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Republican River at McCook

Highest listed crest 10.51 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft73 crests since 1931

The Republican River at McCook crested above flood stage 3 times among the 73 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1931 to 2025. The highest, 10.51 ft on May 26, 2023, was minor flooding, 1.51 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Republican River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.51 ft
May 26, 2023; 4,180 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 26, 2023
10.51 ft, minor flooding
Location
Red Willow County
Nebraska

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Republican River at McCook
Action stage8.08Sep 17, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.03May 26, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

73 crests from 1931 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Republican River at McCook, 1931 to 2025 468101214ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 13.0 ft Jun 5, 1931: 4.80 ft, below flood stage; 800 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1932: 7.50 ft, below flood stage; 5,450 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1955: 7.00 ft, below flood stage; 2,590 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1956: 8.04 ft, action stage; 3,530 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1957: 8.70 ft, action stage; 5,040 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1958: 7.10 ft, below flood stage; 2,190 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1959: 6.59 ft, below flood stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1960: 9.14 ft, minor flooding; 5,890 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1961: 4.72 ft, below flood stage; 714 cubic feet per secondJul 1, 1962: 8.30 ft, action stage; 4,230 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1963: 6.68 ft, below flood stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 1964: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 920 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1965: 7.70 ft, below flood stage; 3,250 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1966: 6.14 ft, below flood stage; 1,810 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1967: 6.69 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1968: 7.31 ft, below flood stage; 2,520 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1969: 8.27 ft, action stage; 3,610 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1970: 6.46 ft, below flood stage; 1,910 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1971: 5.40 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1972: 6.80 ft, below flood stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1973: 5.37 ft, below flood stage; 822 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1974: 7.34 ft, below flood stage; 2,440 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1975: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 1976: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 864 cubic feet per secondAug 25, 1977: 7.17 ft, below flood stage; 2,370 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1978: 6.12 ft, below flood stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 1979: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 625 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1980: 6.62 ft, below flood stage; 1,730 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1981: 7.72 ft, below flood stage; 2,170 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1982: 6.31 ft, below flood stage; 1,180 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1983: 5.22 ft, below flood stage; 633 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1984: 6.17 ft, below flood stage; 1,040 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1985: 6.43 ft, below flood stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondJul 12, 1986: 4.36 ft, below flood stage; 296 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1987: 5.17 ft, below flood stage; 502 cubic feet per secondJul 19, 1988: 6.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJun 30, 1989: 6.52 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1990: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 241 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1991: 4.35 ft, below flood stage; 225 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1992: 6.50 ft, below flood stage; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1993: 5.20 ft, below flood stage; 516 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1994: 5.01 ft, below flood stage; 437 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1995: 4.39 ft, below flood stage; 225 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 1996: 5.50 ft, below flood stage; 635 cubic feet per secondAug 3, 1997: 4.92 ft, below flood stage; 353 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 1998: 4.58 ft, below flood stage; 245 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1999: 6.05 ft, below flood stage; 922 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2000: 4.66 ft, below flood stage; 221 cubic feet per secondOct 31, 2001: 4.40 ft, below flood stage; 162 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2002: 5.28 ft, below flood stage; 470 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2003: 4.75 ft, below flood stage; 261 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2004: 5.56 ft, below flood stage; 271 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 2005: 7.05 ft, below flood stage; 774 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2006: 4.32 ft, below flood stage; 65 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 2007: 9.76 ft, minor flooding; 3,250 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 2008: 8.72 ft, action stage; 1,460 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2009: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 261 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 2010: 5.88 ft, below flood stage; 216 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 2011: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 189 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 2012: 4.38 ft, below flood stage; 92 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2013: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 202 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2014: 6.33 ft, below flood stage; 294 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 2015: 6.97 ft, below flood stage; 386 cubic feet per secondSep 4, 2016: 8.13 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 2017: 5.07 ft, below flood stage; 139 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2018: 8.56 ft, action stage; 1,010 cubic feet per secondAug 12, 2019: 5.38 ft, below flood stage; 147 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2020: 4.69 ft, below flood stage; 97 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2021: 5.59 ft, below flood stage; 157 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2022: 4.55 ft, below flood stage; 83 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 2023: 10.51 ft, minor flooding; 4,180 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2024: 5.68 ft, below flood stage; 243 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2025: 8.48 ft, action stage; 1,010 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.51 ft, May 26, 2023 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Republican River at McCook 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 73 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Republican River at McCook
1May 26, 202310.51+1.51Minor4,180
2Apr 24, 20079.76+0.76Minor3,250
3Mar 21, 19609.14+0.14Minor5,890
4Aug 10, 20088.72−0.28Action1,460
5May 30, 19578.70−0.30Action5,040
6Jul 29, 20188.56−0.44Action1,010
7Sep 17, 20258.48−0.52Action1,010
8Jul 1, 19628.30−0.70Action4,230
9May 21, 19698.27−0.73Action3,610
10Sep 4, 20168.13−0.87Action1,050
11Jun 18, 19568.04−0.96Action3,530
12Jul 19, 19817.72−1.28Below flood stage2,170
13Jul 5, 19657.70−1.30Below flood stage3,250
14Jun 19, 19327.50−1.50Below flood stage5,450
15Jun 9, 19747.34−1.66Below flood stage2,440
16Aug 28, 19687.31−1.69Below flood stage2,520
17Aug 25, 19777.17−1.83Below flood stage2,370
18Jul 21, 19587.10−1.90Below flood stage2,190
19Aug 18, 20057.05−1.95Below flood stage774
20Jun 18, 19557.00−2.00Below flood stage2,590
21Aug 5, 20156.97−2.03Below flood stage386
22Jun 18, 19726.80−2.20Below flood stage1,900
23Jul 9, 19676.69−2.31Below flood stage1,910
24Mar 23, 19636.68−2.32Below flood stage2,370
25Aug 11, 19806.62−2.38Below flood stage1,730
26Jul 14, 19596.59−2.41Below flood stage1,830
27Jun 30, 19896.52−2.48Below flood stage1,280
28Aug 5, 19926.50−2.50Below flood stage1,090
29Jun 12, 19706.46−2.54Below flood stage1,910
30Jun 8, 19756.43−2.57Below flood stage1,560
31Jun 26, 19856.43−2.57Below flood stage1,220
32Jun 10, 20146.33−2.67Below flood stage294
33Aug 14, 19826.31−2.69Below flood stage1,180
34Jul 19, 19886.21−2.79Below flood stage1,090
35Jun 18, 19846.17−2.83Below flood stage1,040
36Oct 19, 19666.14−2.86Below flood stage1,810
37Aug 21, 19786.12−2.88Below flood stage1,490
38May 23, 19996.05−2.95Below flood stage922
39Jun 15, 20105.88−3.12Below flood stage216
40May 20, 20245.68−3.32Below flood stage243
41May 27, 20215.59−3.41Below flood stage157
42May 26, 20095.58−3.42Below flood stage261
43Jun 25, 20115.58−3.42Below flood stage189
44Jul 10, 20045.56−3.44Below flood stage271
45May 14, 20135.55−3.45Below flood stage202
46Jul 11, 19645.54−3.46Below flood stage920
47May 22, 19765.54−3.46Below flood stage864
48Jun 17, 19965.50−3.50Below flood stage635
49Jun 9, 19715.40−3.60Below flood stage1,040
50Aug 12, 20195.38−3.62Below flood stage147

