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Big Blue River at Surprise

Highest listed crest 11.52 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft63 crests since 1964

The Big Blue River at Surprise crested above flood stage 32 times among the 63 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2024. The highest, 11.52 ft on July 19, 1965, was moderate flooding, 4.52 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
11.52 ft
July 19, 1965; 10,700 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.0 ft
Crests at major
0
32 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
July 2, 2024
7.57 ft, minor flooding
Location
Butler County
Nebraska

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Big Blue River at Surprise
Action stage6.03Jun 3, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.027Jul 2, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.05Jun 6, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

63 crests from 1964 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Blue River at Surprise, 1964 to 2024 24681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 12.0 ft May 7, 1964: 4.34 ft, below flood stage; 676 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1965: 11.52 ft, moderate flooding; 10,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 6.16 ft, action stage; 1,290 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1967: 9.09 ft, minor flooding; 2,870 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1967: 10.17 ft, moderate flooding; 4,440 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1968: 4.24 ft, below flood stage; 636 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1969: 9.08 ft, minor flooding; 2,800 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1970: 2.43 ft, below flood stage; 95 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1971: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 2,930 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1972: 10.17 ft, moderate flooding; 3,540 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 8.12 ft, minor flooding; 1,700 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1974: 5.13 ft, below flood stage; 773 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1975: 7.75 ft, minor flooding; 1,900 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1976: 5.90 ft, below flood stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 1977: 7.97 ft, minor flooding; 1,380 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 1977: 9.25 ft, minor flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1978: 7.90 ft, minor flooding; 1,920 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1979: 5.81 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1980: 8.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,930 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1981: 2.63 ft, below flood stage; 131 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1982: 7.13 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1983: 7.42 ft, minor flooding; 1,415 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1984: 7.15 ft, minor flooding; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1985: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,240 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1986: 10.64 ft, moderate flooding; 4,860 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1987: 7.48 ft, minor flooding; 1,280 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 1988: 3.90 ft, below flood stage; 471 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1989: 8.21 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1990: 8.60 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1991: 9.58 ft, minor flooding; 3,000 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 1992: 6.40 ft, action stage; 1,150 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1993: 9.57 ft, minor flooding; 2,360 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1994: 4.20 ft, below flood stage; 580 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 1995: 3.59 ft, below flood stage; 415 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1996: 3.55 ft, below flood stage; 401 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1997: 2.76 ft, below flood stage; 175 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1998: 4.17 ft, below flood stage; 580 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1999: 6.60 ft, action stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2000: 4.78 ft, below flood stage; 735 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2001: 3.07 ft, below flood stage; 287 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2002: 4.72 ft, below flood stage; 721 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2003: 3.48 ft, below flood stage; 388 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2004: 2.27 ft, below flood stage; 76 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2005: 5.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 2006: 3.46 ft, below flood stage; 380 cubic feet per secondAug 9, 2007: 9.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,040 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2008: 11.25 ft, moderate flooding; 8,100 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2009: 3.79 ft, below flood stage; 373 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2010: 7.94 ft, minor flooding; 1,260 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2011: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,250 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 2012: 3.04 ft, below flood stageMay 30, 2013: 4.21 ft, below flood stage; 583 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 2014: 7.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2015: 5.89 ft, below flood stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2016: 9.01 ft, minor flooding; 2,030 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2017: 8.18 ft, minor flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2018: 8.03 ft, minor flooding; 1,140 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2019: 9.86 ft, minor flooding; 3,050 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2020: 5.98 ft, below flood stageMar 15, 2021: 4.43 ft, below flood stage; 492 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2022: 3.30 ft, below flood stage; 311 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 2023: 4.42 ft, below flood stageJul 2, 2024: 7.57 ft, minor flooding; 990 cubic feet per second Highest, 11.52 ft, Jul 19, 1965 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River at Surprise 1960s: 4 1970s: 7 1980s: 8 8 1990s: 3 2000s: 2 2010s: 7 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 63 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Blue River at Surprise
1Jul 19, 196511.52+4.52Moderate10,700
2Jun 6, 200811.25+4.25Moderate8,100
3Jun 30, 198610.64+3.64Moderate4,860
4Jun 15, 196710.17+3.17Moderate4,440
5Jul 12, 197210.17+3.17Moderate3,540
6Mar 14, 20199.86+2.86Minor3,050
7Jun 4, 19919.58+2.58Minor3,000
8Mar 10, 19939.57+2.57Minor2,360
9Aug 9, 20079.45+2.45Minor2,040
10Sep 4, 19779.25+2.25Minor2,180
11Mar 13, 19719.14+2.14Minor2,930
12Jun 10, 19679.09+2.09Minor2,870
13Mar 20, 19699.08+2.08Minor2,800
14May 14, 20169.01+2.01Minor2,030
15Jul 20, 19858.91+1.91Minor2,240
16Jul 29, 19908.60+1.60Minor1,870
17Sep 9, 19898.21+1.21Minor1,450
18Aug 18, 20178.18+1.18Minor1,120
19May 12, 20118.14+1.14Minor1,250
20May 28, 19738.12+1.12Minor1,700
21Jun 26, 20188.03+1.03Minor1,140
22Jun 4, 19808.02+1.02Minor1,930
23Aug 31, 19777.97+0.97Minor1,380
24Jun 21, 20107.94+0.94Minor1,260
25Mar 15, 19787.90+0.90Minor1,920
26Jun 23, 19757.75+0.75Minor1,900
27Sep 12, 20147.67+0.67Minor1,220
28Jul 2, 20247.57+0.57Minor990
29Aug 25, 19877.48+0.48Minor1,280
30Jun 21, 19837.42+0.42Minor1,415
31Jun 16, 19847.15+0.15Minor1,670
32Jul 12, 19827.13+0.13Minor1,350
33Jun 3, 19996.60−0.40Action1,180
34Jul 30, 19926.40−0.60Action1,150
35Feb 10, 19666.16−0.84Action1,290
36May 26, 20205.98−1.02Below flood stage—
37May 12, 20055.97−1.03Below flood stage1,050
38May 23, 19765.90−1.10Below flood stage1,190
39Jun 5, 20155.89−1.11Below flood stage1,020
40Mar 13, 19795.81−1.19Below flood stage1,160
41May 19, 19745.13−1.87Below flood stage773
42Jul 4, 20004.78−2.22Below flood stage735
43May 28, 20024.72−2.28Below flood stage721
44Mar 15, 20214.43−2.57Below flood stage492
45Jul 22, 20234.42−2.58Below flood stage—
46May 7, 19644.34−2.66Below flood stage676
47Jun 24, 19684.24−2.76Below flood stage636
48May 30, 20134.21−2.79Below flood stage583
49Mar 6, 19944.20−2.80Below flood stage580
50May 24, 19984.17−2.83Below flood stage580

