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Red River of the North at Pembina

Highest listed crest 54.94 ftFlood stage 39.0 ft43 crests since 1985

The Red River of the North at Pembina crested at major flood stage 11 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1985 to 2026. The highest, 54.94 ft on April 26, 1997, was major flooding, 15.94 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Red River of the North crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
54.94 ft
April 26, 1997; 141,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
39.0 ft
Major flooding from 49.0 ft
Crests at major
11
9th of 54 gauges in North Dakota
Most recent flood crest
May 4, 2023
46.65 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Pembina 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, Red River of the North at Pembina
Action stage35.03Apr 18, 2026The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)39.05Apr 19, 2014Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage44.09May 4, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage49.011May 7, 2022Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1985 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Red River of the North at Pembina, 1985 to 2026 102030405060ft Flood stage 39.0 ftMajor 49.0 ft Mar 27, 1985: 32.80 ft, below flood stage; 18,100 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1986: 42.15 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondApr 9, 1987: 44.60 ft, moderate flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1988: 27.71 ft, below flood stage; 15,700 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1989: 45.85 ft, moderate flooding; 38,400 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1990: 22.30 ft, below flood stage; 5,470 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1991: 18.14 ft, below flood stage; 5,690 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1992: 25.35 ft, below flood stage; 15,800 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 1993: 30.54 ft, below flood stage; 31,900 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1994: 28.10 ft, below flood stage; 26,900 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1995: 46.95 ft, moderate flooding; 42,000 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1996: 51.50 ft, major flooding; 66,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1997: 54.94 ft, major flooding; 141,000 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1998: 42.90 ft, minor flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1999: 49.67 ft, major flooding; 58,000 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2000: 37.05 ft, action stage; 31,000 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 2001: 49.43 ft, major flooding; 59,600 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2002: 42.18 ft, minor flooding; 35,500 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 2003: 25.05 ft, below flood stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2004: 46.64 ft, moderate flooding; 45,000 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2005: 46.15 ft, moderate flooding; 38,000 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2006: 51.50 ft, major flooding; 71,000 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2007: 43.69 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2008: 30.44 ft, below flood stageApr 15, 2009: 52.71 ft, major floodingApr 1, 2010: 49.73 ft, major floodingApr 23, 2011: 51.92 ft, major flooding; 82,400 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2012: 27.24 ft, below flood stage; 16,400 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 2013: 46.11 ft, moderate flooding; 45,900 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2014: 43.77 ft, minor flooding; 35,100 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2015: 29.65 ft, below flood stage; 18,500 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 2016: 34.05 ft, below flood stage; 18,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 2017: 44.81 ft, moderate flooding; 40,100 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 2018: 37.79 ft, action stageApr 25, 2019: 49.38 ft, major flooding; 62,600 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 2019: 45.43 ft, moderate floodingApr 19, 2020: 50.57 ft, major flooding; 67,300 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 2021: 21.95 ft, below flood stageMay 7, 2022: 52.31 ft, major flooding; 78,700 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 2023: 46.65 ft, moderate floodingJul 8, 2024: 32.47 ft, below flood stageMay 29, 2025: 21.30 ft, below flood stageApr 18, 2026: 36.02 ft, action stage Highest, 54.94 ft, Apr 26, 1997 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Red River of the North at Pembina 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 7 7 2010s: 7 2020s: 3 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Red River of the North at Pembina
1Apr 26, 199754.94+15.94Major141,000
2Apr 15, 200952.71+13.71Major—
3May 7, 202252.31+13.31Major78,700
4Apr 23, 201151.92+12.92Major82,400
5Apr 26, 199651.50+12.50Major66,400
6Apr 15, 200651.50+12.50Major71,000
7Apr 19, 202050.57+11.57Major67,300
8Apr 1, 201049.73+10.73Major—
9Apr 13, 199949.67+10.67Major58,000
10Apr 25, 200149.43+10.43Major59,600
11Apr 25, 201949.38+10.38Major62,600
12Mar 30, 199546.95+7.95Moderate42,000
13May 4, 202346.65+7.65Moderate—
14Apr 7, 200446.64+7.64Moderate45,000
15Jul 6, 200546.15+7.15Moderate38,000
16May 8, 201346.11+7.11Moderate45,900
17Apr 23, 198945.85+6.85Moderate38,400
18Oct 26, 201945.43+6.43Moderate—
19Apr 5, 201744.81+5.81Moderate40,100
20Apr 9, 198744.60+5.60Moderate37,000
21Apr 19, 201443.77+4.77Minor35,100
22Apr 5, 200743.69+4.69Minor34,500
23Mar 12, 199842.90+3.90Minor28,000
24Jun 18, 200242.18+3.18Minor35,500
25Apr 8, 198642.15+3.15Minor34,300
26Apr 29, 201837.79−1.21Action—
27Jul 4, 200037.05−1.95Action31,000
28Apr 18, 202636.02−2.98Action—
29Mar 18, 201634.05−4.95Below flood stage18,800
30Mar 27, 198532.80−6.20Below flood stage18,100
31Jul 8, 202432.47−6.53Below flood stage—
32Aug 16, 199330.54−8.46Below flood stage31,900
33Apr 13, 200830.44−8.56Below flood stage—
34May 23, 201529.65−9.35Below flood stage18,500
35Apr 7, 199428.10−10.90Below flood stage26,900
36Apr 8, 198827.71−11.29Below flood stage15,700
37Mar 21, 201227.24−11.76Below flood stage16,400
38Apr 4, 199225.35−13.65Below flood stage15,800
39Jul 3, 200325.05−13.95Below flood stage14,200
40Apr 10, 199022.30−16.70Below flood stage5,470
41Mar 24, 202121.95−17.05Below flood stage—
42May 29, 202521.30−17.70Below flood stage—
43Jul 12, 199118.14−20.86Below flood stage5,690

The worst floods along the Red River of the North

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

April 26, 1997: 54.94 ft here, major flooding

  • Grand ForksND · Apr 22, 1997 · 54.35 ft · Major · its highest
  • DraytonMN · Apr 24, 1997 · 45.55 ft · Major · its highest
  • HalstadMN · Apr 19, 1997 · 40.74 ft · Major · its highest
  • OsloMN · Apr 23, 1997 · 38.00 ft · Major

May 7, 2022: 52.31 ft here, major flooding

  • DraytonMN · May 4, 2022 · 43.19 ft · Major
  • FargoND · May 14, 2022 · 26.49 ft · Moderate
  • HalstadMN · May 2, 2022 · 31.83 ft · Minor

April 23, 2011: 51.92 ft here, major flooding

  • DraytonMN · Apr 19, 2011 · 43.17 ft · Major

Gauges on the Red River of the North

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

Flood gauges on the Red River of the North
WahpetonND11.019.42 ft, Apr 6, 199711
HicksonMN30.039.04 ft, Mar 26, 20091
FargoND18.040.84 ft, Mar 28, 200917
HalstadMN26.040.74 ft, Apr 19, 199711
Grand ForksND28.054.35 ft, Apr 22, 199711
OsloMN26.038.37 ft, Apr 1, 200918
DraytonMN32.045.55 ft, Apr 24, 199711
Pembina this gaugeND39.054.94 ft, Apr 26, 199711

Other gauges in Pembina County

Flood gauges in Pembina County
Neche18.024.51 ft, Apr 21, 199728
Walhalla11.017.25 ft, May 21, 20130

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PBNN8, 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.