18.033Mar 8, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.043Mar 28, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.028Apr 8, 2025Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

128 crests from 1916 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Meramec River at Valley Park, 1916 to 2026 1020304050ft Flood stage 18.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Feb 1, 1916: 34.40 ft, major floodingApr 28, 1919: 25.00 ft, moderate floodingOct 30, 1919: 30.70 ft, major floodingApr 29, 1921: 23.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 2, 1922: 21.30 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 1922: 22.80 ft, moderate floodingMar 18, 1923: 16.90 ft, action stageMay 31, 1924: 19.50 ft, minor floodingNov 10, 1925: 17.50 ft, action stageApr 4, 1927: 27.20 ft, major floodingApr 18, 1927: 23.60 ft, moderate floodingApr 9, 1928: 23.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 16, 1929: 21.10 ft, moderate floodingJan 16, 1930: 23.60 ft, moderate floodingMay 17, 1933: 28.00 ft, major floodingSep 18, 1934: 18.00 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1935: 27.80 ft, major floodingMay 6, 1937: 21.20 ft, moderate floodingJun 12, 1938: 23.90 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 1939: 27.20 ft, major floodingApr 23, 1941: 21.60 ft, moderate floodingJun 29, 1942: 21.90 ft, moderate floodingDec 30, 1942: 28.70 ft, major floodingMay 13, 1943: 23.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 22, 1943: 26.20 ft, moderate floodingApr 25, 1944: 18.20 ft, minor floodingJun 11, 1945: 33.00 ft, major floodingFeb 16, 1946: 22.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 28, 1947: 28.20 ft, major floodingJan 3, 1948: 17.40 ft, action stageFeb 18, 1949: 20.90 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 1950: 30.00 ft, major floodingJul 16, 1951: 25.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 14, 1952: 17.30 ft, action stageMar 23, 1955: 16.70 ft, action stageJul 2, 1957: 32.00 ft, major floodingMar 27, 1958: 19.05 ft, minor floodingMay 10, 1961: 28.70 ft, major floodingMar 24, 1962: 18.90 ft, minor floodingMar 12, 1964: 17.00 ft, action stageFeb 13, 1966: 24.85 ft, moderate floodingDec 24, 1967: 20.05 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1969: 29.65 ft, major floodingMay 3, 1970: 18.25 ft, minor floodingApr 18, 1972: 19.15 ft, minor floodingApr 23, 1972: 20.65 ft, minor floodingNov 5, 1972: 19.70 ft, minor floodingNov 16, 1972: 18.90 ft, minor floodingMar 13, 1973: 19.90 ft, minor floodingApr 25, 1973: 22.45 ft, moderate floodingNov 28, 1973: 19.05 ft, minor floodingDec 27, 1973: 17.05 ft, action stageJan 23, 1974: 17.05 ft, action stageFeb 24, 1974: 17.70 ft, action stageFeb 26, 1975: 21.10 ft, moderate floodingMay 10, 1975: 18.20 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 1977: 21.