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Souris River at Velva

Highest listed crest 1,515.73 ftFlood stage 1,507.0 ft9 crests since 1969

The Souris River at Velva crested above flood stage 7 times among the 9 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1969 to 2013. The highest, 1,515.73 ft on June 26, 2011, was moderate flooding, 8.73 feet above flood stage. 8 other gauges on the Souris River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 7 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
1,515.73 ft
June 26, 2011
Flood stage
1,507.0 ft
Major flooding from 1,517.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 6, 2013
1,508.75 ft, minor flooding
Location
McHenry County
North Dakota
Identifiers
NWS VLVN8
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Souris River at Velva
Action stage1,506.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)1,507.06Jun 6, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage1,512.01Jun 26, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage1,517.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

9 crests from 1969 to 2013. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Souris River at Velva, 1969 to 2013 15001505151015151520ft Flood stage 1,507.0 ftMajor 1,517.0 ft Apr 1, 1969: 1,509.18 ft, minor floodingMay 16, 1975: 1,509.43 ft, minor floodingApr 20, 1976: 1,511.13 ft, minor flooding; 9,280 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1979: 1,509.23 ft, minor floodingApr 21, 1999: 1,505.43 ft, below flood stageJul 1, 2005: 1,505.06 ft, below flood stageApr 14, 2009: 1,510.33 ft, minor floodingJun 26, 2011: 1,515.73 ft, moderate floodingJun 6, 2013: 1,508.75 ft, minor flooding Highest, 1,515.73 ft, Jun 26, 2011 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Souris River at Velva 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Souris River at Velva
1Jun 26, 20111,515.73+8.73Moderate—
2Apr 20, 19761,511.13+4.13Minor9,280
3Apr 14, 20091,510.33+3.33Minor—
4May 16, 19751,509.43+2.43Minor—
5Apr 22, 19791,509.23+2.23Minor—
6Apr 1, 19691,509.18+2.18Minor—
7Jun 6, 20131,508.75+1.75Minor—
8Apr 21, 19991,505.43−1.57Below flood stage—
9Jul 1, 20051,505.06−1.94Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Souris River

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

June 26, 2011: 1,515.73 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SherwoodND · Jun 23, 2011 · 1,633.15 ft · Major · its highest
  • FoxholmND · Jun 25, 2011 · 1,584.44 ft · Major · its highest
  • Minot 4NWND · Jun 25, 2011 · 1,571.34 ft · Major
  • Minot-Broadway BridgeND · Jun 25, 2011 · 1,562.86 ft · Major · its highest
  • LoganND · Jun 26, 2011 · 1,542.12 ft · Major · its highest
  • SawyerND · Jun 26, 2011 · 1,530.50 ft · Major · its highest
  • TownerND · Jun 28, 2011 · 1,459.95 ft · Major · its highest
  • BantryND · Jun 28, 2011 · 1,445.66 ft · Major · its highest

April 20, 1976: 1,511.13 ft here, minor flooding

  • FoxholmND · Apr 17, 1976 · 1,579.17 ft · Major
  • Minot-Broadway BridgeND · Apr 18, 1976 · 1,557.30 ft · Major
  • BantryND · Apr 23, 1976 · 1,443.35 ft · Major
  • Minot 4NWND · Apr 17, 1976 · 1,568.31 ft · Moderate
  • LoganND · Apr 19, 1976 · 1,539.49 ft · Moderate
  • SawyerND · Apr 21, 1976 · 1,527.39 ft · Moderate
  • TownerND · Apr 22, 1976 · 1,456.90 ft · Moderate

April 14, 2009: 1,510.33 ft here, minor flooding

  • TownerND · Apr 19, 2009 · 1,457.52 ft · Moderate
  • BantryND · Apr 20, 2009 · 1,442.89 ft · Moderate
  • LoganND · Apr 14, 2009 · 1,537.43 ft · Minor
  • SawyerND · Apr 14, 2009 · 1,525.69 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Souris River

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

Flood gauges on the Souris River
LoganND1,536.01,542.12 ft, Jun 26, 20111
Minot 4NWND1,562.01,573.01 ft, Jan 1, 18813
Minot-Broadway BridgeND1,551.01,562.86 ft, Jun 25, 20113
SawyerND1,524.01,530.50 ft, Jun 26, 20111
Velva this gaugeND1,507.01,515.73 ft, Jun 26, 20110
BantryND1,440.01,445.66 ft, Jun 28, 20114
FoxholmND1,573.01,584.44 ft, Jun 25, 20112
SherwoodND1,623.01,633.15 ft, Jun 23, 20113
TownerND1,454.01,459.95 ft, Jun 28, 20111
WesthopeND1,414.01,426.75 ft, Jul 5, 20117

Other gauges in McHenry County

Flood gauges in McHenry County
Bantry1,440.01,445.66 ft, Jun 28, 20114
Towner1,454.01,459.95 ft, Jun 28, 20111
Willow City1,442.01,448.59 ft, Apr 12, 19691
Karlsruhe1,509.01,514.60 ft, Mar 17, 19952

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge VLVN8, 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.