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Big Nemaha River at Falls City

Highest listed crest 31.59 ftFlood stage 27.0 ft28 crests since 1998

The Big Nemaha River at Falls City crested above flood stage 7 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1998 to 2025. The highest, 31.59 ft on May 29, 2019, was moderate flooding, 4.59 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
31.59 ft
May 29, 2019; 41,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
27.0 ft
Major flooding from 36.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 25, 2021
30.99 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Richardson 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 Nemaha River at Falls City
Action stage25.01Oct 9, 2018The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)27.03May 30, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.04Jun 25, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage36.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1998 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Big Nemaha River at Falls City, 1998 to 2025 010203040ft Flood stage 27.0 ftMajor 36.0 ft Mar 30, 1998: 23.47 ft, below flood stage; 26,300 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 1999: 28.13 ft, minor flooding; 40,600 cubic feet per secondJul 4, 2000: 16.73 ft, below flood stage; 13,400 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2001: 28.54 ft, minor flooding; 39,900 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2002: 10.81 ft, below flood stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2003: 19.12 ft, below flood stage; 16,700 cubic feet per secondMar 5, 2004: 19.62 ft, below flood stage; 17,700 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 2005: 17.04 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2006: 8.54 ft, below flood stage; 2,100 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 2007: 30.46 ft, moderate flooding; 44,900 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2008: 20.83 ft, below flood stage; 19,900 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2009: 22.93 ft, below flood stage; 24,600 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2010: 22.67 ft, below flood stageMay 26, 2011: 16.28 ft, below flood stage; 11,300 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2012: 12.59 ft, below flood stage; 6,670 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 2013: 28.91 ft, minor flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2014: 21.29 ft, below flood stage; 21,100 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 2015: 30.94 ft, moderate flooding; 40,000 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2016: 22.80 ft, below flood stage; 26,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2017: 18.94 ft, below flood stage; 14,900 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2018: 26.51 ft, action stage; 29,600 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2019: 31.59 ft, moderate flooding; 41,200 cubic feet per secondJul 30, 2020: 22.90 ft, below flood stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2021: 30.99 ft, moderate flooding; 30,600 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2022: 18.58 ft, below flood stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2023: 11.80 ft, below flood stage; 4,980 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 2024: 22.85 ft, below flood stage; 18,400 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 2025: 18.79 ft, below flood stage; 12,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 31.59 ft, May 29, 2019 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Big Nemaha River at Falls City 1990s: 1 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 1 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 51 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 30.60 ft on Jun 10, 1941; 25.30 ft on May 3, 1944; 28.50 ft on May 14, 1945; 28.77 ft on Sep 4, 1946; 28.65 ft on Jun 12, 1947; 22.76 ft on Mar 19, 1948; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Big Nemaha River at Falls City
1May 29, 201931.59+4.59Moderate41,200
2Jun 25, 202130.99+3.99Moderate30,600
3Jun 5, 201530.94+3.94Moderate40,000
4May 7, 200730.46+3.46Moderate44,900
5May 30, 201328.91+1.91Minor44,800
6Jul 28, 200128.54+1.54Minor39,900
7Apr 27, 199928.13+1.13Minor40,600
8Oct 9, 201826.51−0.49Action29,600
9Mar 30, 199823.47−3.53Below flood stage26,300
10Jun 15, 200922.93−4.07Below flood stage24,600
11Jul 30, 202022.90−4.10Below flood stage22,300
12Jun 19, 202422.85−4.15Below flood stage18,400
13Apr 27, 201622.80−4.20Below flood stage26,000
14Jan 23, 201022.67−4.33Below flood stage—
15Jun 7, 201421.29−5.71Below flood stage21,100
16May 9, 200820.83−6.17Below flood stage19,900
17Mar 5, 200419.62−7.38Below flood stage17,700
18Jun 12, 200319.12−7.88Below flood stage16,700
19May 1, 201718.94−8.06Below flood stage14,900
20Sep 23, 202518.79−8.21Below flood stage12,800
21May 26, 202218.58−8.42Below flood stage13,700
22May 13, 200517.04−9.96Below flood stage12,800
23Jul 4, 200016.73−10.27Below flood stage13,400
24May 26, 201116.28−10.72Below flood stage11,300
25Apr 15, 201212.59−14.41Below flood stage6,670
26Apr 20, 202311.80−15.20Below flood stage4,980
27May 6, 200210.81−16.19Below flood stage4,120
28Apr 3, 20068.54−18.46Below flood stage2,100

Other gauges in Richardson County

Flood gauges in Richardson County
Rulo17.028.13 ft, Mar 20, 20193
Humboldt28.034.70 ft, Jul 10, 19584

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FLLN1, 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.