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Big Blue River near Crete

Highest listed crest 30.64 ftFlood stage 21.0 ft112 crests since 1945

The Big Blue River near Crete crested above flood stage 56 times among the 112 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1945 to 2024. The highest, 30.64 ft on March 15, 2019, was moderate flooding, 9.64 feet above flood stage. 4 other gauges on the Big Blue River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
30.64 ft
March 15, 2019; 22,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
21.0 ft
Major flooding from 31.0 ft
Crests at major
0
56 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
March 16, 2021
23.10 ft, minor flooding
Location
Saline 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 near Crete
Action stage19.024Jul 4, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)21.039Mar 16, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage25.017Mar 15, 2019Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage31.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

112 crests from 1945 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Blue River near Crete, 1945 to 2024 010203040ft Flood stage 21.0 ftMajor 31.0 ft Jun 17, 1945: 22.55 ft, minor flooding; 7,900 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1946: 20.79 ft, action stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1947: 23.57 ft, minor flooding; 8,820 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1948: 25.86 ft, moderate flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1949: 27.00 ft, moderate flooding; 20,900 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 1950: 28.74 ft, moderate flooding; 27,600 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1951: 28.30 ft, moderate flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1952: 24.00 ft, minor flooding; 10,600 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1953: 11.41 ft, below flood stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1954: 19.93 ft, action stage; 5,080 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1955: 12.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,600 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1956: 9.31 ft, below flood stage; 922 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1957: 27.53 ft, moderate flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1958: 20.22 ft, action stage; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1959: 17.70 ft, below flood stage; 3,700 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1960: 28.00 ft, moderate flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1961: 14.20 ft, below flood stage; 2,540 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1962: 19.92 ft, action stage; 5,830 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1963: 23.23 ft, minor flooding; 7,930 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1964: 19.70 ft, action stage; 5,560 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1965: 20.10 ft, action stage; 5,360 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1965: 18.00 ft, below flood stage; 4,130 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1965: 22.86 ft, minor flooding; 8,300 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1965: 18.54 ft, below flood stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1965: 19.97 ft, action stage; 5,270 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1965: 20.54 ft, action stage; 5,600 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1966: 19.69 ft, action stage; 4,940 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1967: 24.08 ft, minor flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1967: 29.80 ft, moderate flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1968: 12.72 ft, below flood stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1969: 27.30 ft, moderate flooding; 17,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1969: 24.21 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1970: 10.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1971: 22.61 ft, minor flooding; 8,000 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1972: 18.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,860 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1973: 16.56 ft, below flood stage; 3,410 cubic feet per secondOct 11, 1973: 23.11 ft, minor flooding; 7,520 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1975: 16.72 ft, below flood stage; 3,280 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1976: 10.97 ft, below flood stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondSep 6, 1977: 20.69 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1978: 24.63 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 1979: 22.48 ft, minor flooding; 7,610 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1979: 21.32 ft, minor flooding; 6,310 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1979: 18.19 ft, below flood stage; 3,860 cubic feet per secondMay 2, 1979: 19.25 ft, action stage; 4,550 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1980: 17.35 ft, below flood stage; 3,420 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1981: 17.83 ft, below flood stage; 3,660 cubic feet per secondFeb 23, 1982: 20.32 ft, action stage; 4,920 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1982: 20.72 ft, action stage; 5,740 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1982: 23.49 ft, minor flooding; 8,180 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1982: 21.91 ft, minor flooding; 6,430 cubic feet per secondFeb 19, 1983: 18.15 ft, below flood stage; 3,790 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1983: 20.30 ft, action stage; 5,150 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 1983: 25.90 ft, moderate flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1983: 18.07 ft, below flood stage; 3,740 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1984: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 6,680 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1984: 20.92 ft, action stage; 5,430 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1984: 22.65 ft, minor flooding; 6,980 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1984: 23.46 ft, minor flooding; 7,900 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1984: 25.16 ft, moderate flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 1984: 21.83 ft, minor flooding; 5,810 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1985: 20.79 ft, action stage; 5,240 cubic feet per secondJul 22, 1985: 24.87 ft, minor flooding; 8,430 cubic feet per secondJul 3, 1986: 29.86 ft, moderate flooding; 21,600 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1986: 19.56 ft, action stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 1986: 22.70 ft, minor flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1987: 27.84 ft, moderate flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1987: 18.21 ft, below flood stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1987: 18.31 ft, below flood stage; 3,750 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1987: 19.39 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1987: 22.