Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Little Missouri River at Medora

Highest listed crest 20.50 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft28 crests since 1907

The Little Missouri River at Medora crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1907 to 2021. The highest, 20.50 ft on March 23, 1947, was major flooding, 5.50 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Little Missouri River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.50 ft
March 23, 1947; 65,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
2
31st of 54 gauges in North Dakota
Most recent flood crest
March 2, 2020
15.71 ft, minor flooding
Location
Billings County
North Dakota

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Little Missouri River at Medora
Action stage13.05Mar 20, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.07Mar 2, 2020Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.02Mar 25, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.02May 25, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1907 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Little Missouri River at Medora, 1907 to 2021 0510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Apr 24, 1907: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 29,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1915: 14.10 ft, action stage; 24,700 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1929: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 38,700 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1947: 20.50 ft, major flooding; 65,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1952: 17.32 ft, minor flooding; 42,500 cubic feet per secondJul 27, 1955: 13.90 ft, action stage; 25,600 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1972: 18.68 ft, moderate flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 1975: 14.00 ft, action stage; 22,800 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1978: 16.52 ft, minor floodingMar 16, 2003: 10.21 ft, below flood stageJun 30, 2005: 11.43 ft, below flood stageApr 25, 2006: 13.82 ft, action stage; 12,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2007: 11.75 ft, below flood stageMay 11, 2008: 11.70 ft, below flood stageApr 19, 2009: 16.43 ft, minor flooding; 20,800 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 2010: 14.15 ft, action stageMay 25, 2011: 20.39 ft, major flooding; 35,100 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2012: 4.08 ft, below flood stage; 795 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2013: 11.52 ft, below flood stage; 8,120 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 2013: 11.25 ft, below flood stage; 8,290 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2014: 16.05 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 2015: 11.40 ft, below flood stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 2016: 5.19 ft, below flood stageFeb 19, 2017: 10.20 ft, below flood stageApr 16, 2018: 12.92 ft, below flood stage; 11,000 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 2019: 18.57 ft, moderate flooding; 27,700 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2020: 15.71 ft, minor floodingMar 9, 2021: 3.88 ft, below flood stage Highest, 20.50 ft, Mar 23, 1947 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Little Missouri River at Medora 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 1 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 1 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, Little Missouri River at Medora
1Mar 23, 194720.50+5.50Major65,000
2May 25, 201120.39+5.39Major35,100
3Mar 11, 197218.68+3.68Moderate40,000
4Mar 25, 201918.57+3.57Moderate27,700
5Apr 8, 195217.32+2.32Minor42,500
6Jun 7, 192917.20+2.20Minor38,700
7Mar 28, 197816.52+1.52Minor—
8Apr 19, 200916.43+1.43Minor20,800
9Mar 14, 201416.05+1.05Minor10,600
10Apr 24, 190716.00+1.00Minor29,000
11Mar 2, 202015.71+0.71Minor—
12Mar 20, 201014.15−0.85Action—
13Jun 16, 191514.10−0.90Action24,700
14May 9, 197514.00−1.00Action22,800
15Jul 27, 195513.90−1.10Action25,600
16Apr 25, 200613.82−1.18Action12,400
17Apr 16, 201812.92−2.08Below flood stage11,000
18Jun 9, 200711.75−3.25Below flood stage—
19May 11, 200811.70−3.30Below flood stage—
20Jun 1, 201311.52−3.48Below flood stage8,120
21Jun 30, 200511.43−3.57Below flood stage—
22Jan 27, 201511.40−3.60Below flood stage4,500
23Sep 10, 201311.25−3.75Below flood stage8,290
24Mar 16, 200310.21−4.79Below flood stage—
25Feb 19, 201710.20−4.80Below flood stage—
26Sep 27, 20165.19−9.81Below flood stage—
27Mar 13, 20124.08−10.92Below flood stage795
28Mar 9, 20213.88−11.12Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Little Missouri River

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

March 23, 1947: 20.50 ft here, major flooding

  • Watford CityND · Mar 25, 1947 · 24.00 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • MarmarthND · Mar 23, 1947 · 21.70 ft · Minor · its highest

May 25, 2011: 20.39 ft here, major flooding

  • Camp CrookSD · May 24, 2011 · 19.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • MarmarthND · May 23, 2011 · 21.11 ft · Minor

March 11, 1972: 18.68 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MarmarthND · Mar 12, 1972 · 18.30 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Little Missouri River

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

Flood gauges on the Little Missouri River
Camp CrookSD12.019.40 ft, May 24, 20111
MarmarthND18.021.70 ft, Mar 23, 19470
Medora this gaugeND15.020.50 ft, Mar 23, 19472
Watford CityND20.024.00 ft, Mar 25, 19470

Billings County: every hazard · River floods across the country · North Dakota

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MDAN8, 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.