The worst floods along the Republican River

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

May 26, 2023: 10.51 ft here, minor flooding

  • StrattonNE · May 26, 2023 · 13.21 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • CambridgeNE · May 28, 2023 · 11.08 ft · Minor · its highest

March 21, 1960: 9.14 ft here, minor flooding

  • OrleansNE · Mar 22, 1960 · 12.60 ft · Moderate
  • Clay CenterKS · Mar 28, 1960 · 19.69 ft · Minor
  • ConcordiaKS · Mar 28, 1960 · 15.92 ft · Minor
  • HardyKS · Mar 28, 1960 · 11.48 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Republican River

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

Flood gauges on the Republican River
CambridgeNE11.011.08 ft, May 28, 20230
Clay CenterKS15.025.74 ft, Jun 3, 19350
ConcordiaKS15.023.00 ft, Jun 2, 19350
Guide RockNE12.515.47 ft, Jul 19, 19930
McCook this gaugeNE9.010.51 ft, May 26, 20230
RivertonNE9.010.86 ft, Jul 10, 20190
ScandiaKS10.017.80 ft, Jun 2, 19353
StrattonNE11.013.21 ft, May 26, 20230
BenkelmanNE7.013.10 ft, May 31, 19351
HardyKS11.019.40 ft, Jun 2, 19352
OrleansNE9.014.00 ft, Jun 23, 19473

Other gauges in Red Willow County

Flood gauges in Red Willow County
McCook17.025.43 ft, Aug 7, 19506
4W Indianola, Nebraska15.018.36 ft, Jun 22, 19470

Red Willow County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Nebraska

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MKRN1, 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.