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,030 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1988: 14.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,940 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 1989: 18.22 ft, below flood stage; 3,350 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1989: 24.07 ft, minor flooding; 7,370 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1990: 21.80 ft, minor flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1990: 21.96 ft, minor flooding; 5,920 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1990: 18.86 ft, below flood stage; 3,880 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1991: 23.93 ft, minor flooding; 8,420 cubic feet per secondJul 31, 1992: 21.91 ft, minor flooding; 5,880 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1993: 28.80 ft, moderate flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1994: 19.04 ft, action stage; 4,130 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1995: 16.41 ft, below flood stage; 2,750 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1996: 24.26 ft, minor flooding; 9,220 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1997: 22.29 ft, minor flooding; 7,260 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 1998: 23.63 ft, minor flooding; 7,230 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1999: 22.87 ft, minor flooding; 6,820 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2000: 20.91 ft, action stage; 5,090 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 2001: 21.48 ft, minor flooding; 5,530 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2002: 16.63 ft, below flood stage; 2,830 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2003: 17.57 ft, below flood stage; 3,260 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2004: 14.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2005: 26.17 ft, moderate flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 2006: 20.70 ft, action stage; 4,450 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 2007: 21.51 ft, minor flooding; 5,560 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2008: 25.10 ft, moderate flooding; 10,300 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2009: 14.87 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 2010: 22.56 ft, minor flooding; 6,510 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2011: 20.30 ft, action stage; 4,750 cubic feet per secondJun 16, 2012: 17.34 ft, below flood stage; 3,160 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 22.67 ft, minor flooding; 6,170 cubic feet per secondAug 31, 2014: 23.41 ft, minor floodingMay 7, 2015: 24.18 ft, minor flooding; 8,560 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2015: 26.07 ft, moderate flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2016: 23.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,610 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2017: 22.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,560 cubic feet per secondSep 5, 2018: 20.82 ft, action stage; 4,380 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2019: 30.64 ft, moderate flooding; 22,300 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2020: 18.20 ft, below flood stage; 3,180 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2021: 23.10 ft, minor flooding; 6,760 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2022: 15.03 ft, below flood stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 2023: 14.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2024: 20.68 ft, action stage; 4,480 cubic feet per second Highest, 30.64 ft, Mar 15, 2019 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Blue River near Crete 1940s: 4 1950s: 4 1960s: 7 1970s: 5 1980s: 14 14 1990s: 9 2000s: 4 2010s: 8 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 112 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Big Blue River near Crete
1Mar 15, 201930.64+9.64Moderate22,300
2Jul 3, 198629.86+8.86Moderate21,600
3Jun 16, 196729.80+8.80Moderate24,300
4Mar 12, 199328.80+7.80Moderate18,800
5Jul 10, 195028.74+7.74Moderate27,600
6Jun 3, 195128.30+7.30Moderate25,500
7Mar 30, 196028.00+7.00Moderate23,000
8Mar 25, 198727.84+6.84Moderate18,100
9Jun 19, 195727.53+6.53Moderate22,200
10Mar 21, 196927.30+6.30Moderate17,600
11Mar 8, 194927.00+6.00Moderate20,900
12May 14, 200526.17+5.17Moderate12,400
13Jun 12, 201526.07+5.07Moderate12,200
14Jun 20, 198325.90+4.90Moderate12,800
15Mar 20, 194825.86+4.86Moderate15,800
16Jun 18, 198425.16+4.16Moderate10,500
17Jun 9, 200825.10+4.10Moderate10,300
18Jul 22, 198524.87+3.87Minor8,430
19Mar 17, 197824.63+3.63Minor11,200
20May 29, 199624.26+3.26Minor9,220
21Apr 5, 196924.21+3.21Minor10,200
22May 7, 201524.18+3.18Minor8,560
23Jun 10, 196724.08+3.08Minor11,000
24Sep 12, 198924.07+3.07Minor7,370
25Jun 27, 195224.00+3.00Minor10,600
26Jun 6, 199123.93+2.93Minor8,420
27Jun 16, 199823.63+2.63Minor7,230
28Jun 14, 194723.57+2.57Minor8,820
29May 30, 201623.56+2.56Minor7,610
30Jun 17, 198223.49+2.49Minor8,180
31May 24, 198423.46+2.46Minor7,900
32Aug 31, 201423.41+2.41Minor—
33Jun 26, 196323.23+2.23Minor7,930
34Oct 11, 197323.11+2.11Minor7,520
35Mar 16, 202123.10+2.10Minor6,760
36Jul 2, 199922.87+1.87Minor6,820
37Jun 9, 196522.86+1.86Minor8,300
38Oct 12, 198622.70+1.70Minor6,650
39May 30, 201322.67+1.67Minor6,170
40May 19, 198422.65+1.65Minor6,980
41Mar 16, 197122.61+1.61Minor8,000
42Jun 26, 201022.56+1.56Minor6,510
43Jun 17, 194522.55+1.55Minor7,900
44Mar 8, 197922.48+1.48Minor7,610
45Apr 4, 198422.33+1.33Minor6,680
46Aug 22, 201722.33+1.33Minor5,560
47Jul 12, 199722.29+1.29Minor7,260
48Aug 28, 198722.08+1.08Minor6,030
49Jul 29, 199021.96+0.96Minor5,920
50Jul 4, 198221.91+0.91Minor6,430

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.

March 15, 2019: 30.64 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SewardNE · Mar 14, 2019 · 24.11 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • BeatriceNE · Mar 16, 2019 · 25.93 ft · Minor
  • BarnestonNE · Mar 17, 2019 · 25.32 ft · Minor
  • SurpriseNE · Mar 14, 2019 · 9.86 ft · Minor

July 3, 1986: 29.86 ft here, moderate flooding

  • MarysvilleKS · Jul 6, 1986 · 38.90 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
  • SurpriseNE · Jun 30, 1986 · 10.64 ft · Moderate

June 16, 1967: 29.80 ft here, moderate flooding

  • BeatriceNE · Jun 18, 1967 · 26.06 ft · Moderate
  • SurpriseNE · Jun 15, 1967 · 10.17 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
SurpriseNE7.011.52 ft, Jul 19, 19650
SewardNE18.024.11 ft, Mar 14, 20190
Crete this gaugeNE21.030.64 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

Other gauges in Saline County

Flood gauges in Saline County
Wilber12.521.43 ft, Jun 13, 19841

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CRTN1, 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.