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 27, 1978: 19.45 ft, minor floodingApr 14, 1979: 30.40 ft, major floodingMay 22, 1981: 20.90 ft, minor floodingFeb 2, 1982: 19.30 ft, minor floodingFeb 20, 1982: 20.90 ft, minor floodingDec 6, 1982: 39.73 ft, major floodingMay 3, 1983: 33.00 ft, major floodingApr 24, 1984: 18.20 ft, minor floodingNov 30, 1984: 18.50 ft, minor floodingFeb 26, 1985: 28.50 ft, major floodingApr 1, 1985: 24.30 ft, moderate floodingJun 21, 1985: 26.00 ft, moderate floodingNov 22, 1985: 31.70 ft, major floodingOct 5, 1986: 22.20 ft, moderate floodingDec 29, 1987: 22.80 ft, moderate floodingMay 29, 1990: 22.50 ft, moderate floodingApr 23, 1992: 20.80 ft, minor floodingJan 7, 1993: 21.00 ft, moderate floodingAug 1, 1993: 25.10 ft, moderate floodingSep 26, 1993: 32.40 ft, major floodingApr 14, 1994: 37.40 ft, major floodingMay 21, 1995: 29.30 ft, major floodingMay 8, 2000: 24.00 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 2002: 24.20 ft, moderate floodingJan 9, 2005: 21.49 ft, moderate flooding; 48,900 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 2005: 20.20 ft, minor flooding; 44,100 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2006: 17.82 ft, action stage; 37,700 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2008: 37.83 ft, major flooding; 122,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2008: 21.94 ft, moderate floodingApr 13, 2008: 23.30 ft, moderate floodingMay 11, 2008: 16.45 ft, action stageJun 26, 2008: 16.05 ft, action stageJul 1, 2008: 17.21 ft, action stageSep 18, 2008: 21.28 ft, moderate floodingMay 12, 2009: 23.74 ft, moderate flooding; 54,550 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2009: 18.65 ft, minor flooding; 39,900 cubic feet per secondNov 2, 2009: 27.63 ft, major floodingMay 23, 2010: 17.41 ft, action stageMar 17, 2011: 16.77 ft, action stageApr 30, 2011: 27.12 ft, major floodingApr 21, 2013: 23.53 ft, moderate flooding; 57,760 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2013: 16.35 ft, action stageApr 30, 2013: 16.24 ft, action stageApr 10, 2015: 16.62 ft, action stageJun 23, 2015: 24.82 ft, moderate floodingJul 3, 2015: 18.62 ft, minor floodingDec 31, 2015: 44.11 ft, major floodingJan 5, 2016: 25.72 ft, moderate flooding; 112,000 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2016: 16.18 ft, action stageMay 3, 2017: 43.31 ft, major flooding; 160,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 2018: 22.81 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 2018: 18.72 ft, minor floodingApr 2, 2019: 19.18 ft, minor floodingMay 5, 2019: 23.86 ft, moderate floodingJun 9, 2019: 24.07 ft, moderate floodingJan 14, 2020: 23.92 ft, moderate floodingJan 20, 2020: 16.43 ft, action stageMar 22, 2020: 18.29 ft, minor floodingMar 27, 2020: 16.44 ft, action stageApr 27, 2020: 16.31 ft, action stageMar 20, 2021: 17.80 ft, action stageFeb 20, 2022: 17.74 ft, action stageApr 2, 2022: 18.95 ft, minor floodingMay 9, 2022: 21.70 ft, moderate floodingMar 6, 2023: 18.91 ft, minor floodingMar 28, 2023: 23.72 ft, moderate floodingAug 6, 2023: 18.41 ft, minor flooding; 38,380 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 2024: 31.03 ft, major floodingApr 8, 2025: 28.74 ft, major floodingApr 23, 2025: 19.71 ft, minor flooding; 42,700 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2026: 20.45 ft, minor flooding; 45,500 cubic feet per second Highest, 44.11 ft, Dec 31, 2015 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Meramec River at Valley Park 1910s: 3 1920s: 8 1930s: 7 1940s: 10 1950s: 4 1960s: 5 1970s: 13 13 1980s: 13 1990s: 7 2000s: 11 2010s: 12 2020s: 11 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 37.85 ft on Aug 22, 1915.