The worst floods along the Big Blue River

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

June 6, 2008: 11.25 ft here, moderate flooding

  • CreteNE · Jun 9, 2008 · 25.10 ft · Moderate
  • Blue RapidsKS · Jun 6, 2008 · 31.05 ft · Minor
  • BeatriceNE · Jun 6, 2008 · 21.25 ft · Minor

June 30, 1986: 10.64 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MarysvilleKS · Jul 6, 1986 · 38.90 ft · Moderate
  • CreteNE · Jul 3, 1986 · 29.86 ft · Moderate
  • BarnestonNE · Jul 6, 1986 · 28.49 ft · Moderate
  • BeatriceNE · Jul 4, 1986 · 26.07 ft · Moderate
  • SewardNE · Jul 2, 1986 · 22.37 ft · Moderate

June 15, 1967: 10.17 ft here, moderate flooding

  • CreteNE · Jun 16, 1967 · 29.80 ft · Moderate
  • BeatriceNE · Jun 18, 1967 · 26.06 ft · Moderate
  • MarysvilleKS · Jun 20, 1967 · 37.23 ft · Minor
  • Blue RapidsKS · Jun 12, 1967 · 31.10 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Big Blue River

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

Flood gauges on the Big Blue River
Surprise this gaugeNE7.011.52 ft, Jul 19, 19650
SewardNE18.024.11 ft, Mar 14, 20190
CreteNE21.030.64 ft, Mar 15, 20190
BeatriceNE18.033.02 ft, Oct 12, 19731
BarnestonNE20.030.21 ft, Jun 14, 19840
MarysvilleKS35.045.39 ft, Jun 9, 19413
Blue RapidsKS26.063.30 ft, Jul 22, 19930
Tuttle Creek LakeKS1,136.01,137.76 ft, Jul 23, 19930
ManhattanKS19.036.04 ft, Jul 12, 19512

Butler County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nebraska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SRPN1, 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.