Highest crests

The 50 highest of 128 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Meramec River at Valley Park
1Dec 31, 201544.11+26.11Major—
2May 3, 201743.31+25.31Major160,400
3Dec 6, 198239.73+21.73Major—
4Mar 22, 200837.83+19.83Major122,000
5Apr 14, 199437.40+19.40Major—
6Feb 1, 191634.40+16.40Major—
7Jun 11, 194533.00+15.00Major—
8May 3, 198333.00+15.00Major—
9Sep 26, 199332.40+14.40Major—
10Jul 2, 195732.00+14.00Major—
11Nov 22, 198531.70+13.70Major—
12Nov 8, 202431.03+13.03Major—
13Oct 30, 191930.70+12.70Major—
14Apr 14, 197930.40+12.40Major—
15Jan 7, 195030.00+12.00Major—
16Feb 2, 196929.65+11.65Major—
17May 21, 199529.30+11.30Major—
18Apr 8, 202528.74+10.74Major—
19Dec 30, 194228.70+10.70Major—
20May 10, 196128.70+10.70Major—
21Feb 26, 198528.50+10.50Major—
22Apr 28, 194728.20+10.20Major—
23May 17, 193328.00+10.00Major—
24Mar 14, 193527.80+9.80Major—
25Nov 2, 200927.63+9.63Major—
26Apr 4, 192727.20+9.20Major—
27Apr 19, 193927.20+9.20Major—
28Apr 30, 201127.12+9.12Major—
29May 22, 194326.20+8.20Moderate—
30Jun 21, 198526.00+8.00Moderate—
31Jan 5, 201625.72+7.72Moderate112,000
32Jul 16, 195125.50+7.50Moderate—
33Aug 1, 199325.10+7.10Moderate—
34Apr 28, 191925.00+7.00Moderate—
35Feb 13, 196624.85+6.85Moderate—
36Jun 23, 201524.82+6.82Moderate—
37Apr 1, 198524.30+6.30Moderate—
38May 11, 200224.20+6.20Moderate—
39Jun 9, 201924.07+6.07Moderate—
40May 8, 200024.00+6.00Moderate—
41Jan 14, 202023.92+5.92Moderate—
42Jun 12, 193823.90+5.90Moderate—
43May 5, 201923.86+5.86Moderate—
44May 13, 194323.80+5.80Moderate—
45May 12, 200923.74+5.74Moderate54,550
46Mar 28, 202323.72+5.72Moderate—
47Apr 18, 192723.60+5.60Moderate—
48Jan 16, 193023.60+5.60Moderate—
49Apr 21, 201323.53+5.53Moderate57,760
50Apr 29, 192123.50+5.50Moderate—

The worst floods along the Meramec River

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

December 31, 2015: 44.11 ft here, major flooding

  • ArnoldMO · Dec 31, 2015 · 47.26 ft · Major · its highest
  • EurekaMO · Dec 30, 2015 · 46.06 ft · Major
  • FentonMO · Dec 31, 2015 · 42.86 ft · Major · its highest
  • PacificMO · Dec 30, 2015 · 33.42 ft · Major · its highest
  • SullivanMO · Dec 29, 2015 · 31.48 ft · Major
  • SteelvilleMO · Dec 29, 2015 · 24.87 ft · Moderate

May 3, 2017: 43.31 ft here, major flooding

  • EurekaMO · May 3, 2017 · 46.11 ft · Major · its highest
  • ArnoldMO · May 3, 2017 · 45.62 ft · Major
  • FentonMO · May 3, 2017 · 41.88 ft · Major
  • SullivanMO · May 1, 2017 · 36.52 ft · Major · its highest
  • PacificMO · May 2, 2017 · 33.05 ft · Major
  • SteelvilleMO · May 1, 2017 · 28.71 ft · Major · its highest

December 6, 1982: 39.73 ft here, major flooding

  • ArnoldMO · Dec 6, 1982 · 43.90 ft · Major
  • EurekaMO · Dec 6, 1982 · 42.89 ft · Major
  • PacificMO · Dec 6, 1982 · 32.71 ft · Major
  • SullivanMO · Dec 4, 1982 · 32.22 ft · Major
  • SteelvilleMO · Dec 4, 1982 · 25.60 ft · Major

Gauges on the Meramec River

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

Flood gauges on the Meramec River
SteelvilleMO12.028.71 ft, May 1, 20176
SullivanMO11.036.52 ft, May 1, 20178
PacificMO15.033.42 ft, Dec 30, 20155
EurekaMO19.046.11 ft, May 3, 201715
Valley Park this gaugeMO18.044.11 ft, Dec 31, 201528
FentonMO23.042.86 ft, Dec 31, 20153
ArnoldMO24.047.26 ft, Dec 31, 201512

Other gauges in St. Louis County

Flood gauges in St. Louis County
Fenton23.042.86 ft, Dec 31, 20153
Eureka19.046.11 ft, May 3, 201715
St. Charles25.040.11 ft, Jun 24, 18449

St. Louis County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Missouri

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VLLM7, 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.